A division bench of the Kerala High Court has made modifications to the interim order issued by a single bench, which had initially banned the use of firecrackers at places of worship during unconventional hours. The single bench’s directive to conduct inspections at places of worship across all districts and confiscate unlawfully stored firecrackers has been invalidated.
The division bench clarified that the Supreme Court had already imposed a ban on the use of firecrackers between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am. While the restriction on using firecrackers at unusual hours remains intact, the government has the authority to grant permission for fireworks after considering the specific place of worship. The decision to allow the bursting of firecrackers during unconventional hours will be at the discretion of the District Administration on a case-by-case basis. This implies that there won’t be any prohibition on conducting fireworks at Thrissur Pooram if the district administration approves it. This adjustment in the ruling stems from the government’s appeal against the initial single bench order.
In the current appeal, the State argued that the directive for District Collectors to conduct raids is a broad and unnecessary measure not warranted by the circumstances, both factual and legal. It also pointed out that the interpretation of ‘odd time’ could vary depending on individual perspectives.
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