Nearly 16 years after the 1992-93 Hindu-Muslim riots in Mumbai,a sessions court on Wednesday acquitted Farooq Mapkar, accused in the Hari Masjid firing case.
The state government issued a notification last year, handing over the case to CBI. But the agency told the high court that its hands were already full, and it cannot investigate a 15-year-old case in which special task force had already given the police a clean chit.
A letter to the state government from the Union Home ministry last month said that it would not hand over the case to the CBI as per its request because it thought "no case was made out" against the Assistant Inpector of Police Nikhil Kapse and his team. The division bench of Justices Bilal Nazki and A P Deshpande wondered how the Home Ministry could exonerate police without conducting a probe.
Additional Solicitor General Rajendra Raghuvanshi told a division bench of Justices S B Mhase and V K Tahilramani on Thursday that the Centre was not ready for a CBI probe. "The Centre thinks the case is 15 years old and already a trial of the case against one of the survivors Farooq Mhapkar -- for rioting -- is underway. Also, the STF, formed by state government following the Srikrishna report, held that (police official) Kapse was not guilty," Raghuvanshi said.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to go ahead with its investigation into the Hari Masjid firing in Mumbai in which six persons were killed in 1992.A bench comprising justices P Sathasivam and A R Dave upheld the Bombay high court order entrusting CBI with the probe of the incident.The bench dismissed the appeal filed by the Maharashtra government against the 2008 direction of the high court.
Eid al-Fitr was celebrated across India with prayers for peace and brotherhood, alongside protests condemning US-Israel actions in West Asia.
The Supreme Court of India has ordered a status quo on a private well located near the entrance of the Sambhal Jama Masjid, prohibiting any action regarding the well without its permission. The order came in response to a plea by the mosque's management committee, which challenged a lower court order that allowed a survey of the mosque, citing concerns over violence and loss of life during previous surveys. The court also instructed the authorities to file a status report within two weeks.
A judicial commission has submitted its report to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the violence that occurred in Sambhal in November 2024 during a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. The report addresses the events leading to the violence and potential demographic shifts in the region.
The Committee of Management, Shahi Jama Masjid, moved the high court challenging the suit and the Sambhal court order which directed the survey through an advocate commissioner.
Mrs Gandhi's power ebbed and peaked with the times. Mr Modi's has almost been constant, barring the few months of hard dip after the 240 seats of 2024, points out Shekhar Gupta.
The Allahabad high court on Wednesday stayed further proceedings before a civil court hearing the dispute over Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal.
The Uttar Pradesh government has informed the Supreme Court that the disputed "private well" near the Mughal-era Jama Masjid mosque in Sambhal was situated on public land. The state government said the petitioner failed to disclose there was a well within the boundary walls of the mosque known locally as "yagna koop". The committee, in a spot inspection, found that the well was situated outside the mosque boundary wall, the report said. The report said the state was committed to ensuring peace and harmony in the region and any restraint on the use of such public wells by the community at large may not help in achieving that goal.
The police had allegedly opened fire on a "mob" coming out of Hari Masjid in Central Mumbai on January 10, 1993, to maintain law and order in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition.
The Supreme Court of India will hear a petition challenging a district court's order to survey a Mughal-era mosque in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. The petition alleges that the hasty survey has led to communal tensions and violence, resulting in deaths and injuries. The petitioners argue that the survey was ordered without proper notice or hearing, and they seek a stay on the proceedings and a directive to prevent such surveys from being ordered as a matter of course in cases involving disputes over places of worship.
'When Irshad Khan approaches the Supreme Court, he will undoubtedly have the best and most committed of lawyers to represent him.' His case will be reported on the front pages.' Neither the BJP government in Rajasthan nor at the Centre can stop this,' says Jyoti Punwani.
"I am the only Muslim girl in my college and my friends call me Krrish because I wear this burqa," jokes Samina. Her sister Zarina, who is doing her first year BCom from Maharashtra College, adds, "I am called Al Qaeda because of my dress."
'The Babri Masjid wasn't just a mosque, it was a test of our secularism,' says Jyoti Punwani.
A generation has passed and the demolition appears to be a story of an era gone by, says Sharat Pradhan, who shares his experience as a witness in court in the Babri Masjid demolition case. On the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, we republish this 2011 special.
At present the people are allowed to worship once in a year only, he submitted before the court.
The court said the modalities of the survey will be discussed at the next hearing on December 18.
The plaintiffs had filed a suit in the lower court which had observed that they didn't have the right to sue.
On October 5, 2019, the sessions court hearing the matter had said that as per Supreme Court orders, all evidence has to be presented before December 24, 2019, which would be the last working day.
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the civil court in Varanasi to not proceed with hearing the Gyanvapi case till it takes up the matter on Friday.
Jitendra Singh Visen, president of Vishwa Vaidik Sanatan Sangh, however, refused to divulge the reason behind the decision.
Modi will unfurl the national flag and deliver the customary address to the nation from the ramparts of the historic monument.
The court has also directed all concerned parties to file objections to the report submitted by the commission that surveyed the mosque premises.
'Muslims should not justify demolition of temples by foreign invaders.'
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the district magistrate, Varanasi, to ensure protection of the area where the 'Shivling' was said to have been found in a survey on Monday.
The top court said the extension of tenure of the special judge will only be for the purpose of concluding the trial and delivering the verdict in the case.
The Supreme Court on Monday kept its options open on examining the dropping of conspiracy charge against accused like L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti in the demolition of the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri structure in Ayodhya in 1992.
While directing the accused to present themselves in person, the judge had said no application for adjournment or exemption from personal appearance shall be entertained.
ASI submits report on Ayodhya excavation
The accused include former deputy prime minister Advani, former Union ministers Joshi and Uma Bharti, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, besides Vinay Katiyar and Sadhvi Rithambara.
The Allahabad high court on Thursday directed recording of evidence on a day-to-day basis by the Rae Bareli trial court in the Babri Masjid demolition case, rejecting a plea by a Vishwa Hindu Party leader.
'Earlier, Sri Sri told me we (Muslims) must give up our claim to the Babri Masjid site and be large-hearted.' 'Sri Sri has always taken sides on this issue, and isn't neutral at all.'
The submissions were made during the eighth day hearing in the case before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
Senior advocate Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, told the bench that they have complied with the top court's direction and extended the tenure of the special judge till he delivers the judgment in the Ayodhya demolition case.
The Supreme Court has adjourned by six weeks hearing of the batch of petitions challenging the separation of trials of senior BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders for their alleged involvement in the Babri Masjid demolition case.
A special judge holding trial in the Babri Masjid demolition case, involving Bharatiya Janata Party veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi and others, on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking six more months to conclude the trial in the case.
'When the Babri Masjid was demolished, we didn't take permission from anyone.'
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