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Delhi Court reserves appeal seeking restoration of Hindu, Jain temples at Qutub Minar

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 A Delhi court on Tuesday reserved the appeal against the dismissal of a suit seeking restoration of the Hindu and Jain temples and the deities at the Qutub Minar complex.

Additional District Judge Nikhil Chopra of the Saket Court was hearing the appeal challenging the rejection of a suit alleging that the Quwwat-Ul-Islam Masjid situated within the Qutub Minar complex in Mehrauli was built in place of a temple complex.

After the detailed hearing, the court said the verdict will be delivered on June 9.

During the course of the hearing, the appellant alleged that around 27 Hindu and Jain temples were desecrated and damaged in 1198 under the rule of Mughal Emperor Qutub-Din-Aibak raising the construction of the said mosque in place of those temples.

The Archaeological Survey of India opposed the suit, submitting that the ‘fundamental rights cannot be availed in violation of any status of the land’.

“It will be contrary to the provisions of the AMASR Act, 1958 to agree to the contention of the Respondents or any other person claiming a fundamental right to worship in this centrally protected monument,” read the affidavit submitted by the ASI.

Earlier on February 22, allowing the appeal, Additional District Judge Pooja Talwar issued notice to the Union of India through the Ministry of Culture, Director General of Archaeological Survey of India, and Superintending Archaeologist, Delhi Circle, ASI.

The civil suit, filed on behalf of Jain deity Tirthankar Lord Rishabh Dev and Hindu deity Lord Vishnu (through their next of friends), was seeking restoration of the alleged temple complex, comprising as many as 27 temples.

As per the suit, the temples were dismantled, desecrated, and damaged under the command of Slave Dynasty Emperor Qutub-Din-Aibak, who raised some construction at the same very place and named it the Quwwat-Ul-Islam Mosque.

The ruler failed to completely demolish the existing temples and only partial demolition was carried out after reusing the material of the temples, the said mosque was erected, it read.

In December last year, Civil Judge Neha Sharma noted that the plaintiffs have no absolute right to restore and worship in the property as public order which is an exception under Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution. This requires the status quo be maintained and the protected monument to be used for no religious purpose. It is also an established fact that Quwwat-Ul-Islam Masjid was built atop existing temples, but the property was not being used for any religious purposes and no prayers were being offered here.

The court had observed that wrongs may have been committed in the past, “but such wrongs cannot be the basis for disturbing the peace of our present and future”.

Referring to a portion of the Ayodhya judgment, the court had said: “Cognisant as we are of our history and of the need for the nation to confront it, Independence was a watershed moment to heal the wounds of the past. Historical wrongs cannot be remedied by the people taking the law into their own hands.”

Crime

Mahim Police Arrest 37-Year-Old Man For Sexually Abusing Two Minor Boys Under Pretext Of Video Games; Case Registered Under POCSO Act

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Mumbai: The Mahim police have arrested a 37-year-old man on Thursday, for allegedly sexually abusing two minor boys, aged seven and eight, after luring them to his home under the pretext of letting them play video games.

The accused has been booked under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Police are investigating if the accused has a history of similar offenses.

The incident came to light on Wednesday evening when one of the victims informed his mother about the ordeal. The mother promptly filed a complaint with the police, leading to the swift apprehension of the accused.

According to police, the accused reportedly offered the boys money before the alleged abuse. One of the victims was admitted to Bhabha Hospital for treatment after complaining of pain to his mother. Both children are friends.

The Mahim police have registered a case under Section 64(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 4, 6, 8, and 10 of the POCSO Act. While initial checks have not revealed any prior criminal history for the accused, police are investigating if he has a history of similar offenses.

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Crime

Delhi: Three thieves arrested, six stolen phones recovered

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New Delhi, June 20: Three thieves were arrested and six stolen mobile phones were recovered along with a dummy pistol and a scooter used in multiple crimes by the Tilak Marg Police in Delhi, an official said on Friday.

The accused have been identified as Arbaz (22) of Sarai Kale Khan, Pankaj Mourya (22) of Jungpura, and Rahul Bagh (26) of Chirag Delhi.

“Six stolen mobile phones, one dummy pistol and a scooter used in the crime were recovered from the accused,” said Delhi Police in a statement.

The official said that the arrested accused had been selling stolen mobile phones on e-commerce platforms using fake Aadhaar cards and forged invoices.

The breakthrough in the case came after a complaint was filed by a Blinkit delivery boy, who reported the theft of his mobile phone, stating that it was stolen while he was delivering an order on Pandara Road.

The accused had tricked him by pretending to make an online payment before fleeing with his mobile phone. An E-FIR (No. 80056549/2025) was registered under Section 303(2) BNS at PS Tilak Marg on June 13, 2025.

A special team led by SI Kamlesh Kumar, along with HC Sanjeet Kumar, Ct. Jhabbar Mal and Ct. Ram Tyagi worked under the supervision of SHO Gurmail Singh and ACP Nageen Kaushik to crack the case.

CCTV footage from the area showed the culprits fleeing on a scooter. Order details from Blinkit and further analysis of internet logs helped police trace one suspect to Sarai Kale Khan. However, he vacated the premises a month ago.

Using technical surveillance and informants, police eventually tracked the trio to a rented house in Chhatarpur.

So far, three E-FIRs from Tilak Marg, Kalkaji, and Vasant Kunj South, and one lost report from Sunlight Colony, have been worked out with these arrests.

The official said that further investigation is underway to uncover the full extent of the racket and recover additional stolen items.

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Crime

Honeymoon murder case: Meghalaya Police question over 20 people in Indore

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Indore, June 19: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Meghalaya Police, which arrived here on Tuesday in connection with the ongoing investigation pertaining to the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, has questioned around 20 people, including Sonam and Raj Kushwaha’s family members, to date.

Apart from the family members, Meghalaya Police also visited Sonam’s brother Govind Raghuvanshi’s plywood factory and questioned employees working there, who were known to Sonam and Raj Kushwaha, key accused in the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi.

During cross-examination of arrested accused — Sonam, her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha and his three friends — the Meghalaya Police learnt that they had discussed the entire plan to execute crime at a restaurant located in Super Corridor area in Indore.

The owner of the restaurant, where Sonam and Raj Kushwaha along with others reportedly planned the murder, is also said to be ‘under suspicion’.

Speaking to media on Thursday, he said that he came to know about the sensational murder case from news reports.

“A number of customers visit my restaurant every day, so I can’t remember them. Yes, there is one corner area here (at restaurant) where people sit for hours. But we just take orders from them and serve,” restaurant owner Jai Soni said.

Asked if Meghalaya or Indore police visited his restaurant for investigation, he said: “Not yet.”

He added: “We will cooperate if they (police) would visit here. This incident has brought shame for entire Indore city. We will provide them CCTV footage.”

Meghalaya Police on Wednesday visited the Indore residence of Sonam Raghuvanshi — the prime accused in the case pertaining to the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi and questioned her family members in connection with the probe into the case.

The Meghalaya Police team had also visited Raja Raghuvanshi’s home and met his family members, including mother on Tuesday night.

During half-an-hour’s meeting, Meghalaya police asked about Sonam’s behaviour during her three-day stay in Raja’s home.

Notably, Raja and Sonam had got married on May 11 in Indore, and she lived in Raja’s home till May 13. She had returned to her parental home on June 14, and then, the couple had left for their honeymoon trip Meghalaya on May 21.

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