Kerala High Court warns religious, political bodies against obstructing public roads with hoardings

.The Kerala High Court recently directed religious bodies and political organizations in the State to ensure that they do not erect any hoardings, advertisement boards, or temporary structures that obstruct the movement of traffic and people in public places [Narayanakutty K v The Special Devaswom Board & Anr.]..A division bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and PG Ajithkumar passed the order on a contempt of court case filed alleging wilful disobedience of an earlier judgment passed by the Court in this regard.Apart from directions to political bodies, the Court in its earlier judgment had directed the Cochin Devaswom Board to ensure that temples under its management do not install anything obstructing the right of way or pedestrian facilities on footpaths.“Footpaths are not intended for holding campaigns, demonstrations, etc., by political parties and other organizations, by causing obstructions to free movement of pedestrians. No political party or organization can be permitted to encroach footpaths or right of way of public roads, in connection with any such protest, demonstrations, etc., …The Cochin Devaswom Board and its officials shall ensure strict compliance of the law laid down by this Court in Satheesh [2022 (1) KLT 940] in respect of all temples under its management, by ensuring that no hoardings, advertisement boards, etc., or any temporary structures are erected on the right of way or pedestrian facilities of public roads around the premises of the temples under its management, in connection with an annual festival and other religious ceremonies,” the judgment passed on April 11 had stated..When the contempt of court case was considered by the bench, the petitioner placed on record several photographs showing the hoardings and advertisement boards erected in connection with the Ashtadravya Mahaganapathy Homam, Aanayoottu, and the Bhagavathy Seva at the Sree Vadakkumnathan Temple.On being questioned by the Court, the standing counsel for Cochin Devaswom Board submitted that the Board had not granted any permission to the Temple Advisory Committee to erect such hoardings or advertisement boards.Advocate PB Subramanyan, counsel representing Temple Advisory Committee, submitted that the office bearers of the committee have already been instructed to remove the hoardings and advertisement boards shown in the photographs..Recording these submissions, the Court directed the Devaswom Officer of the Vadakkumnatha Devaswom to ensure strict compliance with the directions of the Court's earlier judgment dated April 11..The matter will be taken up next on July 19..[Read Order]