Australia’s federal court rejects urgent bid to overturn India travel ban

Judge sides with health minister, meaning almost 10,000 Australians in India cannot return until ban ends on Friday

The federal court has rejected an urgent bid to overturn the India travel ban, meaning 9,500 Australians stranded there will not be able to return until after it is repealed on Friday.

On Monday Justice Thomas Thawley dismissed the first two grounds seeking to overturn the ban after hearing the first half of the challenge brought by 73-year-old Gary Newman, an Australian man stranded in Bangalore since March 2020.