Madras HC issues notice to Coimbatore mosque on PIL against Friday prayers on road

Chennai, May 28 (IANS) The Madras High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Hidayathul Muslimin Sunnath Jamath in Thudiyalur, Coimbatore district, in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) against the conduct of Friday prayers on a road in front of the mosque.

The notice is returnable by June 11. A special summer vacation Bench comprising Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy and Justice T.V. Thamilselvi also took note of the submission by Additional Advocate General (AAG) M.S. Suresh Kumar, appearing for the Coimbatore District Collector, who stated that no obstruction had been caused on the road since April 18, 2025.

The AAG informed the court that revenue officials had convened peace committee meetings with local stakeholders and that the situation was under constant monitoring. Supporting the administration’s stance, Special Government Pleader for the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, N.R.R. Arun Natarajan, added that no disruptions had been caused to nearby temples due to the prayer gatherings.

The PIL was filed by S. Vijesh, an employee at Lakshmi Mills Works in Nilambur.

Represented by advocate C.K. Chandrasekhar, the petitioner argued that local residents were facing significant inconvenience as the Friday afternoon prayers, held between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., extended onto the adjacent public road due to space limitations within the mosque premises.

The petitioner alleged that this spillover blocked access to two nearby temples and created traffic congestion due to the haphazard parking of vehicles by attendees. He contended that such obstruction of a public road posed a risk to public safety, particularly in emergencies when access for emergency services could be impeded.

During the hearing, Justice Ramamoorthy observed, “Ultimately, we are a multi-religious country. So, reasonable accommodation must be extended by people of every faith.” However, noting the need to hear the Jamath’s response, the court issued notice and adjourned the matter for further hearing after two weeks.

--IANS

aal/uk