The Bombay High Court (HC) has rejected a plea by the taxi and autorickshaw drivers’ association seeking a temporary shed near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to offer namaaz during the month of Ramazan.
The court cited serious security concerns and space restraints in the vicinity of the airport. The bench comprising Justice BP Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla said that airport security concerns cannot be compromised.
It further stated that thousands of passengers from all communities use the airport and their safety is more important than any religious or other considerations.
The Taxi-Rickshaw Ola-Uber Men's Union had filed a petition in the High Court demanding that rickshaw-taxi and Ola-Uber cab drivers be allowed to offer prayers in a temporary shed in the Mumbai airport's T1 premises.
The temporary shed used for offering prayers in the international airport premises was demolished by the administration last year.
Also, the petition was filed by the 'Taxi-Rickshaw Ola-Uber Men's Union' demanding that the administration be ordered to use the same space or provide an alternative space in the same area.
Moreover, the State opposed the request. Additional Government Pleader Jyoti Chavan told the court that the airport area is a high-security zone with VVIP movement and heavy public footfall. The State also informed the court that at least three mosques are located within walking distance of the airport.
Senior advocate Vikram Nankani, appearing for Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), told the court that the airport authorities had explored seven different locations to find an alternate place for the petitioners to offer Nazam during Ramzan.
However, those places were not considered suitable due to security concerns, crowding and limitations due to the airport development plan, the administration explained in the report.
The court criticised the taxi union for only approaching it now during Ramzan, after observing that the demolition was carried out in April 2025 but the petition was filed in January 2026.
“You can’t say you’ll carry your prayer only here. No one is stopping you to offer your prayer five times a day. We have to look at the larger picture. We can’t go by one community or the other”, the court said.
The court added that it can allow the taxi union to approach the authorities and ask them if they can have a prayer area where there is no security concern when the airport is being redeveloped. Accordingly, it disposed of the petition after cautioning the taxi union not to “cause unnecessary issues”.
Share
Tweet
