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Cox & Kings fails to get relief from SC

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

International tour operator Cox and Kings Tuesday failed to get any relief from the Supreme Court, where it had moved a special leave petition against the verdict of the Allahabad High Court directing the company to shift its luxury tent colony from the main Kumbh Mela area in Allahabad.

While reverting the matter to the Allahabad divisional commissioner for final disposal, the apex court has ordered status quo till January 18.

Earlier, the Allahabad High Court had allowed status quo till January 16 and the tour operator was told to move out of the main precincts of the Kumbh Mela to an alternate site a couple of kilometres away.

"The matter will be taken up only after the UP advocate general, who held the brief on our behalf at the Supreme Court, returns to Allahabad on Wednesday," Divisional Commissioner Sadakant told rediff.com over the phone:

Meanwhile, the tour operator has managed to get a no-objection letter from some Hindu saints, whose opposition to Cox and Kings putting up a luxury tent colony in the mela area had sparked off the controversy.

Cox and Kings representative at Kumbhnagar (Allahabad), Laxmi Singh, said: "We went to the Supreme Court after obtaining a formal 'no objection' from the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, whose office-bearers came down to satisfy themselves that we were not violating the spiritual codes and norms of the mela in any manner."

Earlier, word had been spread that Cox and Kings was serving non-vegetarian food and liquor to its guests.

The issue was raised before Chief Minister Raj Nath Singh during the course of his visit to the mela and subsequently an akhara supporter filed a PIL before the Allahabad High Court.

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