The High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur, in a common order dated October 28, 2025, has reinforced the legal principle that petitioners must first exhaust available statutory remedies before approaching the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution.

A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru , applied this principle while disposing of two Public Interest Litigations (PILs). The petitions had challenged hoardings erected by Gram Panchayats in Kanker District prohibiting the entry of Christian Pastors. The Court directed the petitioners to the “statutory efficacious alternative remedy” available under the PESA Rules, 2022.

The Court’s Rationale for Disposal

The High Court’s decision was primarily based on the procedural ground of an ava

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