Kerala High Court
Varkey vs District City Police Commissioner on 21 October, 2025
Author: V.G.Arun
Bench: V.G.Arun
2025:KER:78135
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE V.G.ARUN
TUESDAY, THE 21ST DAY OF OCTOBER 2025 / 29TH ASWINA, 1947
WP(C) NO. 32555 OF 2025
PETITIONERS:
1 VARKEY
AGED 68 YEARS
S/O. DEVASSY, MUTTICHUKARAN HOUSE,
GANDHINAGAR ROAD, OLLUR P.O,
THRISSUR, PIN - 680306
2 DAVIES
AGED 64 YEARS
S/O. VARUNNI, , MALIYEKKAL HOUSE,
POLICE STATION ROAD, OLLUR P.O,
THRISSUR, PIN - 680306
3 BOBBIN
AGED 33 YEARS
S/O. RAPPAI, ALLAPADAN HOUSE,
ST. ANTONY'S ROAD, OLLUR P.O,
THRISSUR, PIN - 680306
BY ADVS.
SRI.RAJIT
SMT.SRUTHI RAJIT
SHRI.CRIS LIVIN AUGUSTINE
RESPONDENTS:
1 DISTRICT CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER
THRISSUR, COLLECTORATE, AYYANTHOLE,
THRISSUR, PIN - 680003
2 COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
THRISSUR, G698+F83, PATTALAM RD,
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WP(C) NO. 32555 OF 2025
2
IN FRONT OF TOWN EAST POLICE STATION,
SAKTHAN THAMPURAN NAGAR, VELIYANNUR,
THRISSUR, PIN - 680001
3 DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE
OLLUR POLICE STATION, OLLUR, OLLUR P.O,
THRISSUR, PIN - 680306
4 INSPECTOR OF POLICE
POLICE STATION ROAD, OLLUR INDUSTRIAL ESTATE,
OLLUR, THRISSUR, PIN - 680306
5 ST.ANTONY'S FORANE CHURCH, OLLUR
THRISSUR, REPRESENTED BY ITS VICAR.
(IS IMPLEADED AS ADDITIONAL 5TH RESPONDENT AS PER
ORDER DATED 21.10.2025 IN I.A.No.1 of 2025)
6 TRUSTEE
ST.ANTONY'S FORANE CHURCH, OLLUR, THRISSUR.
(IS IMPLEADED AS ADDITIONAL 6TH RESPONDENT AS PER
ORDER DATED 21.10.2025 IN I.A.No.1 of 2025)
7 OLLUR MARYMATHA CHURCH
P.O.OLLUR, THRISSUR, REPRESENTED BY ITS VICAR
(IS IMPLEADED AS ADDITIONAL 7TH RESPONDENT AS PER
ORDER DATED 21.10.2025 IN I.A.No.2 of 2025)
8 TRUSTEE
OLLUR MARYMATHA CHURCH
P.O.OLLUR, THRISSUR
(IS IMPLEADED AS ADDITIONAL 8TH RESPONDENT AS PER
ORDER DATED 21.10.2025 IN I.A.No.2 of 2025)
BY ADVS.
SRI.LINDONS C.DAVIS
SMT.CHINJU P. JOYIES
SHRI.VINAYAK MANOHARAN P.
SMT.E.U.DHANYA
SRI.RAJITH DAVIS
SRI. P.S. APPU, GP.
THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR
ADMISSION ON 21.10.2025, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED
THE FOLLOWING:
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3
JUDGMENT
The St. Antony's Forane Church, Ollur was
established in the year 1718. The famous Panamkuttichira
Angadi Valaghosham takes place in the Church every year in
connection with the feast of the Archangel Raphael. The
petitioners are seeking Police protection for the
Panamkuttichira Angadi Valaghosham scheduled to be held
on 23.10.2025.
2. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits
that the procession is part of the Church festival and has to
be conducted without fail. It is submitted that by reason of
certain disputes, the practice of the Priest handing over the
gold bangles for the procession is not being followed for the
past two years and hence the Parishioners and devotees are
organising the procession on their own. It is submitted that
the petitioners have no intention of entering the Church or
creating any law and order issues and is only seeking Police
protection for the smooth conduct of the procession.
3. Learned counsel appearing for the additional
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respondents 5 to 7 submits that petitioners are not
parishioners of the St. Antony's Forane Church. They had
approached the Civil Court seeking temporary prohibitory
injunction restraining the Priest and the office bearers of the
Church from causing any hindrance or disturbance to the
procession to be conduced from Panamkuttichira Angadi to
St.Antony's Forane Church, Ollur, in connection with the
Valaghosham of 2024. The jurisdictional Munsiff, after
detailed consideration, rejected the prayer. As such, the
petitioners have no legal right to conduct the procession or
demand Police protection. It is submitted that Valagosham
can be conducted only by the Aghosha Samithies within the
geographical limits of the Church. The gold fish and bangle
for the conduct of the Valaghosham has to be given by the
Vicar of the Church on 23.10.2025. Then only the Aghosham
will commence. Being so, this year's valaghosham cannot
be conducted by the petitioners and other random persons.
4. Learned Government Pleader submits on
instructions that, initially permission for conducting the
procession was granted as per Ext.P2. But, later it came to
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light that disputes are pending before the civil court and the
prayer for injunction to restrain the Vicar and others from
obstructing the procession last year was declined by the
court. Therefore, the Police had a rethink and Ext.P3 was
passed making it clear that action in the matter will be taken
strictly in accordance with the directions of the court.
5. It is not in dispute that the Panamkuttichira
Angadi Valaghosham has been in vogue as part of annual
Church Festival for the past many years. It is also a fact that
disputes are pending between the Church and the faction
represented by the petitioner. The question therefore is
whether such dispute should result in the religious
procession being disrupted. The answer to the question can
only be in the negative, since the disruption will hurt the
religious sentiments of a large number of persons. The
Police is hence bound to ensure that the procession is
conducted peacefully.
6. The Writ Petition is hence disposed of by
directing respondents 3 and 4 to ensure that the procession
(Panamkuttichira Angadi Valaghosham) proposed to be
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conducted on 23.10.2025 does not lead to any law and order
issues and that the procession does not enter the compound
of the St. Antony's Forane Church, Ollur.
It is made clear that the above direction is issued
only to ensure that this year's procession is conducted
peacefully and does not confer any civil right on the
petitioners.
Sd/-
V.G.ARUN
JUDGE
SPV
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WP(C) NO. 32555 OF 2025
APPENDIX OF WP(C) 32555/2025
PETITIONER EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT P1 A TRUE COPY OF THE REPRESENTATION FILED
BY THE PETITIONERS BEFORE THE 1ST
RESPONDENT DATED 28.07.2025
EXHIBIT P2 A TRUE COPY OF THE LETTER ISSUED BY THE
1ST RESPONDENT DATED 02.09.2025
RESPONDENT EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT R6(A) A COPY OF THE ORDER IN IA NO.2/2023 IN
OS NO.1844/2023 ON THE FILES OF
PRINCIPAL MUNSIFF COURT THRISSUR DATED
22.10.2024.
EXHIBIT R7(A) A TRUE COPY OF THE LETTER
NO.G4(A)/65299/2025/RC DATED 13.10.2025.
PETITIONER EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT P3 A TRUE COPY OF THE LETTER ISSUED BY THE
1ST RESPONDENT DATED 13.10.2025
