Calcutta HC Allows Live Streaming Of Parsi Hearing

For the first time in its history, on 12th February, 2020, the Calcutta High Court allowed the live streaming of proceedings in a case seeking entry of children, born to inter-married Parsi women, into a fire temple.

Seeking permission for live streaming of these proceedings, Parsi Zoroastrian Association of Calcutta (PZAC) lawyer, Phiroze Edulji submitted before the court that the hearings of the case were of utmost importance to all Parsis in the country and that they would benefit from the outcome of the matter. Allowing PZAC’s prayer, a Division Bench, comprising Justices Sanjib Banerjee and Kaushik Chanda, directed that two special cameras be placed in the court room to telecast the proceedings on YouTube. The court directed that the cost of the telecast would be borne by PZAC.

PZAC is opposing the petition by Prochy N Mehta and Sanaya Mehta Vyas, who are seeking access to a fire temple at Metcalfe Street, in the central part of the city. The petition was moved by Mehta and Vyas before the High Court against trustees of The Late Ervad Dhunjeebhoy Byramjee Mehta’s Zoroastrian Anjuman Atash Adaran Trust – Noshir N Tankariwala, Y J Dastoor and J S Billimoria – who opposed their access to the fire temple.

The date for the final hearing in the matter, live streaming of which was allowed by the court, has not yet been fixed. A single bench of the high court had earlier disallowed the prayer for live streaming, following which an appeal on the issue was moved before the division bench. The original petition seeking access to the fire temple will be heard before the single bench.

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