'Frivolous': Supreme Court Rejects Plea To Make 'Karwa Chauth' Celebration Compulsory For All Women Including Widows & Divorcees

The Supreme Court today refused to interfere with a Punjab and Haryana High Court order which dismissed with cost a public interest litigation seeking to make Karwa Chauth festival compulsory for all women, including widows, divorcees and those in live-in relationships.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh declined the petitioner's prayers, noting that the PIL before the High Court was "frivolous" and "motivated". "These are funded by actors who don't come forward", remarked Justice Kant.

The bench noted that the petitioner failed to disclose any law which provided for observation of the festival by sections of women allegedly deprived of the privilege to celebrate. "The High Court, taking a lenient view, has imposed cost of Rs.1000 only. We do not find any ground to interfere with the impugned order. If the petitioner attempts to file any such petition directly or indirectly, we hope the High Court will take exemplary action", it said.

Notably, after brief arguments, the petitioner's counsel expressed inclination to withdraw the petition with liberty to approach the High Court again. However, refusing to grant any liberty, and perturbed by the frivolity of the "PIL", the bench dismissed the case.

Briefly put, petitioner-Narender Kumar Malhotra approached the High Court seeking a declaration to make celebration of "Karwa Chauth” festival compulsory for women irrespective of their status (widows, separated, divorcees or in live-in relationship). His grievance was apparently rooted in discriminatory attitudes towards some sections of women, like widows, who are "not allowed" to perform Karwa Chauth Puja. 

The petitioner demanded that the Union and Haryana Governments carry out amendments in law to ensure participation of all classes of women in the Karwa Chauth Puja held on the day of the festival. He further prayed that refusal of any person to such women's participation be made punishable.

The High Court refused to entertain the PIL on the ground that the issue lay in the domain of the legislature. However, as the petitioner sought liberty to withdraw the petition, the High Court dismissed it as withdrawn while imposing a token cost of Rs.1000 on the petitioner. Aggrieved, he approached the Supreme Court.

Case Title: NARENDER KUMAR MALHOTRA Versus UNION OF INDIA AND ANR., SLP(C) No. 13556/2025 

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