High Court judge criticises colleague’s analysis in unlawful detention case
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On August 25, 2026, a Public Interest Litigation was filed in the Bombay High Court against the Maharashtra government's requirement for auto-rickshaw, taxi, and app-based cab drivers to have working knowledge of Marathi. The petition challenges the Home (Transport) Department's amendment to the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which makes this condition mandatory for licence grants, renewals, and permit holders.
The petition, filed by four civil rights groups and individuals, argues that the State has discriminated against citizens from other states, violating their constitutional rights. While the petitioners respect Marathi and use it in their daily work, they contend that language cannot be enforced by suspending licences and removing livelihoods.
The petition cites a March 1, 2017, order from a division bench of the Bombay High Court that quashed a similar circular from November 2016. Since the notification's implementation on August 12, 522 rickshaw drivers were checked in the Vasai-Virar area, with 61 drivers receiving warnings of licence suspension. The petitioners, comprising approximately 9,65,000 rickshaw and taxi permit holders, rely on the Motor Vehicles Act and argue that enforcing language through licence suspensions violates their constitutional rights.
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