National News
Golf course has dress code, can students come in minis, asks SC in Hijab row hearing

The Supreme Court on Monday shot a volley of questions at petitioners’ counsel challenging the ban on wearing of hijab in government colleges in Karnataka, wondering whether a student’s choice of wearing minis to the classroom would be justified, and highlighted that a dress code is applicable on a golf course, restaurant, and courtroom.
A bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia said wearing hijab might be a religious practice, but the question is can one take hijab to a school where a uniform is prescribed? The bench orally observed Karnataka’s government’s order allowing college development committees to prescribe uniforms did not appear to violate the right to education.
Justice Gupta queried senior advocate Sanjay Hedge, representing one of the petitioners, if the absence of a prescription of a dress code would enable the students to wear anything to the classroom. “Can students come in minis… whatever they want when there is no prescription, would the executive power of state come in?”
“You are saying Act (Karnataka Education Act) doesn’t prescribe dress code and does not debar prescription either. Does it exclude the state then?”
“You may have a religious right…. can you take that right within an educational institution where a uniform is prescribed. You may be entitled to wear the hijab or scarf; can you carry the right within an educational institution (where a uniform has been prescribed).”
At the beginning of the hearing, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, representing one of the petitioners, submitted the case raises an important question, whether hijab is essential to Islam or not. He said hijab is worn in a large number of countries throughout the world and the case involves a constitutional question which has not been dealt with earlier.
The Karnataka government, led by Advocate General Prabhuling K. Navadgi submitted that “we have left it to the institution concerned. The government purposefully left it to the college development council.” He added that to his knowledge, at least two colleges in Udupi allowed Hijab.
Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, also representing Karnataka, submitted discipline in colleges was only the issue, but petitioners were unnecessarily expanding it and some under the guise of religious practices wanted to violate it.
Hedge tried to link wearing of hijab with modesty and dignity of girls, and added that most girls’ colleges prescribe salwar kameez and dupatta. He argued further, can one ask women not to wear a chunni on head, for example in Patiala? Can one control the modesty of a woman?
The bench said even courtrooms have a dress code, for example could a woman wear jeans to the courtroom saying it’s her choice, there is a dress code on a golf course, which is a public space, and also certain restaurants have a dress code and they do not allow people in shorts. “Can a person say I won’t follow dress code but still have access?” it asked.
Hedge said the golf course is private property. The bench replied that this is not always the case.
Hedge argued that under the rule making power of the Karnataka Education Act, the executive cannot violate the fundamental rights. The bench noted that the government is not denying the right to education, but they are saying that you have to come in uniform. The bench has scheduled the matter for further hearing on Wednesday at 2 pm.
The top court was hearing a clutch of petitions against the Karnataka High Court judgment, which upheld the right of educational institutions to ban wearing of hijab in pre-university colleges in the state.
Crime
Palghar Crime: MBVV Police Arrest 2 Bhiwandi Men For Sextortion Of Teen Girl Via Instagram Video Call

Palghar, Maharashtra: The Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Crime Branch has arrested two men from Bhiwandi for allegedly blackmailing an 18-year-old girl after recording her obscene video during a video call. The accused had extorted money from the victim and threatened to make the video viral.
According to police, the victim received a friend request on Instagram in August 2025 from a man claiming to be from Delhi and currently doing business in London. The two began chatting on WhatsApp soon after. On the night of September 6, 2025, the accused allegedly coerced the girl to undress during a video call and recorded the act.
The next day, he called her again—this time posing as an officer from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)—and threatened to leak the video online unless she paid ₹18,000. The victim, unable to arrange the full amount, transferred part of the money to a bank account provided by the accused.
Despite this, the harassment continued, with the accused calling from different numbers, demanding more money, and even sending the obscene video to her father and brother to increase pressure.
A case was registered at Naya Nagar Police Station under Sections 75(1), 77, 78(1)(ii) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 66(E) and 67(A) of the Information Technology Act.
During investigation, the Crime Branch Unit 1, Kashimira, launched a parallel probe. Technical analysis and inputs from informants revealed that the extorted money had been received in the account of Mohammad Shadab Ansari, a resident of Bhiwandi, who later transferred it to another Bhiwandi resident, Mohammad Taha Ansari.
Upon interrogation, Taha Ansari admitted to converting part of the ransom into USDT cryptocurrency and sending it to a foreign-based contact identified as Waqas Khan. Both accused were handed over to the Nayanagar Police for further legal action.
Police have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to be cautious while interacting with strangers online and to immediately report any incidents of sextortion or cyber blackmail to www.cybercrime.gov.in or the nearest police station.
Crime
Delhi HC imposes Rs 20K cost on Centre for concealing facts in Sameer Wankhede promotion case

