Taking a stern view of Sambhal district authorities placing restrictions on the number of worshippers at a mosque, the Allahabad High Court has asked the Sambhal Superintendent of Police and the District Magistrate to resign from their posts or opt for a transfer if they don’t find themselves competent enough to enforce the rule of law. A division bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Siddharth Nandan observed in its order, passed on February 27, “It is the duty of the State to ensure that every community is able to offer worship peacefully in the designated place of worship… and if it is a private property, as already held by the Court earlier, to perform worship without any permission from the State. This Court has already settled that it is only where prayers or religious functions have to be held on public land or spill over to public property that the involvement of the State is essential and permission must be sought.”

Source: Indian Express March 14, 2026 20:51 UTC