THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO.16974 OF 2005 Dated 2nd August 2005 Between: Koppala Chiranjeevi S/o.Gangaiah and another …Petitioners And The District Collector, Nellore District, and 3 others. …Respondents THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO.16974 OF 2005 O R D E R: The petitioners claim to be Christians of a particular denomination, known as Lone Star Telugu Baptist Church-IV. According to them, the other three groups of the same denomination, are conducting prayers, in the church building at Nellore, up to 11-30 a.m., and thereafter, their group has been conducting the prayers. Their present grievance is that the other groups are not permitting them to conduct prayers in the compound, by raising certain objections, as to the entitlement of the petitioners. They seek appropriate directions to the Superintendent of Police and District Collector, to ensure that the other groups do not obstruct, when the group of the petitioners conducts the Sunday worship. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioners and the learned Government Pleader for Home. It is difficult to accede to the request of the petitioners. The reason is that the rights of individuals, in relation to their religious faith, or their entitlement to conduct prayers at places of worship, cannot constitute the subject matter of a writ petition, nor can the police and revenue authorities be vested with the powers, to deal with these aspects. If the petitioners are of the view that they are entitled to conduct prayers, at a particular time, as of right, they have to approach the Civil Court, and seek appropriate relief, in this regard, duly impleading the affected parties. The relief claimed in this writ petition, cannot be granted by this court, from the point of view of the maintainability of the writ petition, as well as the nature of relief claimed in it. For the foregoing reasons, the writ petition is disposed of, leaving it open to the petitioners, to work out their remedies in a Civil Court, in accordance with law. There shall be no order as to costs. _________________ 2nd August 2005 PAN