Amid the growing coronavirus
scare, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered police authorities to ensure that Matua mela is not held in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas without necessary approvals.
Passing the order on a prayer seeking directive to disallow the fair, the court asked police to act in accordance with law.
The police will be free to enforce law pertaining to organising or holding a fair, Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya said.
A respondent in the petition claimed that the Matua Maha Sangha, being a "legitimate permission holder", has called off the fair in public interest.
The writ petitioner does not have any locus standi or even permission to hold such a fair and ought to be restrained by police authorities from doing so in larger public interest, the respondent said.
The annual Matua Mela was scheduled to be held from March 20 to March 27.
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