Bombay HC allows Christmas revelry till midnight

Mumbai: Even as the Bombay high court has permitted Christmas celebrations to go on till midnight on December 25, it has asked the Thane police commissioner to strictly implement noise violation norms by educating the public about noise restrictions and not colluding with organisers in allowing programmes to continue beyond the stipulated 10 pm deadline. The HC observation comes in a criminal public interest litigation (CrPIL) about a mushayra programme being permitted to go on till 5 am by the police.

Advocate Ashish Giri, on behalf of the petitioner Abdul Malik Chaudhary, informed a division bench of justices Naresh Patil and Nitin Sambre that the mushayra programme was being held every year since 2009 at Mittal ground, Mumbra. Advocate Giri informed the bench that the event, which started at 5pm, went on till 5am the next morning. The lawyer told the court that the event persistently flouted all norms in connivance with the police officials and authorities. The petition prayed for directions to the police to ensure that the organisers complied with the 10pm deadline for all public programmes.

After hearing the petition, Justice Patil said, “You have to ensure that the norms are not flouted and for that, you should create awareness about deadlines among the organisers as well as the attendees. You can also switch off the lights and keep coaxing the organisers to adhere to the deadline,” said justice Patil.

Additional public prosecutor Prajakta Shinde, assured the court that the police would abide by suggestions and take strict action against violators.