Occurrence Of Riot In 2022 Can't Preclude Hanuman Jayanti Procession In Jahangir Puri: Delhi High Court Asks Police To Examine Issue
Observing that occurrence of an “untoward incident” in the past cannot preclude holding of religious procession as per prevalent religious practice, the Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi Police to decide if a Hanuman Jayanti procession can be allowed in the city's Jahangirpuri area.“The authorities may bear in mind that occurrence of an untoward incident in the year 2022,...
Observing that occurrence of an “untoward incident” in the past cannot preclude holding of religious procession as per prevalent religious practice, the Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi Police to decide if a Hanuman Jayanti procession can be allowed in the city's Jahangirpuri area.
“The authorities may bear in mind that occurrence of an untoward incident in the year 2022, cannot necessarily preclude holding of procession/s on religious occasion/s, as per the prevalent practise in the previous years.It is incumbent on the respondents/police authorities to make adequate security arrangements for the said purpose,” Justice Sachin Datta said.
Clashes had broken out between two groups in April 2022 in Jahangirpuri area during a Hanuman Jayanti procession.
The Court was dealing with a plea filed by one Arvind Mishra against the denial of permission for holding a procession on April 12 on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. It was submitted that a Hanuman Temple has been in existence in Jahangir Puri since time immemorial.
In its status report, the Delhi Police told Court that a riot took place in the area of Jahangir Puri in 2022 on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti during Shobha Yatra, “in which several rounds of gun firing took place by the rioters and one police personnel sustained gun injury and several other police/public persons also got injured in the riot.”
It was submitted that after the riot of 2022, the permission for procession or Shobha Yatra was not granted to any person, keeping in view the volatile and uncertain situation in the area.
Disposing of the plea, the Court observed that it was not inclined to sit in appeal over the decision taken by the concerned police authorities keeping in mind the security or law and order considerations.
The Court granted liberty to Mishra to submit a fresh application to the Delhi Police for holding the procession on April 12, clearly setting out the route and the duration.
It directed the Delhi Police to endeavour to consider the said application and take an appropriate and timely decision. It added that it was incumbent on the police authorities to make adequate security arrangements.
“Let the matter be suitably examined by the senior officials of the Delhi Police and an appropriate decision be taken and communicated to the petitioner, prior to the date on which the procession is proposed to be held,” the Court said.
Title: ARVIND MISHRA v. THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE & ORS.
Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 441