The Calcutta High Court on Thursday declined to grant interim relief to pilgrims seeking permission to offer prayers at a mosque located within the operational premises of Kolkata Airport, with security concerns emerging as the central issue before the court.
Justice Krishna Rao, while hearing the petition challenging the suspension of prayers at the mosque, chose not to pass an interim order and directed that the matter be heard again on October 7.
The petitioners told the court that prayers had been offered at the mosque for several decades and that a security arrangement had previously been in place. According to their submissions, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) would screen pilgrims before allowing them access, transport them by bus to the mosque and subsequently bring them back to the main road after prayers.
Airport authorities opposed the plea, pointing out that the mosque lies inside the airport’s operational zone and in proximity to the runway. They referred to earlier security incidents in which individuals had allegedly managed to enter or remain on the airport apron, arguing that allowing regular movement of pilgrims into the area could create additional security challenges.
Authorities also informed the court that the pilgrims were willing to consider shifting the mosque to another location.
Senior Advocate Kishore Datta, appearing for the petitioners, argued that any relocation could have been handled through a planned and gradual process rather than abruptly halting prayers at a place that had been used for worship for decades.
Additional Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi, representing the authorities, stressed that the aviation security environment had changed considerably over the years. He submitted that the nature of threats facing airports and other public infrastructure had evolved, referring to the period before 1993 and subsequently to the 2025 Red Fort attack while arguing that authorities could no longer assess security risks in the same manner as in the past.
During the hearing, Trivedi argued that such security incidents were particularly relevant in the Indian context. The court, however, pointed out that aviation security threats were not limited to India.
Justice Rao referred to the previous day’s reported flydubai incident, in which a flight headed for Israel was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an alleged confrontation between the pilots, with the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain.
“No, not just in India; nowadays it is happening everywhere. See yesterday’s Flydubai incident. You cannot imagine,” the court observed.
The mosque, reportedly known as the Bakra Mosque, has been at the centre of the dispute after prayers were suspended over security considerations. Earlier reports have placed the mosque within the airport’s operational area, approximately 165 metres from the runway.
For now, the court has not permitted the resumption of prayers on an interim basis. The legal battle will return before the Calcutta High Court on October 7, when the competing claims of longstanding religious access and heightened airport security are expected to be examined further.
