No prior nod needed for religious prayer meetings at home if no law violated: Chhattisgarh HC
Bilaspur (PTI): The Chhattisgarh High Court has ruled that individuals do not require prior permission from authorities to organise religious prayer meetings at their homes provided no law is violated.
A single bench of Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi made the observation while quashing notices issued by police to two petitioners, and directed authorities not to interfere with their civil rights.
As per the order delivered on March 24, the case pertains to two relatives from Godhna village under Nawagarh police station limits in Janjgir-Champa district.
The petitioners had been organising prayer meetings for followers of Christianity in a hall on the first floor of their residence since 2016.
They contended in their petition that despite no disturbance or unlawful activity during these gatherings, the local police had been issuing notices under section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, to prevent them from holding such meetings.
The petitioners told the court that notices dated October 18, 2025, November 22, 2025, and February 1, 2026, were served to stop them from conducting prayer meetings at their residence.
They further submitted that the Gram Panchayat of Godhna had earlier issued a no-objection certificate permitting the gatherings, but later withdrew it under pressure.
Seeking relief, the petitioners urged the HC to quash the notices and restrain the police from interfering in their right to hold prayer meetings at their private residence.
Opposing the plea, Deputy Government Advocate Shobhit Mishra argued that criminal cases had been registered against the petitioners in the past and that they had even been jailed.
The petitioners had not obtained prior permission from competent authorities for organising such gatherings, prompting the police to issue notices, the state counsel argued.
The HC, in its order, noted there is no need to get prior permission from any authority for conducting a prayer meeting if it is organized without violating any law.
"The petitioners are registered owner of said lands where they used to organize 'Prayer Meeting' of the followers of Christianity since 2016. There is no such law restraining any persons to organize prayer/prayer meeting in their dwelling house. Further, there is no need to get prior permission from any authority for conducting prayer/prayer meeting if the same is organized without violating any law," Justice Chandravanshi noted.
If any nuisance is caused due to noise pollution or situation of law and order arises, then it is always open for authorities to take necessary action under provisions of the relevant laws, the HC maintained.
"The respondents/police authorities are directed not to interfere with the civil rights of the petitioners and also shall not harass them under the guise of enquiry," it said, and quashed the notices issued to them by the police.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
