Calcutta HC disallows Hanuman Chalisa reciting event on Red Road, allows regulated rally on April 13

The Calcutta High Court allowed a Hanuman Jayanti procession to be held on April 13 from College Street to Hari Ghosh Street Hanuman Temple but imposed specific restrictions. The order permits a maximum of 250 participants and limits the number of vehicles in the procession to four. The court also directed that the event must conclude between 5 PM and 8 PM. No more than five loudspeakers can be used during the procession.

The same bench, headed by Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, dismissed a separate plea seeking permission to hold a Hanuman Chalisa recital event at Red Road on April 12. The petitioner had filed the case citing a lack of response from Kolkata Police regarding their application to hold the event. It was proposed that around 3,000 people would participate in the recital. While the police later allowed the event to take place at an alternate location, the court refused permission for the use of Red Road.

In the plea, the petitioner argued that Red Road had been allotted to another community for an event on March 31 and requested equal consideration. The petitioner also submitted that April 12 is observed as Hanuman Jayanti and claimed that necessary clearance had already been obtained from the Army for use of the Red Road venue. The petitioner pointed out that the Durga Puja Carnival is held annually at Red Road and urged for similar permission.

The state opposed the petition, contending that the petitioner could not claim the right to hold a religious event at a public place unless it had intrinsic religious relevance. The state also argued that the prayer was for an interim order, and that such rights must be adjudicated upon with full affidavits and documents, which had not been submitted in this case.

The court observed that when a public place is being sought for a religious event for the first time, the right to hold the event must be clearly established. Justice Ghosh stated that “no such right can be claimed without filing of affidavits and a contested proceeding.” Based on this, the court declined the petitioner’s prayer for interim relief and refused permission to hold the event at Red Road.