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The Calcutta High Court on Thursday adjourned a plea seeking interim permission to pilgrims to offer prayers at a mosque located within the Kolkata airport premises, after airport authorities and the State raised security concerns.

Upon hearing the case, Justice Krishna Rao did not pass any interim orders, but posted the matter for further hearing on 7th October.

The matter was heard in a plea concerning the suspension of prayers at the mosque. The petitioners submitted that prayers had been offered there for decades and that arrangements had earlier been made by the CISF to screen the pilgrims, transport them by bus to the mosque and bring them back to the main road after the prayers.

Airport authorities, however, submitted that the mosque was situated within the operational area of the airport, near the runway, and referred to previous security breaches in which persons had allegedly been found on the airport apron.

It was also submitted that the pilgrims were agreeable to the mosque being shifted to another location. Senior Advocate Kishore Datta, appearing for the petitioners, argued that such relocation could have been undertaken systematically rather than abruptly stopping prayers at the existing mosque.

Additional Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi, appearing for the authorities, submitted that the security situation had changed substantially in recent years. He referred to the absence of known security threats before 1993 and submitted that the risk of attacks had increased following the 2025 Red Fort attack.

During the hearing, Trivedi submitted that such incidents were occurring particularly in India. The Court, however, observed that security threats were not confined to India and referred to the previous day's flydubai incident.

The Court said: “No, not just in India, nowadays it is happening everywhere. See yesterday's Flydubai incident. You cannot imagine.”

Court directed that the matter be listed on October 7.

The mosque, reportedly known as Bakra Mosque, has been at the centre of a dispute over access since prayers were suspended amid security concerns. Earlier reports said the mosque is located within the operational area of the airport and about 165 metres from the runway.

The Court's reference to the flydubai incident came a day after a flight bound for Israel was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an alleged confrontation between the pilots, wherein the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain of the flight.

WPA/23818/2026 BANKRA MASJID COMMITTEE(AIRPORT) AND ANR VS UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.

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