New Delhi, Oct 17: The Delhi High Court on Friday imposed a cost of Rs 20,000 on the Union government for concealing facts in its review petition challenging a previous ruling that upheld the promotion of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and former NCB officer Sameer Dnyandev Wankhede.
Dismissing the Centre’s review plea, a Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Madhu Jain deprecated the conduct of the government and said, “We expect that the petitioner as a State would disclose all facts truthfully before filing the petition. For this, we dismiss the present review petition with a cost of Rs 20,000.”
The matter arose from a direction issued by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in December 2024, asking the Union government to open the sealed cover containing Wankhede’s promotion details. The CAT had ruled that if the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recommended his name, he should be promoted to the post of Additional Commissioner with effect from January 2021.
The Delhi High Court upheld the CAT’s order on August 28, after which the government filed a review petition claiming that departmental proceedings had been initiated against Wankhede between the reservation of judgment on July 29 and its pronouncement on August 28.
In its decision, the Justice Chawla-led Bench noted that the Centre had failed to disclose an order passed by the CAT in August 2025, which stayed the departmental proceedings against Wankhede. The Delhi High Court further observed that the CAT’s order had been issued prior to the filing of the review petition, yet the Union government chose not to bring it on record.
Wankhede came into public attention for his role in the 2021 Cordelia Cruise drug case, which also allegedly involved actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan.
Wankhede was later accused of misconduct and faced allegations of possessing a forged caste certificate. The Delhi High Court has now ordered the Centre to implement the CAT’s order and grant promotion to Wankhede, if recommended by the UPSC, within four weeks.
Crime
Saradha scam: SC rejects CBI plea challenging anticipatory bail granted to Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar

New Delhi, Oct 17: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the CBI challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order that had granted anticipatory bail to West Bengal DGP and former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran directed that the contempt of court case—regarding allegations that the state police were interfering with the CBI’s investigation in the Saradha scam—be listed after eight weeks.
In November 2019, the Supreme Court had directed the senior IPS official to respond to the CBI’s appeal challenging the anticipatory bail granted to him. Since then, the petition has remained pending before the apex court. Before this, the Calcutta High Court had granted anticipatory bail to Kumar in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, observing that custodial interrogation was “not justified” in the given circumstances.
A Bench of Justices Sahidullah Munshi and Subhasis Dasgupta noted that Kumar, who as Commissioner of Bidhannagar Police headed the SIT before the investigation was handed over to the CBI, had already appeared before the Central agency for questioning on multiple occasions.
Rejecting the CBI’s plea for custodial interrogation on the ground of alleged discrepancies in seizure timings and tampering of CDRs, the Calcutta HC held: “We, however, do not justify custodial interrogation merely on this score… in the absence of some other convincing materials. According to our considered view, such discrepancy could be appropriately decided at the time of trial.”
It observed that despite allegations of non-cooperation, Kumar had “consciously offered himself to be interrogated in the interest of ongoing investigation” and there was no “clinching material” necessitating custody. “This is not an appropriate case, when custodial interrogation would be justified,” the Calcutta HC concluded, while granting him anticipatory bail.
The case is linked to an unprecedented confrontation between the Central and West Bengal governments in January 2019, when a CBI team reached Rajeev Kumar’s official residence to question him. However, when local police detained the CBI officers, the team was forced to retreat, prompting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to launch a sit-in protest in defence of Kumar.
Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Biswajit Deb, assisted by advocates Anando Mukherjee and Shwetank Singh, represented Rajeev Kumar before the apex court.
-
Crime3 years ago
Class 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
Mumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
Mumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
False photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News1 year ago
Ministry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra11 months ago
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News1 year ago
J&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime1 year ago
Baba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report