The Bombay High Court on Tuesday quashed the notice issued by the Mumbai Police directing vendors at Mahim Fair to end the celebrations two days in advance.
The court said that such events are important to society, saying, “These melas and events involve the participation of all sections of society. Stopping them suddenly without any reason is wrong, especially since it has been celebrated for more than a hundred years.”
The exhibition, which started on December 16 and was scheduled to continue until December 25, faced the decision to close early due to the traffic and the celebration of Christmas at St Michael’s Church in this area. The Mumbai police said the large gatherings expected on Christmas could lead to disruption or incidents.
The sellers received this notice on Monday night, which caused one seller, Zahid Khamisa, to file an appeal against this decision.
Advocate Prasanna Bhangale, representing Khamisa, said that Mahim’s ceremony had been held peacefully since 1901 without any major incidents and that the sudden cancellation was without any valid reason.
Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde defended the notice, saying that the exhibition caused traffic jams and affected the residents. Senior Police Inspector Vinayak Vinal of Mahim Police Station was present during the hearing.
However, a bench of Justices Shivkumar Dige and Advait Sethna ruled that the notice was not valid as no public complaints were recorded. “The police have given permission to hold this exhibition with conditions. Their handling of the traffic cannot justify the withdrawal of this permission. It is the duty of the police to control the traffic by sending more personnel,” the bench noted.
The court’s decision ensures that Mahim’s ceremony can go ahead as planned, preserving the centuries-old tradition.
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