Mumbai: Citing security concerns and frequent VVIP movement at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), the Maharashtra government on Thursday informed the Bombay High Court that taxi and autorickshaw drivers cannot be permitted to offer namaz at a temporary shed within the airport premises.
A division bench of Justices BP Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla then directed the state and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to identify an alternative site in the vicinity of the airport where drivers could offer namaz during Ramzan. The direction comes in the backdrop of the demolition of a prayer shed near the airport earlier this year.
The court was hearing a petition filed by the Taxi-Rickshaw Ola-Uber Men’s Union, which sought protection of what it termed the “fundamental rights of thousands of devotees.” The petition claimed that thousands of drivers have been left without a place to offer prayers following the demolition of the structure.
According to the petition, a prayer facility had existed for nearly 30 years within the airport’s periphery. It was relocated in 2020 when the airport was operated by the GVK Group, and later demolished in April 2025 by MMRDA. The demolition, the union alleged, was carried out “arbitrarily and without giving any notice”.
The petition relied on documents obtained under the Right to Information Act, which revealed that the demolition followed complaints by an individual, Santosh Mishra, who alleged the structure was illegal. The union argued that the prayer hall could not be termed unauthorised “in any realm of legality”.
Opposing the plea, government pleader Jyoti Chavan told the court that the airport is a highly sensitive zone with heavy daily footfall, and unauthorised structures cannot be permitted. The counsel of the airport’s operator, the Adani Group-led Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), submitted that the earlier shed was located near a VIP gate and was removed due to security concerns. It was also submitted that three mosques in the vicinity are accessible to drivers.
The bench said that security concerns must take precedence, but asked the state to explore a temporary arrangement for Ramzan. It suggested that any identified site could be restored to its original condition after the holy month. “As a state, we are asking you to provide an area where security is not a problem. We are not suggesting you compromise on security,” the court said.
Noting that security concerns evolve over time, the bench remarked that structures that were permissible decades ago may no longer meet present-day requirements. The matter has been posted for further hearing on March 5.