August Kranti Maidan court case.

On June 6, 2025, the Bombay High Court directed the Maharashtra government’s Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Ministry to urgently decide a petition seeking permission to perform Namaaz at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan. The court emphasized that the decision should be made preferably on the same day.

The petition was filed by Umer Abdul Jabbar Gopalani, who challenged the Gamdevi Police Station’s refusal to grant permission for the mass prayer gathering. The police cited potential traffic disruptions and law and order concerns associated with using the public ground for a religious event. Gopalani argued that Namaaz has been performed at the site for nearly five decades without incident and pointed to prior permissions obtained from the Traffic Police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

However, Chief Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegav … issued conditional approvals, contingent upon the petitioners’ compliance with certain conditions. The court referred to a 2006 … stating that permission for using August Kranti Maidan, a protected monument, can only be granted by the Secretary of the Cultural Affairs … . Consequently, the court allowed the petitioner to amend the … competent authority and directed the Secretary to … expeditiously.

This development underscores the ongoing legal considerations surrounding the use of public spaces for religious gatherings in Mumbai.

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