C. JOSEPH Vs. THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Petitioner, who is a Pastor practicing Christianity, complains that at the instance of the Third Respondent, viz., the Inspector of Police, E-3 Police Station, Saravanampatti, Coimbatore, the Second Respondent, viz., the Tahsildar, Coimbatore North had issued notice Na. Ka. No. 0494/2018/A8 dated 22.01.2018 directing the First Respondent to produce the Petitioner before him on 25.01.2018 at 4.00 p.m. for conduct of peace talks and it has been further ordered that till the same was concluded, the Petitioner should not conduct any prayer meetings in his residential premises measuring 1726 sq. ft. situated at No. 87/8, Barathi Street - North, M.R. Nagar, Chinnavedampatti, Coimbatore. In that backdrop, the Petitioner in this Writ Petition has challenged the aforesaid notice Na. Ka. No. 0494/2018/A8 dated 22.01.2018 issued by the Second Respondent and has sought for consequential direction to forbear the Respondents from interfering with the conduct of prayers by the Petitioner at his aforesaid residential premises.

(2.) In the Counter Affidavit dated 21.02.2018 filed by the Third Respondent, it is stated that the Petitioner has not obtained necessary permission for construction of prayer hall as required under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Building Rules, 1972, and that the Petitioner is conducting prayers in the prayer hall without getting permission from the Local Authorities. It is further stated that the Third Respondent has submitted a detailed report as regards the objections relating to creating sound pollution and parking of vehicles on road restricting the free movement of public raised by the Hindu Munnani Party, who had threatened to stage dharna in protest. In order to avoid any untoward incident and maintain law and order in those circumstances, a Peace Committee Meeting was convened on 25.04.2018 at the Office of the Second Respondent, in which the son of the Petitioner has attended.

(3.) Heard Mr. Richardson Wilson, Learned Counsel for the Petitioner and Mr. M. Karthikeyan, Learned Additional Government Pleader appearing on behalf of the Respondents and perused the materials placed on record, apart from the pleadings of the parties.