On 20 June 2025, the Madurai bench of Madras High Court has annulled the earlier condition that required vehicles attending the Murugan Devotees’ Conference in Madurai to obtain mandatory passes.
The spiritual gathering, organized by Hindu Munnani, is scheduled for 22 June in Madurai. Initially, the police had approved the event with 52 conditions, one of which required vehicles to secure passes through their respective sub-division DSPs. Hindu Munnani filed a petition challenging six of these conditions, including the vehicle pass rule.
A single judge previously upheld the necessity of vehicle passes, reasoning that they help manage traffic congestion. The judge directed that such passes should be issued within 24 hours of application, and any refusal must be explained with valid reasons.
Later, a fresh plea was submitted requesting the implementation of an online e-pass system for attendees—similar to what is used for tourist vehicles in destinations like Ooty and Kodaikanal. However, the court declined this request but extended the deadline to apply for physical passes until 10 a.m. on 21 June.
Dissatisfied with this decision, Hindu Munnani approached the Supreme Court, seeking an order to implement the e -pass system for vehicles attending the conference. The Supreme Court declined to entertain the plea and advised petitioners to return to the High Court.
Subsequently, an appeal was filed again in the Madurai bench Madras High Court. A division bench consisting of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and Rajasekhar heard the case on 20 June. The counsel for Hindu Munnani argued that an Assistant Commissioner in Madurai’s Anna Nagar had issued an unauthorized order restricting vehicle entry without proper passes, which, they claimed, was not within his jurisdiction. The lawyer also pointed out that such restrictions are not typically imposed on political gatherings.
In response, the government argued that senior police officers are legally permitted to enforce conditions for managing large public events, and that the vehicle pass requirement was meant for crowd regulation, not restriction.
The bench questioned whether such conditions are uniformly applied to political party events. The government responded affirmatively, stating that all political conferences are subject to similar checks and that vehicles lacking required documentation are barred from entry and may be impounded.
After considering the arguments, the High Court bench ruled that the pass requirement for vehicles attending the Murugan conference would be revoked. Instead, police booths should be established at parking areas, where vehicle owners must present documentation such as insurance papers, driver’s license, Aadhaar card, and registration certificate. Only after verification and registration should vehicles be allowed into the event premises.
(With Inputs From Hindu Tamil)
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