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Trouble brews over Bhopal’s Jama Masjid, 11th-century Bhojshala monument

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Two neighbouring states of north India, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, seem to be sailing in the same boat with similar headlines they have been making in the last few days.

While the Gyanvapi mosque case in Varanasi is being debated in and outside the court, a similar issue of ‘temple vs mosque’ seems to be brewing in Madhya Pradesh with a fresh instance surrounding the 19th century Jama Masjid located in Bhopal’s Chowk Bazar area.

A right-wing outfit, Sanskriti Bachao Manch, has claimed that the Jama Masjid located in old Bhopal’s Chowk Bazar locality was built in the 19th century on a Shiva temple.

The issue gained momentum after a group of right-wing activists on Thursday met the state Home Minister Narottam Mishra and drew the state government’s attention to this matter.

Sanskriti Bachao Manch headed by Chandrashekhar Tiwari submitted a memorandum demanding a detailed survey of the Jama Masjid.

Tiwari said that he is preparing to file a petition in the local court over the issue in the coming days.

“We have demanded a detailed archaeological survey of the Jama Masjid by the state government. We will also file a petition in the court seeking a survey and excavation to bare the history of the mosque built over a temple called Sabha Mandap’,” Tiwari told the press after meeting Mishra on Thursday.

Tiwari said that he has raised demands for the survey on the basis of facts collected in Hayate-I-Qudsi (a book on Bhopal’s first woman ruler Nawab Qudsia Begum). The empress (1819-1832) built the Jama Masjid and Gohar Mahal Palace in Bhopal.

“In the book on her life, Nawab Qudsia Begum mentioned that the work on building the Jama Masjid in Bhopal began in 1832 and was completed in 1857. It is also clearly mentioned that the mosque was built on the same land where a Hindu temple known as ‘Sabha Mandap’ already existed,” Tiwari claimed.

Notably, the same issue has been raised by another right-wing outfit called the ‘Hindu Dharma Sena’.

However, this is not the only ‘temple vs. mosque’ dispute in Madhya Pradesh that is being debated these days. Earlier this month, an organisation called the ‘Hindu Front for Justice’ filed a PIL in the high court claiming that the Bhojshala monument located in Dhar district belongs to the Hindu community.

A PIL was filed challenging the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) order of 2003, which imposed restriction on Hindus to worship at Bhojshala daily.

Subsequently, the Indore bench issued notices to the ASI, Centre and the MP government seeking their response on the matter.

Bhojshala is an ASI protected 11th century monument which Hindus claim is a temple of Vagdevi (Saraswati), while the Muslim community treats it as the Kamal Maula Mosque.

As per the arrangement made by ASI on April 7, 2003, Hindus perform puja on the premises every Tuesday, while Muslims offer namaz in the complex on Fridays.

“Only the members of the Hindu community have a fundamental right under Article 25 of the Constitution of India to perform puja and rituals at the place of goddess Vagdevi within the premises of Saraswati Sadan, commonly known as Bhojshala situated in Dhar,” the petition claimed.

“Members of the Muslim community have no right to use any portion of the aforesaid property for any religious purposes,” it added.

The petitioner also urged the court to direct the Centre to bring back the idol of goddess Saraswati from the museum in London, and re-establish the same within the Bhojshala complex.

The plea has cited that the then rulers of Dhar had installed the holy statue at Bhojshala in 1034 AD and it was taken to London in 1857 by the British.

One of the petitioners, Ashish Goyal, said, “We have now started fighting legally to reclaim our religious place. The court found our petition comprehensive and issued notice.”

Crime

Mumbai: Surat Crime Branch Arrests Cousin Accused Of Abducting & Murdering 3-Year-Old Boy Found In Train Toilet At LTT Station

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Mumbai: In a shocking case of child abduction and murder, the Surat Crime Branch arrested Vikas Shah from Mumbai for allegedly kidnapping and killing his 3-year-old cousin. The accused was apprehended following a joint investigation by the Surat Crime Branch and Amroli Police.

DCP Bhavesh Rozia says, “A woman complained that her 3-year-old son was taken away by her nephew, Vikas Shah, originally from Siwan, Bihar. On the 22nd, during the search by different police teams, the child’s dead body was found in a train toilet at Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak station. Surat Crime Branch and Amroli Police had been continuously working on the case for three days.

