Bhanu Tatak, an anti-dam activist and lawyer from Arunachal Pradesh, was stopped at Delhi airport on Sunday, September 7, 2025, from boarding a flight to Dublin, Ireland. Immigration authorities acted on a lookout circular (LOC) issued due to pending police cases in Arunachal Pradesh.

Tatak, who serves as a legal advisor for the Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum (SIFF), was scheduled to attend a three-month academic course at Dublin City University, which was set to begin on September 9. She has been a vocal critic of mega dam projects in the Siang Valley, arguing that they endanger indigenous rights and fragile ecosystems.

According to sources in Arunachal Pradesh, the police registered cases against Tatak following complaints from the state government related to her involvement in SIFF's protests against the construction of a large dam on the Siang River. Inspector General of Police (Law & Order) Chukhu Apa confirmed the existence of the lookout notice but did not elaborate on the grounds. However, Apa stated that "At least 10 cases have been registered against Tatak, in which she played a leading role, including charges of instigating crowds to violence, leading violent protests, and even encouraging women to manhandle a cabinet minister".

However, Superintendent of Police (SP), Jummar Basar, denied any involvement of the city police in Tatak's travel ban. He said, “The Itanagar police have made no complaint against her related to the Siang dam. It's totally misleading information against us".

It has been confirmed that Tatak faces two pending cases registered at Itanagar Police Station, but none are linked to the Siang dam movement. One case, registered in 2021, accuses her of criminal trespass and mischief at BB Plaza Mall. The other, from 2022, relates to the defacement of the "Wall of Harmony" mural at the Arunachal Pradesh Civil Secretariat boundary wall. In the latter case, she has been charge-sheeted along with Assamese artist Nilim Mahanta and local activist Ebo Mili. The chargesheet alleges that she financed the act by transferring funds to Mahanta and coordinated logistics, though she was not physically present during the incident.

Arunachal Pradesh Youth Congress issued a statement condemning the action as "state govt's high-handedness", and said that these cases are old and fabricated. They believe that Tatak was stopped because of her role in leading protests against the proposed 11,500-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project.

Tatak received the Bhagirath Prayas Samman in 2023 for her work in river conservation and has represented tribal groups at international forums, including the UN Business and Human Rights Forum. This incident has drawn comparisons to the 2015 offloading of Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai, highlighting the tension between environmental activism and state-backed hydropower expansion in Arunachal.

Tatak has since returned to Arunachal. Activist groups are calling for an independent review of the cases against her, framing the airport action as part of a broader crackdown on indigenous voices opposing hydropower projects.