The High Court of Karnataka has upheld the 2012 decision of the city police withdrawing permissions granted earlier for selling firecrackers in congested localities like Chickpet, Mamulpet, Sultanpet, etc.
Justice Krishna S. Dixit passed the order while dismissing the petitions filed by M/s. Madhi Trading Co. and nine other traders.
The petitioners had moved the court in 2013 questioning the rejection of their appeal by the DG&IGP against the order issued by the City Police Commissioner, who in April 2012 withdrew the no objection certificates (NOCs) issued earlier to the petitioners for selling firecrackers in their shops located in these congested areas.
The NOCs were withdrawn for the reason that any fire mishap arising from crackers and fireworks cannot be easily handled and abated, because of difficulty of fire engines moving in narrow lanes that are thickly congested and over populated.
“The interest of the public would be more served by petitioners and other traders shifting their business to safer areas than being permitted to continue in the same areas in question,” the court observed, while finding no illegality in the 2012 decision of the police.
