Volunteers can deliver food to homes: Bombay HC on Jain trusts’ plea – Times of India

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday asked the Maharashtra government and two religious Jain trusts to “find a solution” and suggested that community volunteers may be roped in to deliver “pious food” from temples to homes of devotees for the nine-day Ayambil fast.
Two Jain trusts had approached HC with an urgent petition to permit an Ayambil fast for nine days from April 19 to April 27, both days inclusive, by allowing devotees to “take away pious boiled cooked food from the premises of the religious trusts.”
The HC bench of Justices S C Gupte and Abhay Ahuja heard their plea briefly on Thursday. The judges said, “We must find a solution…and see that the government’s SOP is also not frustrated,” and posted the matter for hearing on Friday.
Shree Trustee Atma Kamal Lab Labdhisurishwarji Jain Gyanmandir Trust and Sheth Motisha Religious and Charitable Trust filed the petition. Their main prayer was to quash the state diktat and allow them and “other 48 Jain trusts” to open their Jain temples with SOPs in place. Their counsel, K P Shah, however, submitted that they were at this stage “not praying’ for the opening of temples.” The urgent relief was for a limited purpose of the upcoming Ayambil fast that starts on April 19 when particular boiled food sans salt, spice and various other ingredients has to be consumed, which is difficult to make at home, the plea said.
The lawyer for the trusts said restaurants and bars are allowed home delivery under the ‘break the chain’ SOPs, but religious trusts are not. The challenge was to clause 5 of the April 13 SOPs. The HC observed the trusts were not asking for re-opening of temples, only for food collection by devotees. Additional government pleader Jyoti Chavan said even food collection cannot be permitted under the SOPs, as the trusts seek devotees visit places of worship to collect food parcels themselves, and it may lead to a congregation. She said restaurants are permitted only home deliveries via online orders, people are not allowed to visit restaurants for takeaways.