Bombay High Court Rules Religious Practices Must Yield to Public Interest and Law and Order The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court recently clarified that the right to practice one’s religion under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution is not absolute and must be balanced against the interests of law and order, public welfare, and the needs of other societal groups. This ruling came in response to a petition filed by Deepak Nechwani, who challenged police restrictions on the route of a proposed Kavad Yatra, a religious procession carrying consecrated water for a Shivling’s jalabhishek. The court dismissed the petition, emphasizing that authorities have the discretion to regulate religious processions when public safety, traffic, and social harmony are at stake. The dispute centered on a proposed route for the Kavad Yatra that would pass through Mominpura, an area with a significant minority population and several mosques and dargahs. The police had denied permission for the route, citing concerns over public order, traffic congestion, and safety. The DCP’s order, issued on August 1, noted that the proposed path would traverse eight mosques and one dargah, raising fears of potential unrest. This was not the first time the area had experienced tensions; the police referenced a January 22, 2024, incident near Jama Masjid in Mominpura and communal unrest on March 17, 2025, following a protest linked to Aurangzeb’s tomb. Nechwani argued that the petition was a test of India’s secularism, asserting that religious processions cannot be barred solely because their routes pass through areas with other religious communities. However, the court rejected this stance, stating that the issue was not about religious freedom but about regulating the use of public roads.#allahabad_high_court #bombay_high_court #mominpura #deepak_nechwani #kavad_yatra
