Muharram Fair: High Court Quashes Mic's Decision, 3-Day Event Begins At Dhobighat Ground
· Free Press Journal
Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The three-day Muharram fair at the 6.7-acre Dhobighat ground, owned by Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), commenced on Friday after the High Court set aside the Mayor-in-Council's (MiC) decision cancelling the event's permission hours after it was granted.
The permission was issued by the municipal commissioner on Thursday afternoon. However, the MiC convened a virtual meeting and revoked the approval late that night.
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Challenging the cancellation, the Waqf Karbala Intazamia Committee approached the High Court on Friday morning.
Hearing the matter around 4 pm, Justice Pawan Kumar Dwivedi quashed the MiC's decision, observing that revoking permission a few hours after granting it was improper.
The court restored the commissioner's order and directed the committee to apply at least two months before proposed fairs in future, while the IMC must decide 25 days prior to the event.
Fair preparations began before court order
Even before the verdict, preparations for the annual fair began at the ground on Friday afternoon.
District Waqf Board chairman Rehan Sheikh said the committee had requested municipal officials to allow the event, describing it as a long-standing annual tradition.
Following discussions, preparations were allowed to proceed and the fair began during the day.
Long-running dispute over venue
The annual fair has been held at Dhobighat for decades, but uncertainty surrounded this year's event after Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav earlier declined permission.
The mayor cited a September 2024 district court ruling affirming IMC's ownership of the land. According to the ruling, only 0.02 acre can be used for immersing 'tazias', while the remaining land belongs to the IMC.
He stated that although the corporation permitted the fair in previous years, it decided against it this year.
Despite his stand, the commissioner's office issued permission on Thursday to Mohammad Abdul Hamid Niyargar, president of the Waqf Intazamia Committee.
The MiC subsequently revoked it. Advocate Rishi Srivastava, appearing for the committee, said the High Court accepted their contention, quashed the MiC's decision, and restored the original permission.
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