In a deeply disturbing incident, the body of the 3-year-old boy was found inside a dustbin in the bathroom of AC coach B2 of the Kushinagar Express (Train No. 22537) in the early hours of Saturday.

The incident came to light around 1:00 am, when cleaning staff began cleaning the coaches after the train arrived at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Mumbai, following its journey from Gorakhpur.

The Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Central Railway, Swapnil Nila, confirmed the details of the incident.

He mentioned, “This morning, the 22537 Kushinagar Express, running from Gorakhpur, arrived at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. When the cleaning staff was cleaning the train, they found a child left in the B2 coach of the Third AC. After that, the staff took the child to the hospital, where it was declared dead…”

Further, he added that, “The child is about 3-4 years old… GRP and State Civil Police were informed… Further investigation is underway… We are trying to find out from where the child boarded the train and where the child was going. Was there anyone else with him?… CCTV footage is being checked… Some marks were found near the neck of the child in the beginning, and the condition of the child seemed bad.

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Crime

Mumbai: Nashik Farmer Duped Of ₹1.44 Crore To Kalyan Man Promising Liquor Shop Licence In Navi Mumbai

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Navi Mumbai: A 29-year-old farmer from Nashik has allegedly been cheated of Rupees 1.44 crore by a man who promised to get him a liquor shop licence in Navi Mumbai, police said on Tuesday. The accused, hailing from Kalyan in Thane district, had convinced the victim that he could facilitate the transfer of a licence of a liquor shop at Panvel in Navi Mumbai from the owner in his name.

Trusting him, the victim, belonging to Niphad in neighbouring Nashik district, along with his brother, paid Rupees 1.44 crore to him in multiple installments between July 2024 and January this year, an official from MFC police station said.

After collecting the amount, the accused allegedly paid rupees 61 lakh to the liquor shop owner, misappropriated the remaining Rupees 83 lakh and failed to secure the licence for the victim, he said. When the victim questioned the accused about the status of the licence and the payments made, the latter issued some cheques as reimbursement. “All the cheques bounced, further raising suspicion,” As per media report, official state.

The accused neither returned the amount nor ensured the transfer of the licence in the victim’s name, he said. Based on the victim’s complaint, an FIR was registered against the accused on August 23 under section 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the police said. A detailed probe was underway into the case, they added.

A 79-year-old Powai doctor lost nearly ₹25 lakh in a share trading scam, leading to arrests of two suspects, Prashant Chaudhary and Richard Rao, by the Mumbai Cyber Cell. The doctor, who heads a private company, received a WhatsApp message on July 17 promoting stock investments with a customer care number. After joining a group, he received stock tips and personal assurances from an admin, who created a fake trading ID and password for him.

Over a few weeks, he invested ₹25 lakh, encouraged by apparent profits. When he attempted to withdraw his money, his efforts failed, and the fraudsters claimed he needed to invest more to increase his “score.” After realizing he was scammed, the doctor reported the incident, leading to an investigation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act. Investigators traced the funds to Chaudhary and Rao, who laundered money through multiple bank accounts. Police warn citizens to beware of online investment schemes promising guaranteed returns.

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Crime

Mumbai: Wadala Truck Terminal Police Register Homicide Case After Man Dies In Street Quarrel

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Mumbai: The Wadala Truck Terminal Police have registered a case of culpable homicide against a man over the death of another man.

About The Case

Abdul Hamid Shaikh, 26, a housekeeping staffer at a private firm in Sion, was found unconscious on a footpath in Pratiksha Nagar on the night of August 22 and was declared dead before admission at Sion Hospital. The case was filed on the complaint of Hamid’s mother, Munirabegum Shaikh, a resident of Kokari Agar, MHADA Chawl, Wadala. His father, Shakur, works as a mathadi. Munirabegum is employed in catering.

Hamid was to travel with his father to their native village, Vevpuram in Tamil Nadu, on August 23. On the evening of August 22, he left home around 6.30pm, saying he was going for a walk, but never returned. Around 8pm, a neighbour, Saddam Hasan Sayyed, 19, informed Munirabegum that Hamid was lying unconscious near Gulmohar Building, Pratiksha Nagar Road.

He later told police that Hamid had quarrelled with the accused, Rahul Dhadavad. During the altercation, Rahul allegedly pushed him, causing Hamid to hit the back of a parked tempo and collapse face-first on the ground.

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