Supreme Court Allows Jharkhand to Cut Power for Ram Navami Safety

The Supreme Court has allowed Jharkhand to cut power on Ram Navami procession routes to prevent electrocutions, modifying a previous high court decision. This measure has been in place for over two decades. However, power supply to hospitals should remain unaffected, with minimal power cuts on procession routes.

The Supreme Court granted the Jharkhand government and its power distribution company permission to cut power supply along Ram Navami procession routes, in a bid to avert electrocution dangers.

This decision revised a prior directive from the Jharkhand High Court, which had prohibited power cuts during religious processions. The issue was brought to attention by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the JMM-led state government, who emphasized that such precautionary measures have been in practice for over 20 years to prevent accidents during festivities.

The court instructed that power cuts should be minimal and limited to procession routes, while ensuring that hospitals remain unaffected. The chief of Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited is required to submit an undertaking to the high court, confirming the minimized duration of power cuts and the uninterrupted power supply to hospitals, with Ram Navami set to take place on April 6.

(With inputs from agencies.)