Debendra Swain is an elected member to a panchayati raj institution in Odisha, India. He is a prominent anti-displacement activist. On December 4, 2021, police in Odisha, India filed a criminal case against Mr. Swain, as well as Mr. Basanta Gochayat, and Mr. Chuguna Jena, environmental activists residing in the Dhinkia panchayat area under Erasama block in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district. Police had previously tried to arrest Mr. Swain at 3am the same day, but failed due to the opposition of other villagers. They were earlier part of a movement opposing the establishment of a steel plant and port by the South Korean steel giant POSCO in the coastal district, which was scrapped in 2017. Mr. Swain and others have also been opposing efforts by Jindal Steel Works (JSW) to set up a mega project at the same site. They conducted numerous public meetings, rallies and demonstrations to press on their demands and opposed the project in public hearings conducted by the administration. Local rights groups allege that the 'fabricated cases' were filed in reprisal for their participation in the movement opposing the JSW project.

Few days earlier, police in Odisha filed criminal cases against the environmental activists Muralidhar Sahoo and Bibekananda Swain.