Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The principal bench of High Court in Jabalpur has rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the existence of religious places within police stations. The court stated that the matter had already been addressed, as the state government had been asked to provide a reply.
The PIL, filed by Om Prakash Yadav, stated that out of 1,259 police stations, approximately 800 have religious places, such as temples. The petition also referred to a Supreme Court directive prohibiting the construction of places of worship in public spaces, including police stations. The petitioner argued that temples in police station premises were violation of this order.
Advocate Rameshwar Singh Thakur, who represented the case, clarified that the High Court rejected the PIL on the grounds that the responsibility for implementing such measures lies with government agencies. He said that the Supreme Court’s existing directives on religious places in police stations are sufficient, negating the need for a separate PIL.
In November 2024, the MP High Court had already ordered a halt to construction of temples on police station premises. Notices were issued to key state officials, including the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Home), DGP, and local police authorities, to file their responses on the issue.
