Hindustani Andolan & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors.

CHANDRACHUD, C.J, The question raised in this petition is whether the Government can ask the police not to enter a. place t;f worship, even if criminanls are reported to be hiding or· harboured therein. It is impossible and undesirable for ariy Court to issue · a general writ of Mandamus to the effect that whenever a criminal is · suspected to have taken shelter in a place -of worship, the police must enter that place, regardless of the overall. situation of law.and order. Speaki.ng generally, Courts cannot enforce law and order by issuing general directions without reference to specific ·H instances. The Government has to assess, in the context of tJis.

·prevailing conditions, the impact of the steps -taken to · enforce Ja;J and order. And, it is tlie executive which has to take a policy ·decision as ragards the .steps to be taken in a given situation, after taking into acco·1.nt tho d:m1nd; of tho prevailing situation. We do not commend or suggest that the police should be silent spectators to wanton destruction of life but we cannot, as men of some little exjYerience of law and life; commend that the police must enter places of worship forcibly. While enforcing law and order, the executive cannot be oblivious of the possibility that while solving one problem of law and order, others more acute than the one sought to be solved may arise. Jhat is always a valid and relevant consideration.

With these observations, we dismiss this petition 'filed_ by two public-spirited organisations through their courageous convenor and secretary respectively.

ORIGINAL JURISDICTION : Writ Petition· (Cr!.) No. 2989 of·. 1981 t

(Under article 32 of the Constitution) R.L. Panjwani, Manoj Saxena and R.D. Upndhaya for the petitioners.