CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Friday asked SP Balasore to take a fresh look on the restriction imposed on the Muharrum Tazia procession at select streets under certain terms and conditions in Balasore town on July 29 and 30.
The court issued the order while disposing of a PIL seeking intervention against the order issued by the SP on July 26. One Sk Irsad Ali who filed the petition had submitted representations to the SP and the tehsildar for granting permission to observe Tazia festival in all the seven Muslim bastis under Bidyadharpur, Mangalpur and Badibaza villages where the Tazia festival is traditionally observed.
But the permission was restricted to selected areas. The high court permitted the petitioner to file a further representation, giving names of two or three places out of the bastis where the Tazia festival can be organised, without breach of law and order.
The division bench of Justice Subhasis Talapatra and Justice Savitri Ratho said, “On receipt of the said representation, the superintendent of police, Balasore shall take a fresh look into the matter and only after being satisfied about the law-and-order situation in the proposed places, he may permit the petitioner or the organiser to hold such Tazia Muharram festival in those places.”
But the bench clarified, “We make it abundantly clear that we are not making any observation to grant the permission in favour of the petitioner. The superintendent of police, Balasore shall take feedback and thereafter, will decide whether such permission can be granted or not”.