LAWS(BOM)-1998-6-4

BHAU SHANKARRAO SURADKAR Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

Decided On June 11, 1998
BHAU SHANKARRAO SURADKAR Appellant
V/S
STATE OF MAHARASHTRA Respondents

JUDGEMENT

(1.) HEARD Shri C. V. Thombre, learned Counsel for the petitioners and Smt. Geeta Deshpande, learned Additional Public Prosecutor.

(2.) THE petitioners have contended that the photographs of God and Goddesses of Hindu religion are being printed on the coverings of the fire crackers and when the fire crackers are fired, those photographs are destroyed and this causes mental agony to the persons from Hindu community and, therefore, the manufacturers of the fire crackers be directed not to affix photographs of God and Goddesses of Hindu religion on the fire crackers.

(3.) IT is a fact that photographs of God and Goddesses of Hindu religion are being pasted on the fire crackers. This is not happening for the first time, but this practice is going on since last many years and up-till-now nobody has raised any objection regarding this practice. That has happened only because nobody thought it objectionable, nobodys feeling were hurt on seeing the firecrackers bursting and the photographs destroying because the photographs on the fire crackers were not being looked at as photographs of God and Goddesses but just some prints to attract the attention of the customers. There was no intention that anybodys feeling should be hurt by selling such fire crackers or by bursting such fire crackers. Now altogether new dimension is being given to this matter. Nobody from Hindu community up-till-now has thought over on this issue in this way. It is just whim of the petitioners and for that they have come before the Court. This is nothing but wasting time, money and energy.