Bombay HC Directs BMC Chief to Decide on Bhandup Chowk Dahi Handi Dispute

The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner to decide which of two political groups will receive permission to organise Dahi Handi celebrations at Ashok Kedare Chowk in Bhandup West on September 5.

Justice Sandeep Marne issued the directive while hearing a petition filed by Shiv Sena member Sandip Jalgaonkar, who was previously affiliated with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Jalgaonkar claimed in his plea that he had been organising the festival at the Bhandup West location for several years, though a rival group had submitted a competing application for the exact same spot.

The court observed that while there is no legal bar on granting multiple permissions across the city, two separate handis cannot be held at a single location. Last year, the High Court had denied permission to both Jalgaonkar and the MNS after police warned of a potential law-and-order situation at the site.

During the proceedings, Justice Marne expressed disapproval over the civic administration forwarding the competing applications to the Bhandup police. The police had suggested granting permission to whichever applicant had organised the event in previous years. The judge noted that the police should have left the administrative decision to the BMC.

To resolve the clash, the High Court instructed the BMC commissioner to convene a meeting on Friday at 11 am. Each faction has been directed to send no more than two representatives, with each side allocated 15 minutes to present its arguments.

The court clarified that the civic commissioner's final determination on granting the event permission will be binding.