Special NIA court judge AK Lahoti, conducting trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has been transferred to Nashik just days before the court was likely to reserve the matter for judgement. The transfer order, issued by the registrar general of the Bombay High Court, will come into effect on June 9. The order directs the judge to finish judgments in all cases where hearing has concluded and to dispose of part-heard cases before handing over charge. In the last hearing on Saturday, judge Lahoti directed the prosecution and defense to wrap up the remaining arguments by April 15 and was expected to reserve the matter for judgement the following day, a defense lawyer said.
'This operation was a culmination of such long (period) of efforts, and gives us satisfaction that whatever we have been doing, we have been doing correctly'
"The main imam of the masjid had gone out of station, and Saad felt duty-bound not to leave the premises until his superior, who was scheduled to return on Thursday, was back," said the bereaved uncle.
The Bombay high court on Tuesday granted an interim stay for two weeks on the Jalgaon district collector's order restraining people from praying at a mosque on a complaint by an outfit which claimed the structure has the "appearance of a temple".
The Muslim community in Sujanpur Tira town in Himachal Pradesh has withdrawn its objection to a proposed Maharana Pratap statue outside a mosque. The decision comes after a delegation of the community submitted a memorandum to the Hamirpur administration, asking it not to install the statue in the park being built outside the mosque. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) had called on the administration not to go back on its decision to install the statue at the approved spot.
Markaz Taiba of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan's Muridke, one of the nine terror camps struck by the Indian armed forces on Wednesday, is a site where terrorists including Ajmal Kasab involved in the 2008 Mumbai attack were trained, a senior military official said.
'6 shooters went to kill Dawood in Pakistan.'
Mobs killed a cleric in a late night attack on a mosque, torched an eatery and vandalised shops as communal violence that began in Haryana's Nuh spilled over into Gurugram, taking the death toll to five, the police said on Tuesday.
The law prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.
Yoga guru Ramdev on Friday gave an undertaking in the Delhi High Court for neither issuing any disparaging statement nor publishing on social media, posts similar to his "sharbat jihad" remark against Hamdard's Rooh Afza.
India on Wednesday dismissed claims on Pakistan social media about 'Operation Sindoor', saying the neighbouring country has unleashed a 'full-blown disinformation offensive' with 'lies' and digital theatrics to control the narrative.
Udai Pratap College in Varanasi is entangled in a land dispute with the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, which claims a mosque on the campus and surrounding land as Waqf property. The college administration rejects the claim. The dispute dates back to 2018 when a notice was sent to the college alleging the mosque and land were donated by the Nawab of Tonk to the Waqf Board. The college claims the mosque was built illegally and the land belongs to a trust. The Waqf Board attempted construction in 2022 but was stopped by police after the college complained. The college also alleges the mosque is stealing electricity. The mosque administration asserts ownership based on the Nawab's donation and claims a mutual agreement for electricity supply. The college, founded in 1909, has a long history of promoting education in the region.
The police said the accused, Osman, who is a contractor by profession, has been arrested but added that there was heavy deployment of forces to maintain peace.
'We completely destroyed at least three posts, an ammunition depot, fuel storage facility, and gunnery, among other targets. Our retaliation was so devastating that it will take Pakistan at least 8-12 months to rebuild, possibly longer'
Maharashtra has witnessed 823 incidents of communal unrest since January this year, with demands for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb and the spread of distorted facts on social media fomenting fresh trouble. Districts like Nandurbar, Pune (Rural), Ratnagiri, Sangli, Beed, and Satara have seen communal unrest in recent days due to right-wing organizations' demands for the demolition of the Mughal emperor's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The state witnessed 4,836 Hindu-Muslim related communal crimes in 2024, with 170 incidents classified as cognisable and 3,106 as non-cognisable cases. The violence in Nagpur, triggered by protests demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, highlights the role of social media in spreading inflammatory content and instigating people. While the state has taken measures to curb the spread of misinformation, concerns remain over the impact on communities and the need for promoting peace and understanding.
More than 118 Pakistani forward posts and their surveillance system were completely destroyed by the BSF during Operation Sindoor, dealing a major blow to the neighbouring country, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday.
"We have no problem if the students here offer namaaz or worship in the mosque or temple on the college premises. But we do not accept that outsiders are gathering here in the name of offering namaz on the college premises," he said.
China and Pakistan are in a tight strategic alliance. India must deal with them one at a time, but be prepared in case they decide to collude, points out Shekhar Gupta.
