THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE N.V. SHRAVAN KUMAR W.P. No.28158 of 2025

ORDER

Heard the learned counsel Sri G.Bhasker Reddy appearing for the petitioner and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home appearing for the respondents and with their consent, this writ petition is disposed of at the admission stage.

2. The petitioner is aggrieved by the action of the respondents, particularly respondent No.5, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Charminar, in rejecting the permission to the petitioner to organize Bhathukamma Festival on 23.09.2025 from 4:00 pm., to 9:00 pm., near Bhagyalakshmi Ammavari Temple, Charminar vide Proceedings dated 11.09.2025, filed the present writ petition with a consequential prayer to set aside the same by permitting the petitioner to organize Bhathukamma Festival.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner made an application on 08.09.2025 before the Police seeking permission for organizing Bhathukamma Festival on 23.09.2025 from 4:00 pm., to 9:00 pm., near Bhagyalakshmi Ammavari Temple, Charminar, and the said application was rejected by the respondent No.5 on 11.09.2025, inter alia, stating that the proposed place of Bathukamma Festival at Bhagyalakshmi Temple, near Charminar is sensitive place, located in mixed community area, surrounded with other community worship places and the Charminar monument and its surrounding are declared at pedestrian zone.

Questioning the same, present writ petition is filed.

4. On the other hand, the learned Assistant Government Pleader placed a copy of the written instructions dated 17.09.2025 of the Station House Officer, Charminar Police Station, wherein it is stated that the application of the petitioner dated 08.09.2025 was considered and rejected as the proposed place of Bathukamma Festival at Bhagyalakshmi Temple, near Charminar is sensitive place, located mixed community area, surrounded with other community worship places. The Charminar Monument and its surrounding are declared at pedestrian zone wherein large number of tourists from other States as well as other countries of different community will visit the surroundings and it causes enormous inconvenience to the Tourists and General public and road users. It is further stated that if such a programme is permitted to be held, the number of participants may swell into a large number and it could turn into a mob and some miscreants and anti-social elements may take undue advantage of the situation and may create problems and disturbance resulting in serious threat to law and order and may lead to violence and damage to private and public property and permission for the above said programme cannot be given in view of the prevailing security scenario, as there is likely hood of disturbance to the Public Peace, Law and Order and Traffic.

5. At this stage, the learned counsel for the petitioner has drawn the attention of this Court to the interim order passed in W.P. No.27749 of 2024 dated 03.10.2024 by this Court and submitted that under similar set of facts and circumstances, last year permitted to organize Bathukamma Festival at the Bhagyalakshmi Ammavari Temple, Charminar with certain conditions and prayed to pass similar order.

6. The learned Assistant Government Pleader, on instructions, acceded to pass similar order and reported that no untoward incident was happened last year in organizing the Bathukamma Festival at Bhagyalakshmi Temple, Charminar.

7. In that view of the matter, recording the submissions made by the learned counsel on either side, this writ petition is disposed of with the following directions.

1. Bathukamma festival shall be organized between 4:00 pm., to 5:30 pm., on 23.09.2025

2. Participants shall be only women and shall not exceed 100 in number.

3. The petitioner shall ensure that participants do not have any criminal antecedents.

4. DJ sound system, if any, arranged, shall not exceed permissible decibel limits.

5. Petitioner shall not invite any VIPs to the afor