http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 1 of 2  

PETITIONER: HINDUSTANI ANDOLAN & ORS.

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: STATE OF PUNJAB & ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT24/11/1983

BENCH: CHANDRACHUD, Y.V. ((CJ) BENCH: CHANDRACHUD, Y.V. ((CJ) SEN, AMARENDRA NATH (J) THAKKAR, M.P. (J)

CITATION:  1984 AIR  582            1984 SCR  (1) 902  1984 SCC  (1) 204        1983 SCALE  (2)855

ACT:      Writ jurisdiction of Court-Court cannot issue a general writ of  mandamus that  whenever a  criminal is suspected to have taken  shelter in  a place  of worship, the police must enter that place.

HEADNOTE:      HELD: It  is the  executive which  has to take a policy decision as  regards the  steps  to  be  taken  in  a  given situation, after  taking into  account the  demands  of  the prevailing situation.  It is  not that  the police should be silent spectators  to wanton  destruction of  life; but  the Court cannot  commend that  the police  must enter places of worship forcibly. [902 H; 903 A]

JUDGMENT:      ORIGINAL JURISDICTION: Writ Petition (Crl.) No. 2989 of 1983.            (Under article 32 of the Constitution)      R.L. Panjwani,  Manoj Saxena  and R.D. Upadhaya for the petitioners.      The Order of the Court was delivered by      CHANDRACHUD, C.J,  The question raised in this petition is whether  the Government can ask the police not to enter a place of  worship, even  if criminals  are  reported  to  be hiding  or   harboured  therein.   It  is   impossible   and undesirable for  any  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. Speaking generally, Courts cannot enforce law and order by  issuing general  directions without  reference  to specific instances.  The Government  has to  assess, in  the context of  the prevailing  conditions, the  impact  of  the steps taken  to enforce  law  and  order.  And,  it  is  the executive which has to take a policy decision as regards the steps to be taken in a given situation, after 903 taking into account the demands of the prevailing situation.

http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 2 of 2  

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  experience 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.  That 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. M.L.C.                                   Petition dismissed. 904