Those under 18 not to form human pyramids: SC

The high court had on August 11, 2014, while hearing a petition filed by Patil, ordered that the height of human pyramids should not exceed 20 feet and that children below the age of 18 years should not be allowed to participate.

A Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices AK Sikri and DY Chandrachud, issued notices to beef traders, who had successfully challenged a section of a 1995 law that had made possession of beef from outside the state a criminal act, and the Maharashtra government.

The bench, comprising justices A R Dave and L Nageswara Rao, chose to hear the revived petition in October this year.

However since the apex court’s orders didn’t explicitly mention a ceiling on the height of human pyramids, the state government maintained that the high court order was not applicable anymore.

In February 2015, the President had granted assent to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act.

The court, however, declined his request, saying, “People get hurt”.

“As a matter of fact, risk factor is there in every sport”, the ASG responded.

Reacting to the recent Supreme Court orders regarding the age restrictions on activities related to the Dahi Handi festival, MNS Chief Raj Thackeray called it a case of “clear discrimination”. The decision comes in the wake of an NGO, Akhil Bharat Krishi Goseva Sangh, challenging an earlier verdict by Bombay High Court, which had ruled to the contrary.

Nevshe told the court that a year ago the number of cases reported in hospitals across Maharashtra was more than 1,000. “They vouched for the well-being of the Govindas and took upon their medical and financial responsibility if anything untoward happens”.

“I am against commercialization of the festival, but there could have been a code of conduct governing it”, he said.