A mosque was set on fire and a short circuit apparently triggered a blaze in another in Haryana's Nuh district, while two brothers belonging to Muslim community were allegedly beaten up in Gurugram by a group of about 30 people, the police said on Thursday.
A minaret of Khajoor ki Masjid in Gudri Bazaar in the heart of Faizabad city is said to be encroaching on the proposed Ram Path by three metres.
The petition seeks the court's permission for worshipping the idols of the Hindu deities located on an outer wall of the mosque on a daily basis.
A court in Varanasi on Friday directed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a "detailed scientific survey" -- including excavations, wherever necessary -- to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple is built upon a temple.
Amid escalating tensions at the Uday Pratap College in Varanasi over a mosque located on its premises, police on Thursday restricted outsiders' entry to the campus, allowing only students with valid identity cards.
Reacting to the statement, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said "insulting the Sanatan Dharma again and again" has become the habit of the Samajwadi Party and its leaders.
The committee argued that only the Waqf Board has the right to hear any matter pertaining to the mosque.
A top American military commander has said that the US is watching the situation very closely after Indian military strikes on terror targets in PoK and Pakistan's Punjab province. The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is one of six geographic Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Armed Forces, headquartered in Hawaii. Earlier on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he wants India and Pakistan to stop the conflict, saying if he can do anything to help, he will be there. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday that the Indian military carried out a measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible strike to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan to deter and to pre-empt any further terrorist strikes.
Some children allegedly threw stones at 'Laat Sahab' during procession in Shahjahanpur city on Friday, but police chased them away.
Drones were sighted and explosions were heard in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, a day after India thwarted attempts by the Pakistan military to attack Indian military installations using drones and missiles. The drones were also engaged in Udhampur and Nagrota of Jammu and Punjab. Heavy cross-border shelling started along the International Border in Suchetgarh and Ramgarh sectors of Jammu and Samba districts. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appealed to residents to stay indoors and ignore rumors.
...the DMK chief minister's campaign -- which includes criticism of the BJP's 'pro-Hindutva, anti-Tamil, anti-federal' policies and building on his own government's social welfare programmes targeting especially women and youth -- appeals to Tamil Nadu's voters in next year's assembly election, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
Indian rescue personnel are being lauded for their compassion and expertise in assisting with the recovery efforts in earthquake-stricken Mandalay, Myanmar. The story of a Muslim family resisting initial attempts to recover a deceased loved one from the rubble, ultimately accepting the help of Indian rescuers who preserved the dignity of the woman's final posture in prayer, highlights the sensitivity and skill of the Indian team. The NDRF has rescued around 30 bodies and is working tirelessly in different locations, including the historic U Hla Thein monastery and Ganga Ghat Hindu Temple, where many are still missing. The Indian Army has also set up a field hospital, treating over 200 patients, and providing food to earthquake victims.
'It could take the form of sporadic LoC violation through heavy artillery and mortar fire, focusing on border villages where the Hindu Dogra population is predominant.'
Razvi claimed that the film portrayed Emperor Aurangzeb in a manner that provoked Hindu youths.
The Allahabad high court on Friday stayed the arrest of Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq in connection with violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district during a survey of a Mughal-era mosque.
Commencing hearing on pleas challenging the constitutionality of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to reply to cross-pleas against or seeking implementation of statute.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his first tour of Egypt, will visit the 11th century Al-Hakim mosque and will also pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who died fighting for Egypt during the First World War, said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that if Hindus are safe, then Muslims are also safe in his state.
Just-retired ICC match referee David Boon says ball tampering and security issues were the biggest challenges that he found "confronting" during his 14-year tenure in the position.
The lawyers of the Hindu side sought time for filing their counter-objection, following which the court of district judge A K Vishvesha fixed November 11 as the next date of hearing in the matter.
The Gyanvapi mosque management committee has objected to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) seeking eight more weeks to complete the survey of the complex.
The Supreme Court's 2023 order refusing to stay a scientific survey at the Gyanvapi Mosque complex has sparked claims over several other disputed places of worship across India. This has led to several court cases, including one in Mathura where a survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque complex was ordered, and another in Ajmer where a claim was made that a Shiva temple existed within the dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti. The article also highlights a dispute over the Bhojshala in Madhya Pradesh, which Hindus consider a temple and Muslims consider a mosque. The Supreme Court's order has reignited debates about the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits the change of character of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947.
