Kochi: The Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has granted permission for the use of firecrackers at places of worship, in accordance with the directives of the Supreme Court. However, there are time restrictions in place, with firework displays permitted from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Additionally, the bench mentioned that collectors have the authority to consider applications and grant permission for firecracker displays outside of these designated hours.
The Supreme Court had previously clarified that firecrackers were not to be lit at places of worship and had imposed a ban on firework displays between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. This restriction remains in effect. Nevertheless, the government has the flexibility to grant permission, taking into account the specific circumstances of each place of worship. The decision was delivered by a division bench consisting of Justice AJ Desai and Justice VG Arun. The court also highlighted a special ruling related to Thrissur Pooram, a significant festival in Kerala.
Furthermore, the division bench has suspended the single bench’s order to conduct raids and confiscate illegally stored firecrackers and ammunition. The government had appealed against the single bench’s judgement, which had banned untimely firecracker displays. In its appeal, the government argued that the single bench had not examined whether fireworks were an integral part of religious rituals.
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