Karnataka High Court Has Granted Conditional Permission To Pray At Home

The Karnataka High Court has issued a conditional ad-interim ruling allowing a citizen of Devalkanda village in the Kundapur taluk of the Udupi district to say prayers at her residence. Esthela Louis filed the petition in response to a notification provided by the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kundapur police station on October 26, 2021, alleging that it infringes her constitutional rights.

If the terms are not met, the interim order will be immediately revoked, according to Justice Krishna S Dixit, who also stated that the police have the right to video/audio record the events of the congregation or celebration without inadvertently interfering with the prayers.

The authorities stated they had information that she had been summoning people from the outside for prayers and preaching. According to the notification, she has been continuing such actions without obtaining a licence from the police authorities, which is a violation of the law. The cops also demanded that she give any pertinent documentation related to the incident.

Esthela explained in the petition that she did not need police permission to pray in her home because it is protected by her religious liberties. She said that she is not allowed to say prayers at home because of the police notice, and that the police have threatened to arrest her friends and relatives if they come to see her. Esthela claimed that she had been praying at her home for 11 years, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays and 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays.

The court issued an interim order with the following conditions including that there shall be no large gathering of those offering prayer, even though as to minimize the risk of spreading Covid-19 or Omicron. No disturbance or menace to society shall be caused to neighbours and others as a result of such gathering and no extent shall be given for allegations of conversion activities.