Latest News
Back
Document:
Offering of Prayers for their Departed Ones at the Doongerwadi Tower of Silence was Allowed to the Parsi Community: Bombay HC.
Bombay Parsi Panchayats plea was seeking directions to allow members of the Parsi Community to allow prayers for their departed ones at Doogerwadi Tower of Silence in South Mumbai's Malabar Hill area on September 3 between 7AM and 4.30PM was allowed by the Bombay High Court. This was allowed only when the petitioner said that guidelines issued by the State and Centre will be followed and social distancing norms will not be violated.
Viraf Mehta, a Trustee on behalf of Bombay Parsi Panchayat (BPP) filed a writ petition which via a video conferencing was heard by Justice RD Dhanuka and Justice Madhav Jamdar. The Court had asked to consider BPPs representation but the State rejected it yesterday.
Advocate Prakash Shah gave an example of the Supreme Court order which allowed the opening of three Jain temples during the Paryushan period and said that similarly it should be allowed to the Parsi Community to conduct the prayers for the dead.
Initially the petition had directions of the opening of Fire Temples and other places of worship for the Parsi Community but then it was clarified and said they demanded relief only for Doongerwadi and specifically for prayers on 3rd September.
An addition affidavit was submitted along with various undertakings that were accepted across the bar. In the affidavit, it was cleared that Parsis who died because of Covid-19 were not allowed to be bought at Doongerwadi but were incriminated at the Worli Prayer Hall.
It was assured to the Court that none of the worshipers would be allowed to remain on the premises after the prayers were done and they would avoid the traffic problems co-operate with the traffic department. After the prayers, the Petitioner was going to sanitize the premises at their own cost. The Court allowed the prayers as all the guidelines were agreed to be followed.
Document:
