The Supreme Court today refused to intervene in a petition challenging the Madurai Police Commissioner’s requirement for physical vehicle passes for the upcoming Lord Murugan Conference (Muruga Bakthargal Aanmeega Maanadu) on June 22, 2025.
A vacation bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Prasanna B Varale declined to entertain the plea against the Madras High Court’s order denying the use of Tamil Nadu’s E-Pass portal for the event.
Digital vs. Logistical Constraints Debate
Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the petitioner, argued that denying e-passes contradicts India’s digital transformation: Everywhere in the country, we are turning digital.
The bench, however, noted the state’s logistical challenges in implementing digital passes for the event and questioned how the court could mandate e-passes under such circumstances. How can you force them? the judges asked.
With the petitioner not having exhausted the option of a Letters Patent Appeal, the Supreme Court permitted withdrawal of the special leave petition to pursue appropriate remedies before the High Court.
The order stated, “He thus prays liberty to withdraw the instant special leave petition so that the petitioners can avail the suitable remedy in the High Court.”
The matter now returns to the Madras High Court for reconsideration of the e-pass issue ahead of the June 22 event.
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