JOAN MASCARENHAS E DSOUZA Vs. STATE OF GOA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Rule. Rule is made returnable forthwith. The petition is disposed of at the admission stage with the consent of the parties.

(2.) This petition, filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, seeks a writ of certiorari to quash and set aside order dtd. 28/12/2022 bearing No.8/8/2021-MAG/L&O/(Vol.II)/4084 passed by the District Magistrate (North); the order impugned in this petition is one passed by the District Magistrate under Sec. 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and bans the Petitioner from carrying out religious activities in her institutional building situated in property bearing Survey No.221/8A and House No.302/4, situated at Tropawaddo, Sodiem, Siolim, Bardez Goa, to curb religious conversion by means of allurement or fraud affecting the freedom of religion and conscience of citizens.

(3.) The case of the Petitioner as stated in the petition is that the Petitioner along with Mr. Domnic D'Souza, her husband, is carrying out the religious activities in the aforementioned premises at Tropawaddo, Sodiem, Siolim, Bardez Goa for the last 23 years, and engaged in preaching to the public at large, scriptural teachings from the Holy Bible. The Petitioner claim that she is a follower of Jesus Christ and in exercise of her fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India, she had formed a group or a society, through which she and Domnic preach and propagate their religion and belief to the general public.