Calcutta HC Refuses To Allow Chhath Puja Rituals At Subhas Sarobar

Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to allow Chhath Puja rituals at Subhas Sarobar in the eastern part of the city, rejecting a modification application by the West Bengal government.

The court had earlier disallowed Chhath Puja ceremonies at the sprawling lake in addition to upholding a ban on such activities at Rabindra Sarobar, another waterbody in south Kolkata.

A division bench of Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Arijit Banerjee rejected the state government's application, observing that apart from the pollution of the water body, there are concerns about coronavirus-related health issues.

The bench said restrictions were also imposed for crowd management to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during Durga Puja and Kali Puja.

The state government on Thursday moved the high court, seeking modification of its November 10 order banning Chhath Puja rituals at the two lakes.