2026 Supreme(Online)(Mad) 41791

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
R. Vijayakumar, J
Muthuramalingam – Appellant
Versus
State of Tamil Nadu – Respondent
Writ Petition

An order rejecting permission for a temple cultural program based solely on vague apprehension of law and order issues, without concrete supporting material, is set aside as illegal.

Headnote:The petitioner filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India challenging an order rejecting permission to conduct a cultural program at a temple festival due to unsubstantiated apprehensions of law and order issues. The court examined the validity of the rejection order and the need for police protection for the proposed event. The court framed the issue as to whether the rejection of the cultural program, solely based on vague apprehensions, is legally sustainable. The court reasoned that in the absence of concrete material indicating an actual threat to law and order, a blanket rejection of such requests is untenable, as authorities must demonstrate substantial ground to restrict such public gatherings. The court allowed the writ petition, setting aside the impugned rejection order and directing the respondents to grant permission and protection, subject to specific conditions regarding the duration of the event and compliance with relevant official circulars.