Calcutta HC judge refers to flydubai stabbing, denies access to mosque near airport

Justice Krishna Rao of the Calcutta High Court referred to the flydubai incident while rejecting a petition seeking access to the 136-year-old Bankra mosque, located near the airport runway, for prayers, citing security concerns, even though namaz had been offered there long before the airport was built and access to the mosque was abruptly restricted.

Justice Rao referred to the September 30 incident in which a flydubai pilot was allegedly stabbed by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, while hearing a petition challenging restrictions on regulated access to the mosque.

The flight, FZ1073, was subsequently diverted to Saudi Arabia following the reported mid-air confrontation, and the judge observed that security concerns were no longer confined to any particular country.

Additional Solicitor General Dhiraj Kumar Trivedi, appearing for the authorities, referred to several alleged security breaches at the airport, while senior advocate S.N. Mookherjee, representing the Airports Authority of India (AAI), told the court that unauthorised individuals had reportedly been spotted on the runway.

Trivedi argued that such incidents posed serious risks to airport security, while Justice Rao said that security threats were now a concern across the world.

The Bankra mosque, also known as Gouripur Jame Masjid, predates Kolkata airport and stands within its operational area. According to the mosque committee, the AAI stopped access to the mosque on July 11, after which prayers have reportedly not been held there. The airport authorities have sought the mosque's relocation, citing aviation safety and flight-operation concerns.

Senior advocate Kishore Datta, appearing for the mosque committee, argued that although the committee might be willing to consider relocation, the authorities must follow due process before taking any decision. He also questioned why action had not been taken against those allegedly responsible for the reported security breaches.

The court, however, rejected the plea for continued access and suggested that a room inside the airport could be provided for offering prayers. The mosque committee has indicated that it is willing to discuss relocation while seeking the resumption of prayers, although it maintains that any decision would require consultation with religious bodies.

For decades, access to the mosque has remained contentious because the airport was developed around it. Previously, between 10 and 25 devotees reportedly visited the mosque five times a day, after undergoing security checks and being escorted by CISF personnel.