Sabarimala : Kerala HC Lifts Restrictions Imposed By Police; Declares That Place Should Not Be Used For Protests; Appoints A Team Of Observers [Read Order]

The High Court of Kerala on Tuesday passed a slew of directions to ensure peaceful pilgrimage at Sabarimala with requisite amenities and facilities.The Court ordered that "all unilateral restrictions imposed by Police except to the minimum required extent to meet the law and order situation shall stand deleted, particularly with regard to right of pilgrims to conduct "namajapam" and. The Court ordered that "all unilateral restrictions imposed by Police except to the minimum required extent to meet the law and order situation shall stand deleted, particularly with regard to right of pilgrims to conduct "namajapam" and chant 'sharanamanthra'. So far as it does not amount to any protest or demonstration or design to indulge in any unlawful act or instigating others to indulge in any unlawful act, affecting the law and order situation, there shall be no intervention from the part of police adversely affecting the rights of pilgrims or as part of "Crowd Management Scheme". It was submitted that police has no objection in people coming in groups or chanting “sharana manthras” and that police restrictions are applicable only to identified persons with vested interests who were “posing as pilgrims Regarding the incident of "water-spraying" at nadappandal, which was allegedly done by police to prevent stay of pilgrims there, the Court accepted the explanation offered by the Advocate General that it was done by Fires and Rescue Department and not police, and that it was a routine exercise undertaken every year to wash off dirt and dust.