Kolkata Airport News: Calcutta HC Declines Interim Resumption of Mosque Prayers
Kolkata Airport News
The Calcutta High Court has declined to pass an interim order allowing prayers to resume at a mosque located inside the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. The court has fixed October 7 for the next hearing in the matter.
The petition relates to the Bankra Mosque, which is situated within the airport premises. According to the information presented before the court, prayers at the more than 100-year-old mosque were stopped from July 11.
During the hearing on Thursday, the petitioners’ lawyer requested the court to allow prayers to resume until the case is finally decided. However, Justice Krishna Rao did not grant the request for an interim order.
The court instead adjourned the matter and scheduled the next hearing for October 7. The petition challenges the decision to stop prayers at the mosque and seeks permission for religious activities to resume.
During the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi raised security concerns related to airports. He told the court that there were no major security threats at airports until April 1993, when an Indian Airlines aircraft flying from New Delhi to Srinagar was hijacked.
The law officer argued that the security situation at airports has changed significantly since then. Security requirements at airports have become stricter because of the risks associated with aviation facilities and passenger safety.
The hearing also included a reference by Justice Krishna Rao to a recent incident involving a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The judge referred to the reported actions of Indian pilot Smit Machchhar during the incident.
The court’s decision means that prayers at the Bankra Mosque will remain stopped for now, pending further proceedings. The issue will be considered again when the petition comes up for hearing on October 7.
The matter involves questions concerning religious activities at an airport premises and security requirements at an international aviation facility. Further proceedings are expected to clarify the court’s position after hearing arguments from both sides.
The final decision on the petition has not yet been made, and the case remains pending before the Calcutta High Court.
Ajeet Yadav is an aviation enthusiast covering airline news, airports, aircraft, and industry developments through well-researched and reliable reporting.
