THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION No.30548 of 2011 ORDER: The relief sought for in this Writ Petition is to declare the action of the respondents, in not taking action on the petitioners’ representation dated 24.10.2011, as illegal and arbitrary. A consequential direction is sought to the respondents to take action for removal of an idol placed near the Church Assenudu Gospel Ministries Association situated at D.No.62-22- 28, Lakshminagar, Jagannikpur, Kakinada, West Godavari District. In their representation dated 24.10.2011 addressed to the District Collector, East Godavari District (ﬁrst respondent), the petitioners state that some miscreants had placed an idol of Sri Anjaneya Swamy adjacent to the church, and puja is being carried on which may result in communal harmony being disturbed. The petitioners would state that, as per the rules in force, construction of a place of worship should be 280 sq. yards away from the church; and prior permission of the Panchayat had not been obtained. During the course of the arguments, Sri K.Sai Krishna Mohan Rao, Learned Counsel for the petitioners, would submit that an idol of Sri Anjaneya Swamy was placed in the midst of the road and, thereby, the speciﬁc directions of the Apex Court, that public roads cannot be permitted to be used for construction of a temple/church/mosque, had been violated. Learned Government Pleader for Home has placed before this Court certain photographs in support of his contention that the distance between the idol of Sri Anjaneya Swamy and the church, in which the petitioners pray, is more than 50 yards; the idol has been installed not on the road but adjacent to the road; and a police picket has been kept in that area to ensure that no law and order problem arises. The matter was adjourned on 21.11.2011 to enable the Learned Counsel for the petitioner to ascertain whether the newly installed idol of Sri Anjaneya Swamy is located on a public road or not. Today the Learned Counsel would fairly state that, while the respondents’ assertion, regarding the distance and the location, is no doubt true, the endeavour of those who had installed the idol was only to disturb communal harmony. A police picket has since been placed in the subject area to ensure that communal harmony is not disturbed. I see no reason to delve further into the matter. It is made clear that, in case the petitioners have any apprehension later on this score, it is always open to them to make an appropriate application to the Superintendent of Police, East Godavari District at Kakinada (second respondent) who, on receipt of such application, shall consider whether, or not, further police protection should be aﬀorded to ensure law and order, and maintenance of communal harmony in the area. The Writ Petition is, accordingly, disposed of. However, in the circumstances, without costs. RAMESH RANGANATHAN,J Date:02.12.2011 usd