Kolkata, Dec 11: West Bengal Islamic Foundation of India, the trust formed for the proposed Babri Mosque at Beldanga in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, by the now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader Humayun Kabir, has received donations to the tune of Rs 3.50 crore.

The manual counting of currencies collected as cash donations filled in 11 trunks was completed on Wednesday night, and the total amount accumulated was Rs 87 lakh, confirmed a close confidant of Kabir.

At the same time, the online donations deposited at the designated bank account of the said trust, through the scanning of the QR code, have reached Rs 2.63 crore as of Wednesday night.

It was learnt that from Sunday afternoon until night, the money from a total of four boxes was counted. A sum of Rs 37,33,000 was collected in cash. On Monday afternoon, the counting of money resumed using machines.

The counting of the remaining seven boxes was completed by Tuesday.

The total amount of donations collected from these boxes reached Rs 38,34,000. In total, Rs 75,67,523 were counted from 11 boxes and one sack.

However, the donations did not stop coming in. More money received from various places was counted on Wednesday. That amount is also close to Rs 11 lakh. In other words, so far, approximately Rs 87 lakh have been collected in cash alone.

At the same time, Humayun Kabir also arranged to deposit money online, keeping a specific QR code. It is reported that Rs 2,62,00,000 have been deposited so far in the bank account specified as the trust of Babri Masjid.

Sources close to Humayun claim that the amount of donations will increase, as almost every day someone is helping to build a mosque. Those who are giving large sums of money, their names are kept secret for now.

Humayun’s expectation of donations has exceeded expectations, said sources. The trust authority wants to quickly transfer the cash from the box to the bank account.

It was broadcast live to maintain transparency in the process of counting money.

A separate house is also being arranged to keep this money. There will be all security arrangements, including CCTV cameras, to keep an eye on the cash.

A controversy erupted over Kabir’s decision to lay the foundation stone of a Babri Masjid styled mosque in Murshidabad district’s Beldanga.

On December 4, Trinamool Congress leadership suspended Kabir from the party for anti-party activities. Despite his suspension, Kabir went ahead with his programme on December 6 and laid the foundation stone for the mosque.

Humayun said that the construction of the Babri Masjid will start in the first week of February in Beldanga. The Quran will be recited by one lakh voices a day before the construction of the mosque begins.

Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed at the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday seeking a direction to stop the construction of Babri Masjid. The matter is likely to be heard next week.

Mumbai, Dec 11: Indian stock markets opened on a volatile note on Thursday, swinging between gains and losses even as the US Federal Reserve announced a 25-basis-point rate cut on Wednesday.

The Sensex, which began the day slightly higher, soon slipped into the red and was trading at 84,312 during early trade, down 79 points or 0.09 per cent. The Nifty also erased its early gains and inched down to 25,750, lower by 8 points or 0.03 per cent.

“From a technical standpoint, Nifty holds immediate support at 25,600–25,650, while the 25,850–25,900 zone continues to act as a strong resistance that has repeatedly halted upward momentum,” analysts said.

“A decisive breakout above this resistance band will be essential to re-establish bullish traction. Conversely, a sustained move below the identified support range may extend the ongoing consolidation phase,” they added.

Infosys, Eternal, Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki, Adani Ports, HCL Tech, SBI, TCS, L&T, and Tech Mahindra were among the early gainers on the Sensex, rising up to 1.1 per cent. However, Titan, Power Grid, Bharti Airtel, NTPC, Asian Paints, ITC, Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finserv, and ICICI Bank dragged the market with mild losses.

In the broader market, the Nifty MidCap index slipped 0.17 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index dropped 0.32 per cent.

Among sectors, IT stocks led the gains, with the Nifty IT index rising 0.70 per cent. This was followed by the Nifty PSU Bank index, which was up 0.65 per cent, the Nifty Metal index up 0.4 per cent, and the Nifty Auto index up 0.12 per cent.

On the other hand, FMCG stocks came under pressure, pushing the Nifty FMCG index down by 0.26 per cent.

Analysts said that domestic markets tracked global cues cautiously as investors assessed the impact of the Fed’s latest rate cut on capital flows and economic growth.

Meanwhile, on the flows front, FIIs offloaded equities worth Rs 1,651 crore on December 10, while DIIs recorded net purchases of more than Rs 3,752 crore.

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up on Thursday to a winter chill, greeted by clear blue skies, light winds and a crisp coolness in the air. For many residents, the morning brought a refreshing break from the city’s usually warm and humid conditions. However, beneath the pleasant weather lingered a thin layer of haze, reflecting an ongoing environmental challenge that continues to plague the city, its steadily worsening air quality.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Thursday was expected to remain pleasant throughout the day, with temperatures ranging between a minimum of around 15°C and a maximum of 32°C. While these conditions offered comfort, the city’s air quality told a different story. Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 144 early morning, as recorded by AQI.in, placing it firmly in the ‘poor’ category.

This level, though slightly better than last month’s alarming figures, is still unhealthy, especially for sensitive groups. Massive government-led projects such as metro lines, bridges, coastal road stretches and large-scale road widening, coupled with a surge in private construction, continue to throw up dust and fine particulate matter into the air.

Several pockets across the city emerged as major pollution hotspots. The Wadala Truck Terminal registered a shockingly high AQI of 368, categorised as ‘severe’, indicating dangerously polluted air that can pose serious health risks even to healthy individuals.

In Deonar and Bandra, AQI levels stood at 197 and 187, respectively, both marked as ‘poor’. Other areas, including Worli (180) and Chembur (177), also recorded air quality in the poor range, reflecting how both commercial hubs and residential areas remain heavily affected.

Suburban pockets showed comparatively cleaner air, though still not ideal. Govandi (63), Kandivali East (67) and Charkop (85) fell under the ‘moderate’ category, indicating that while the air is acceptable, pollution levels remain evident. Powai (123) and Juhu (127) also landed in the moderate bracket.

For reference, AQI values between 0–50 are Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Poor, 151–200 Unhealthy, and above 200 Hazardous.