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BREAKING | ‘Let Girls Follow What They Want,’ Supreme Court Stays Hijab Ban In Mumbai College

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The Supreme Court of India has issued an interim order staying the hijab ban imposed by NG Acharya & DK Marathe College in Mumbai. The ruling came during a hearing of a petition filed by the college’s students challenging the ban on wearing hijabs, caps, and badges on campus.

“Don’t Impose Such a Rule”: SC Bench Expresses Surprise

As reported by Live Law, a bench consisting of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar expressed surprise at the college’s restriction, with Justice Khanna questioning why it had not extended the ban to other markers of religion, such as tilak and bindi, if the intention was to enforce a uniform dress code.

“Can you say someone wearing a tilak will not be allowed? This is not part of your instructions?” Justice Kumar asked, as per Live Law.

“What is this? Don’t impose such a rule… what is this? Don’t reveal religion?” he further asked.

He further probed the college’s rationale, asking, “Will their names not reveal religion? Will you ask them to be identified by numbers?” He emphasised the importance of allowing students to study together without such divisive regulations.

College’s Autonomy vs. Students’ Rights

Senior Advocate Madhavi Divan, representing the college, argued that as a private institution, the college had the autonomy to enforce its dress code. However, Justice Kumar challenged this by pointing out that the college had operated since 2008 without such restrictions, questioning the timing and necessity of the new rules.

SC Stays Ban, Allows Hijabs, Caps, and Badges

The Supreme Court agreed that face-covering veils, such as nakabs or burkhas, could be a barrier to classroom interaction and upheld the prohibition on such attire. However, it stayed the broader ban on hijabs, caps, and badges, allowing students to wear them on campus until further notice.

Background: Bombay High Court’s Verdict

The controversy began on May 1, when NG Acharya & DK Marathe College issued a notice on its official WhatsApp group, outlining a dress code that banned the wearing of hijab, niqab, burqa, caps, badges, and stoles on the college premises. The students, who were affected by this directive, initially approached the college management and the principal, requesting the withdrawal of the restrictions on hijab, niqab, and burqa. They cited their right to choice, dignity, and privacy in the classroom as the reason for their request.

However, when their requests were ignored, the students escalated the matter to the higher authorities, including the chancellor and vice-chancellor of Mumbai University, as well as the University Grants Commission. They sought intervention to ensure that education was imparted without discrimination. Despite their efforts, they received no response, leading them to file a petition in the Bombay High Court.

In the high court, the petitioners’ advocate, Altaf Khan, presented verses from the Quran to argue that wearing a hijab was an essential part of Islam. The plea stated that the college’s action was “arbitrary, unreasonable, bad-in-law, and perverse.” On the other hand, the college management defended the ban as a measure to enforce a uniform dress code and maintain discipline, denying any intent to discriminate against the Muslim community. Senior counsel Anil Anturkar, representing the college, argued that the dress code applied to students of all religions and castes.

Maharashtra

Attention Mumbaikars! Central Railway To Operate Mega Block Between Thane And Kalyan On Sunday, Sept 14 For Essential Maintenance

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Central Railway, Mumbai Division will operate Mega Block on its Main line suburban sections, on 5th and 6th line between Thane and Kalyan stations for carrying out various engineering and maintenance works on Sunday, 14.09.2025.

Block on 5th & 6th lines between Thane and Kalyan stations from 09.00 hrs to 13.00 hrs.

Following UP Mail/Express trains will be diverted on UP Fast line between Kalyan and Thane stations and will arrive destination 10 to 15 minutes late..

11010 Pune-CSMT Sinhagad Express

17611 Hazur Sahib Nanded-CSMT Rajyarani Express

12124 Pune-CSMT Deccan Queen

12134 Mangaluru Jn-CSMT Express

13201 Patna-LTT Express

17221 Kakinada-LTT Express

12126 Pune-CSMT Pragati Express

12140 Nagpur-CSMT Sevagram Express

22160 Chennai-CSMT Express

22226 Solapur-CSMT Vande Bharat Express

12168 Banaras-LTT Express

12321 Howrah-CSMT Express

12812 Hatia-LTT Express

11014 Coimbatore-LTT Express

Following DOWN Mail/Express trains will be diverted on DOWN fast line between Thane and Kalyan and will be handed over 10 to 15 mins late.

11029 CSMT-Kolhapur Koyna Express

11055 LTT-Gorakhpur Godan Express

11061 LTT-Jaynagar Express

16345 LTT-Thiruvanathapuram Netravati Express

61003 Vasai Road-Diva MEMU departing Vasai Road at 09.50 hrs will be short terminated at Kopar

61004 Diva – Vasai Road MEMU will short originate from Kopar and will depart Kopar at at 11.45 hrs.

There will be no Mega Block on Harbour & Trans-Harbour line (except Traffic block on Kurla-Tilaknagar section)

These maintenance mega blocks are essential for infrastructure upkeep and safety. Passengers are requested to bear with the Railway Administration for the inconvenience caused.

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Maharashtra

Demand to cancel Bhiwandi Road footpath expansion project will only benefit builder lobby: Azmi alleges

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Mumbai Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has demanded from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to stop the demolition of religious places, houses and projects in the name of road and footpath expansion in Bhiwandi and protect religious places, temples, mosques and houses. Earlier, the government and MMRDA had spent an additional Rs 1700 crore on projects to protect the victims of the metro project. Abu Asim Azmi demanded from Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde that in the new development project of Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation, a proposal has been made to widen the road by 6-6 meters from Rajiv Gandhi Chowk to Tim Ghar Marg, which is expected to make thousands of people homeless and unemployed, and temples and mosques will also be affected by this project, so this project should be canceled immediately. Azmi alleged that this project is causing a lot of hardship to the people and also endangering the existence of many religious places, so this project and plan should be stopped and a new plan should be prepared. Azmi said that this project and the expansion of roads and footpaths will only benefit the builder lobby, so the government should consider it so that the citizens of Bhiwandi get justice.

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Maharashtra

Thane: 22-Year-Old Woman Assaults Employer At His Store Over Harassment; Probe Underway

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Thane: A 22-year-old woman allegedly harassed by her employer thrashed him at his store in Maharashtra’s Thane district, prompting the police to intervene in the matter, police said on Saturday.

The police are probing the incident that occurred in the Kalyan East area on Thursday evening, but no case has been registered, an official said.

In a video that surfaced on social media, the woman can be seen thrashing the 55-year-old shopkeeper with a slipper at his clothing store.

The woman has alleged that her employer harassed her by sending obscene text messages on her mobile phone.

According to eyewitnesses, the woman, accompanied by her mother, reached the shop on Thursday afternoon and confronted her employer about the obscene messages and continued harassment and demanded an apology.

A crowd gathered around the shop, and the woman assaulted him.

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