The Commissioner of Police, respondent 1 before us is alleged to have made repetitive orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 ( 'Code ' for short) from August 1979, directing that "no member of a procession or assembly of five or more persons should carry any fire arms, explosives, swords, spears, knives, tridents, lathis or any article which may be used as weapon of offence or any article likely to cause annoyance to the 453 public, for example skulls. " A petition was filed before the Calcutta High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution by the General Secretary of Ananda Marga for a writ of mandamus against the respondents for a direction not to interfere with or place restraints on the freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propogation of their religion, including Tandava Dance, in matter No. 903 of 1980.