The High Court of Judicature at Bombay , sitting at the Aurangabad Bench , has directed municipal authorities to permit a cultural organization to host Navratri festivities at Ramlila Maidan, holding that speculative concerns regarding crowd management do not constitute a valid legal basis for the arbitrary withdrawal of event permissions. The bench, led by Justice Kishore C. Sant and Justice Jitendra Jain, underscored that administrative bodies must provide concrete evidence of threats to public order rather than relying on generalized apprehensions when restricting public cultural expression.

The litigation arose after the Marathi Wadal Pratishthan , an organization led by its president, sought relief against the Municipal Corporation of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar . The organization had previously received official approval to conduct Garba events from October 11, 2026 , to October 20, 2026 , following a thorough application process that included permission from the Assistant Commissioner to organize the event and collect voluntary contributions. Despite this, the Corporation issued a cancellation notice on October 9, 2026 , just two days prior to the commencement of the festival, citing potential disruptions to law and order .

Arbitrary Cancellation Challenged

During the proceedings, the counsel for the petitioner argued that the cancellation was carried out without any prior notice or a meaningful opportunity for the organizers to be heard. It was submitted that the organization had conducted similar events in the vicinity for over a decade and had specifically chosen Ramlila Maidan this year due to operational constraints at previous venues. The petitioner contended that the sudden reversal of the Corporation’s decision was an administrative overreach that failed to account for the organizers' willingness to cooperate with local authorities to ensure a peaceful environment.

The Municipal Corporation, represented by its counsel, maintained that the grounds of the site were also host to the annual Rawan Dahan ritual, which draws significant crowds ranging from 25,000 to 30,000 participants on the day of Dasshera. The Corporation raised concerns regarding the use of explosives and firecrackers inside the statue of Rawan, suggesting that concurrent Garba events could lead to significant safety risks. The local administration further argued that the presence of large crowds during the festive period would strain police resources and complicate ongoing patrolling requirements.

Judicial Oversight of Safety Standards

The division bench expressed skepticism regarding the justification offered by the Corporation. The Court scrutinized the lack of input from the local police machinery, which would typically be the authority responsible for assessing law and order situations. In its observations, the bench noted, “The reason cited is of law and order . It is not clear as to from where the Corporation received the inputs about law and order . It is not reflected that it is the Police machinery who reported the Corporation about the law and order situation.”

The Court held that the expectation of a large crowd, by itself, is a common feature of public festivals and does not qualify as a legitimate basis for the denial of organizational rights . The judgment emphasized that if safety risks exist, they should be mitigated through specific regulatory conditions rather than through the blanket suppression of an event. Consequently, the bench determined that the Corporation’s decision to cancel the permission within twenty-four hours of its issuance, without clear empirical evidence of a threat, was unsustainable.

Strict Compliance and Operational Oversight

To balance the organizers' rights with the necessity of maintaining public safety, the Court mandated several stringent conditions as a prerequisite for proceeding with the event. These stipulations are designed to ensure that the Garba festivities and the Rawan Dahan ritual can exist on the grounds without conflict. The petitioner is required to limit the Garba event to 10% of the total ground area, ensuring that the remainder of the space remains clear for other activities. Additionally, the entire perimeter used by the organization must be reinforced with iron sheets to maintain order and clearly demarcate the event space.

Operational safety was further addressed by requiring the petitioner to coordinate directly with the local fire brigade and ensure that all necessary precautions are in place to prevent fire-related incidents, particularly given the explosive nature of the materials used in the Rawan Dahan ceremony. The Court also established individual accountability for the event: the organization must nominate two responsible individuals who will be held liable for any untoward incidents or property damage not incidental to the normal conduct of the festival.

Furthermore, the Court reaffirmed the necessity of adhering to legal standards concerning environmental and civic norms. The organizers are mandated to ensure that noise levels are kept strictly below the permissible limits defined by law and must terminate daily proceedings by 10:00 PM. These conditions, which supplement the terms initially set forth in the Corporation’s original permit, aim to provide a framework for a secure and orderly festival.

As a gesture of goodwill and to support broader public welfare, the petitioner was directed to deposit ₹21,000 into the designated drought relief fund by October 13, 2026 . By finalizing this order, the Court has provided a path forward for the organization, emphasizing that administrative power must be exercised with transparency and must prioritize the preservation of fundamental rights to assemble and practice cultural traditions, provided those practices do not compromise the safety of the public. The parties were instructed to jointly identify the demarcated event location immediately to ensure the timely commencement of the festivities.