No prior permission needed for religious meetings at home: Chhattisgarh HC
No prior permission needed for religious meetings at home: Chhattisgarh HC
M.U.H
01/04/202610
Raipur: No prior permission is required to organise religious prayer meetings at homes, provided no law is violated, the Chhattisgarh High Court ruled.
A single bench of Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi made the observation while quashing notices issued by the police to two petitioners, and directed authorities not to interfere with their civil rights.
The case pertains to two relatives from Godhna village under Nawagarh police station limits in Janjgir-Champa district. The petitioners had been organising prayer meetings for Christian followers in a hall on the first floor of their residence since 2016.
They contended in their petition that despite no disturbance or unlawful activity during these gatherings, the local police had been issuing notices under section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, to prevent them from holding such meetings.
The petitioners told the court that notices dated October 18, 2025, November 22, 2025, and February 1, 2026, were served to stop them from conducting prayer meetings at their residence.
They further submitted that the Gram Panchayat of Godhna had earlier issued a no-objection certificate permitting the gatherings, but later withdrew it under pressure.
Seeking relief, the petitioners urged the High Court to quash the notices and restrain the police from interfering with their right to hold prayer meetings at their private residence.
Opposing the plea, Deputy Government Advocate Shobhit Mishra argued that criminal cases had been registered against the petitioners in the past and that they had even been jailed.
The petitioners had not obtained prior permission from competent authorities for organising such gatherings, prompting the police to issue notices, the state counsel argued.
The Chhattisgarh High Court, in its order, noted there is no need to obtain prior permission from any authority to conduct a prayer meeting if it is organised without violating any law.
“The petitioners are registered owner of said lands where they used to organize ‘Prayer Meeting’ of the followers of Christianity since 2016. There is no such law restraining any persons to organize prayer/prayer meeting in their dwelling house. Further, there is no need to get prior permission from any authority for conducting prayer/prayer meeting if the same is organized without violating any law,” Justice Chandravanshi noted.
If any nuisance is caused due to noise pollution or a situation of law and order arises, then it is always open for authorities to take necessary action under provisions of the relevant laws, the High Court maintained.
“The respondents/police authorities are directed not to interfere with the civil rights of the petitioners and also shall not harass them under the guise of enquiry,” it said, and quashed the notices issued to them by the police.
