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Ground Zero: Conversations in Varanasi centre around the Shivling of contention

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Amid contrary claims from both Hindu and Muslim sides, the issue of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi has been a topic of discussion for the past few days.

While the Muslim side continues to deny the claims of finding a ‘Shivling’, people from the Hindu side here have been reiterating their claims over the finding.

Mahtab Ali, a resident of Varanasi, says, “this survey is nothing but politics. When we have a law, then what is the point of survey and excavation after that. Muslims here offer Namaz there and do Wuzu.”

“This is not the only mosque that has such a fountain. Many other mosques have similar ‘wuzukhana’. According to this, there is a Shivling everywhere,” he said.

A short distance away from the disputed site, restaurant owner Hari Prakash Singh said, “Customers have stopped coming to the restaurant after the survey started. The number of tourists has also come down. It looks the survey has created fear in the minds of people. Though the construction of the corridor has benefited us a lot, if Shivling has been found here, more people will come in coming days and our business will increase.”

Professor Nagendra Pandey, chairman of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, told, “As the matter has gone to the court, it will do justice. Both Hindu and Muslim sides should not create panic. They must wait for the court verdict.”

“Both sides have their own claims on the Gyanvapi mosque premises. In fact, the entire structure suggests of a temple. Symbols of flower, leaf, ‘Trishul’ can be found only in a temple and not in a mosque,” he said.

Both sides are firm on their claims. If Muslims are to be believed, then according to them what has been discovered during the survey is a fountain which is being unnecessarily claimed as Shivling.

On the other hand, Hindus are saying that it is a shivling. They have attacked Asaduddin Owaisi for saying that he will fight till doom for the mosque. “It is wrong to talk like this. He is disrespectful of the court,” a resident said.

Aamir, a shop owner near the Kashi Vishwanath temple, said, “If you want to divide two communities, then you can say anything. We believe in the court. Whatever will be the decision will be accepted, but ask them (Hindu side), will they accept?”

The Supreme Court on Friday, in its order on the Gyanvapi case, shifted the hearing to the District Court from the Civil Court.

Heavy security has been deployed at the place where Shivling was reportedly found, while Muslim devotees have been allowed to offer Namaz in the mosque.

The police are also taking care of the security arrangements outside the place where prayers are offered in the mosque. Everyone is checked and the suspects are also interrogated.

Meanwhile, the court-appointed Commission to conduct videographic survey of the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex submitted its report to the court. The report said the members saw Hindu symbols like lotus, swastika, ‘trishul’ (trident), and ‘bell shapes’ in the building.

Former court commissioner Ajay Mishra, who conducted survey on May 6 and 7, has also presented his report, in which he claimed he found Hindu religious symbols and temple debris inside the Gyanvapi mosque.

Crime

Mumbai: St Xavier’s College Receives Bomb Threat; No Explosives Found

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Mumbai: St Xavier’s College in Mahim, Mumbai, received a bomb threat on Tuesday, said the official.

According to the Mumbai police, St Xavier’s College in Mahim, Mumbai, received a bomb threat. Nothing suspicious was found by the police, and they believe this is primarily a hoax threat.

The police are taking appropriate action and investigating.

More details awaited.

This comes after a series of bomb threats earlier this week caused panic across the city.

On Wednesday, threat emails were received at multiple locations, including the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Vidhan Bhawan, and the High Court.

Police, including the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) team, are present on the scene, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the Mumbai police, threat mail has been received at BSE, Vidhan Bhawan and the High Court this morning.

“Adequate security measures have been taken and are in place. Necessary legal action is being taken at the respective police stations,” Mumbai Police said.

On March 8, a hospital in Mumbai received a bomb threat via email, claiming that an “LED blast” would be carried out on the premises.

The email sparked significant panic among patients and staff.

In response, the Mumbai Police’s Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) conducted a thorough inspection of the hospital.

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Crime

Mumbai Shocker: Husband Pushes Wife To Death In Front Of Running Local Train At Mulund Station; Arrested

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Mumbai: A 42-year-old man, who was captured on CCTV, while pushing his wife before a running local train owing to marital discord, has been arrested in Surat. The accused, Rajukumar Gupta, an electrician, went absconding with his younger son after pushing Pushpa, 36, to her death on the morning of March 14. Hours before the incident, the victim had even lodged a police complaint.

According to victim’s brother Kamlesh Kumar Gupta, 30, who is a soldier, the couple had frequent quarrels and hence he had come to take his sister and his elder nephew, 15, back to their UP native. In his complaint to the Kurla GRP, Kamlesh, who lives in UP, said that on March 14, when they were set to go to UP, Rajukumar and Pushpa again had an argument, prompting the latter to approach the police. Kamlesh said that subsequently, he, Pushpa and her 15-year-old son reached the Mulund station.

However, he realised that he had forgotten his Army ID card at Rajukumar’s house. Hence, he along with his nephew went back, however, an enraged Rajukumar locked the duo inside the house. The accused then arrived at the Mulund station, where he saw his wife standing on platform 1. He pushed her in front of a running local train and fled, said the FIR.

Commuters alerted the station master, following which the railway authorities rushed Pushpa to a government hospital, where she was declared dead. Kamlesh said that he somehow managed to alert neighbours, who helped open the door.

Police said the CCTV footage from the station has captured the incident. Based on the complaint, the Kurla GRP has registered an FIR against Rajukumar under section 103 (punishment for murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

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Crime

Mira Bhayandar Hospital Shocker: 89-Year-Old Patient On Ventilator Bitten By Rat, Sparking Outrage Over Safety Lapses

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Mira Bhayandar: A shocking and infuriating incident has come to light at the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Hospital in Mira Bhayandar, where an elderly woman in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was reportedly bitten by a rat. The incident has raised serious questions regarding the lack of hygiene and security within the hospital’s most critical department.

The victim, 89-year-old Suhasini Mathekar, was admitted to the hospital on March 12 following health complaints. Due to her critical condition, she was placed on a ventilator in the ICU located on the fourth floor of the facility.

On the morning of March 13, family members visiting the ICU were horrified to discover that a rat had bitten the elderly woman’s hand. According to the family, the rodent scurried away only after they intervened.

The victim’s family has leveled serious allegations against the hospital staff. They have questioned how the doctors and nurses on night duty failed to notice the presence of a rat or the distress of a patient in such a sensitive environment.

“It is shocking that such an incident could occur in a supposedly sterile and highly monitored zone like the ICU,” a family member stated. Public outrage is mounting over the perceived administrative apathy, with many calling for a high-level inquiry into the hospital’s management.

The presence of rodents in an ICU points to a complete breakdown of sanitation and safety protocols. Such lapses not only affect individual patients but also pose a significant infection risk to everyone in the ward.

The family has officially demanded A thorough investigation into the conduct of the staff on duty. An immediate audit of the hospital’s cleanliness and pest control measures. And Strict action against those responsible for the lapse to ensure such a traumatic event never recurs.

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