The Bombay High Court has allowed a cultural organisation to organise Garba at Ramlila Maidan during Navratri, observing that the mere expectation of a large crowd cannot be treated as a law and order situation. The Court held that concerns regarding the annual Ravan Dahan event at the same ground could be addressed by imposing appropriate safety conditions.

A division bench of Justices Kishore C. Sant and Jitendra Jain was hearing a petition challenging the Municipal Corporation's decision to cancel permission for organising Garba at Ramlila Maidan from October 11 to 20, 2026. The Corporation had initially granted permission on October 8, but withdrew it the following day, citing law and order concerns.

The petitioner submitted that it had been organising Garba at a nearby location for the past ten years but had opted for Ramlila Maidan this year due to technical difficulties and the availability of a larger ground. It argued that the permission had been cancelled arbitrarily, without notice or an opportunity of hearing, and offered to undertake that the event would not disturb the nearby locality.

The Court noted that the Corporation had not placed anything on record explaining why it cancelled the permission within a day of granting it. It also observed that there was no indication that the police machinery had reported any law and order concern.

“The reason cited is of law and order. It is not clear as to from where the Corporation received the inputs about law and order. It is not reflected that it is the Police machinery who reported the Corporation about the law and order situation,” the Court remarked.

The stated apprehension was the Ravan Dahan event scheduled for October 20, with no other specific threat identified. The Court observed that Garba was held at various places across the city every year and that the expectation of a larger crowd, by itself, could not justify treating the event as a law and order problem.

“It is common knowledge that every year Garba is played on various places in the city. People come only to play Garba. Merely because more crowd is expected cannot be said to be a reason of law and order situation. At the same time, this Court needs to take into consideration that on the said Maidan every year Rawan Dahan is also performed,” the Court held.

Accordingly, the Court disposed of the petition subject to certain conditions to ensure smooth passage of the event.

Case Title: Marathi Wadal Pratishthan v. The State of Maharashtra [Writ Petition No. 14183 of 2026]