Madras High Court stalls expulsion of US national and his family

Justice K Kalyanasundaram, who had a special holiday sitting on Thursday, set aside the Collector’s orders, saying if any adverse order is passed against the petitioners, it shall not be implemented for a period of two weeks from the date of passing. 

Gregory Omar Malstead had submitted that he was a human rights activist with an NGO in Mumbai that exposed the case of women, who were trafficked into commercial sex. To continue his humanitarian work, he had taken up employment as National Director of Freedom Firm, in Ooty in 2013.

 On December 14, 2015 the Nilgiris Collector gave him seven days to leave the country.  Submitting that he was neither given a hearing nor reasons for such an expulsion order, Maistead said the collector declined to extend the period though it was explained that his children were studying in Ooty. Rabu Manohar, a senior Central Government standing counsel argued that Malstead indulged in religious propaganda in the guise of human rights activities.