Bhubaneswar, Dec 24 (IANS): The Orissa High Court has dismissed a petition filed by a man seeking cancellation of the 99th Indian Science Congress (ISC), the largest national science event, to be held here next month, or shifting of its venue, a lawyer said Saturday.

Quashing the petition filed by Manoj Das as "frivolous", Justice B.P. Das and Justice B.K. Nayaka of a division bench of the court at Cuttack, about 26 km from here, Friday observed that the petition has been filed with an ulterior motive without any public interest, the lawyer told IANS.

The five-day mega event, in which over 15,000 delegates, including 500 foreign scientists and 20 Nobel laureates, are to participate, is scheduled to be held at the KIIT University complex here Jan 3-7. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is slated to inaugurate it.

Manoj Das recently moved the court for cancelling the science meet or shifting its venue on the ground that the place is unsafe and high-tension power lines passing through the area might pose threat to the lives of the delegates.

The KIIT and the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) are jointly hosting the 99th edition of the ISC.