Calcutta HC Denies Interim Relief For Prayers At Mosque Inside Kolkata Airport, Cites Security Concerns

New Delhi: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday declined to grant interim permission to offer prayers at the 136-year-old Bankra Mosque located within the operational area of Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, with security concerns taking centre stage during the hearing.

The court, presided over by Justice Krishna Rao, also referred to the previous day’s Flydubai incident while considering the request for restoration of access to the mosque. The matter has now been listed for further hearing on October 7.

Court Refers To Flydubai Incident During Hearing

During the hearing, the State and airport authorities raised national security and aviation safety concerns over allowing worshippers to access the mosque, which is situated near the runway within the airport’s operational area.

Additional Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi, appearing for the authorities, argued that the security situation had changed significantly over the years. He submitted that there were no known security threats before 1993 but that the threat perception had increased following the 2025 Red Fort attack.

When the submission suggested that such security concerns were particularly relevant in India, the court observed that security threats were not confined to the country.

The court referred to the Flydubai incident that occurred a day earlier, observing: “No, not just in India, nowadays it is happening everywhere. See yesterday’s Flydubai incident. You cannot imagine.”

The court subsequently declined to pass an interim order permitting prayers and directed that the matter be heard again on October 7.

Petitioners Seek Regulated Access

The petition concerns restrictions imposed on access to the mosque, which petitioners said had been used for prayers for several decades.

Senior Advocate Kishore Datta, appearing for the petitioners along with Sabyasachi Chatterjee, submitted that the mosque was around 136 years old and had existed in the Bankra village area before the land was acquired for the airport.

According to the petitioners, worshippers had earlier been allowed to access the mosque through the Bankra gate under regulated security arrangements. CISF personnel would screen the worshippers before transporting them by bus to the mosque and bringing them back after prayers.

The petitioners said this arrangement had allowed worshippers to offer prayers despite the mosque being located within the airport complex.

They argued that access had been stopped from July 11, despite worshippers having used the route for around five decades, and sought continuation of regulated access while the legal proceedings remained pending.

Authorities Flag Mosque's Proximity To Runway

The airport authorities opposed the request, citing security concerns arising from the mosque’s location within the operational area and its proximity to the runway.

According to submissions before the court, authorities also referred to previous instances in which unauthorised persons had allegedly been found on the airport apron. The security concerns were presented by the authorities and have not been adjudicated by the court at this stage.

LiveLaw reported that the mosque is located around 165 metres from the runway.

The authorities maintained that the security environment had changed over the years, making earlier arrangements for access difficult to continue.

Petitioners Open To Relocation

The possibility of relocating the mosque was also discussed during the hearing.

The petitioners indicated that they were agreeable to the mosque being shifted to another location. However, Datta argued that any relocation could have been carried out systematically instead of abruptly suspending prayers at the existing mosque.

The dispute therefore involves both the continuation of access to the existing mosque and the possibility of shifting it outside the airport’s operational area.

136-Year-Old Mosque Predates Airport Expansion

The Bankra Mosque reportedly dates back to the 1890s and predates the present airport infrastructure by several decades.

According to the information cited in the reports, the area around the mosque was once a village before the airport expanded into the region. As aviation activity increased during the 1950s and 1960s, the airport expanded westwards and a secondary runway was constructed.

The mosque continued to be used by local Muslims even after it became enclosed within the airport’s operational area.

Over time, the expansion of the airport and stricter aviation security requirements brought renewed focus on the mosque’s location.

Congregational prayers were suspended in July 2026 after worshippers were reportedly not issued entry passes, leading to the present legal challenge over access.

Matter To Be Heard On October 7

The Calcutta High Court’s Thursday order does not finally decide whether access to the mosque should remain restricted or whether the mosque should be relocated.

The court has only declined the petitioners’ request for interim permission to resume prayers at this stage. The larger issues concerning religious access, airport security and the possible relocation of the mosque remain pending before the court.

The petition, filed as Bankra Masjid Committee (Airport) and another vs Union of India and others, will next be heard on October 7.

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