Minors should be away from Muharram processions: Bombay HC

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Monday asked additional commissioner of police, Pravin Kumar Padawal, from the south region to conduct meetings with leaders of the Shia community and organisers of Muharram processions in the South Mumbai, in October, and find a way to keep minors away from participating.

The HC also asked him to submit a report in the next hearing. The court was hearing a suo motu petition in which the minors take part in a procession and harm themselves with knives and other weapons. A division bench of Justice R.M. Sawant and Justice Sadhana Jadhav was hearing a Public Interest litigation (PIL) filed by Faisal Banarasiwala and Abdul Qureshi to save children and adults from injuries by sharp weapons, blades, knives and swords in the name of Matam (mourning). When the court was informed in the year 2014 that the petitioner got a threat, the court then turned the PIL into a suo-moto PIL.     

In December 2014, another bench of HC had appealed to the Shia community leaders to look into the matter. The court then allowed the procession to be held in 2014. Advocates general Sunil Manohar, had assured on behalf of the state that processions would be video graphed and the police will step in only if there are serious injuries to the children. He also assured that first aid and ambulance will be kept ready during the procession.

On Monday, while hearing the matter, the court said that “If the organisers and community leaders themselves ensure that no minor participates in the procession, then police monitoring isn’t required.”