'Earlier, people used to hand money directly to priests after a ritual, and priests would keep it in their own pockets. We completely stopped that practice.'
The family of a TCS employee arrested in connection with sexual harassment and conversion allegations at a Nashik unit claims he is a victim of internal professional rivalry and office politics. They allege a coordinated conspiracy driven by his academic and professional success.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for alleging his involvement in the attack on nuns in Chhattisgarh, calling the remarks ignorant and excessive.
US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday generated significant online traction after making a light-hearted reference to two "very, very important" Indian and Pakistani people in his life - his wife Usha Vance and Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir, on the sidelines of the US-Iran diplomatic deliberations in Switzerland.
A court in Nashik, Maharashtra, has denied interim protection from arrest to a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) employee, Danish Shaikh, in a case related to alleged sexual harassment and forcible conversion at the company's local unit. Shaikh is already in judicial custody in connection with one of nine FIRs registered in the case.
The Congress party has directed its MPs to attend Parliament and protest against the FCRA Amendment Bill, describing it as unconstitutional and a threat to minority organisations. The government asserts the bill aims to enhance transparency and prevent misuse of foreign funds.
Seattle's LGBTQ community members say they hope that this Friday's World Cup "Pride Match" between Egypt and Iran, two countries where homosexuality is criminalised, can be an opportunity to change minds.
At present, such a law has been enacted in just eight states to stop illegal conversion while the problem is nationwide, he added.
AIMIM leader Matin Patel faces potential cancellation of his corporatorship for allegedly harbouring Nida Khan, accused in a sexual harassment and forced conversion case. Authorities are investigating alleged illegal construction at his residence, which could lead to his disqualification under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation demolished alleged illegal constructions at the residence and other properties of AIMIM corporator Matin Patel, who is accused of harbouring Nida Khan, wanted in connection with a TCS case.
A local court in Nashik has deferred a decision on interim protection from arrest for Nida Khan, an accused in the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) sexual harassment and religious coercion case, requesting a police response by April 27. The SIT is investigating multiple cases of molestation and harassment at TCS's Nashik unit.
A woman engineer at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Nashik has alleged harassment and religious coercion, including derogatory slurs and inappropriate touching. Police have arrested eight people and are searching for another accused. TCS has launched an internal probe and suspended employees allegedly involved.
Lok Sabha takes up FCRA Amendment Bill amid opposition protests.
A court in Nashik has declined to grant interim protection from arrest to Nida Khan, a key accused in the sexual harassment and religious coercion probe at a Tata Consultancy Services unit. The court has directed the Nashik Police and the complainant to file their formal responses to her anticipatory bail application.
There has been an increase in violence against Christians over the past 12 years -- from 147 cases in 2014 to 706 in 2025 (till November).
The case involving an inter-faith couple was filed in Vadodara under the amended Gujarat Religious Freedom Act and the interim relief granted by the court to the four, including the main accused, will be pending the disposal of a petition filed by them seeking quashing of the FIR against them.
From Manavalan to Kannan Srank, a tribute to the unforgettable Salim Kumar who made generations of Malayalis laugh with his signature humour.
The Maharashtra government has directed strict implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act to protect women in the workplace, following a serious incident at a TCS unit in Nashik. Establishments with 10 or more employees must set up Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) and register on the Centre's She-Box portal, with failure to comply resulting in penalties.
All along, we were told SIR was an essential exercise carried out as part of the Election Commission's regular duties. But now that the ideological mentor of the ruling party has declared that SIR is a means of detecting infiltrators, one understands the unseemly haste with which it is being carried out, notes Jyoti Punwani.
The Uttarakhand assembly on Wednesday passed a stricter anti-conversion Bill making unlawful conversion a cognisable and non-bailable offence punishable with imprisonment for a term of at least three to a maximum of 10 years.
What is missing in the BJP's armour is dominance over 50 percent of the electorate: Women. And this is a gamble Modi-Shah have indicated that they are willing to take, explains Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
The central government has no plans to enact an anti-conversion law to curb interfaith marriages, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
The court had warned a "very difficult situation" will emerge if proselytisation through deception, allurement and intimidation is not stopped.
The Supreme Court has agreed to list for final hearing the pleas challenging the validity of certain provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
A 30-year-old woman with three children converted to Hinduism and married a 12th-grade student in a temple ceremony in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha district. The woman, previously known as Shabnam, has been married twice before and has no living parents. Police are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the marriage, but no legal complaints have been filed so far. The woman's previous husband was left disabled after a road accident and she obtained a divorce last week. Her new husband's father supports the marriage and wishes the couple happiness.
India has previously rejected the US state department's annual human rights report on the country, saying they continue to be based on "misinformation and flawed understanding".
The programme proposed by local political group Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) to conduct a mass marriage of men and women of other religions who have converted to Islam has been postponed after the Bareilly district administration denied permission for the event.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat emphasized the need for Hindu unity, vigilance, and social harmony, advocating for family values and addressing concerns about infiltration and social divisions.
In an unusually hard-hitting response to criticism against it in a United States government report on religious freedom, India on Friday described the findings as 'deeply biased', visibly driven by 'votebank' considerations and a mix of imputations and selective usage of facts.
Uttar Pradesh Police data reveals a significant increase in the number of alleged criminals killed in encounters in 2025, along with details of actions against illegal religious conversions, cow smuggling, and property recoveries.
'I cannot imagine that any NSA before Ajit Doval would have given us this kind of time and this kind of engagement. They would have offered slogans, or nothing at all. That, too, tells you something.'
'Jews are very much safe in Iran. They are our brothers. There is a difference between a Jew and a Zionist.' A conversation around a tea table in Mumbai serves as an eye-opener for Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
Ahead of the Maha Kumbh, a senior cleric has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressing fears that mass conversions of Muslims will take place during the event, while other community leaders have flagged the alleged demand raised by some Hindu seers' body to keep Muslims out of the mega gathering.
Terming religious conversion a silent invasion, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the menace of conversion should not be allowed to grow in society.
'The BJP is keeping its options open and that the final decision is still tightly held.' 'That is consistent with the party's tendency to preserve suspense, avoid premature factional conflict, and use leadership selection as a way of resetting internal hierarchies.'
A prominent Islamic shrine in Bareilly has issued a decree banning religious conversion by force or allurement, endorsing Uttar Pradesh's recent ordinance aimed at curbing inter-faith marriages as an alleged ploy for conversion.
The Kerala BJP has contradicted the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister's justification of the arrest of two Keralite Catholic nuns, stating they were not involved in human trafficking or forced conversion attempts and promising to help them.
The consequences will be stern in case SC/ST and minors are converted.
The Madhya Pradesh government has issued a new notification after the amendment in the MP Religious Freedom Rules 2021 for the same on Thursday.
The 'Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill' was passed by the Legislative Assembly in December last.
