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Hijab ruling will have effect on constitutional morality, individual dignity, AG to HC

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5 years ago

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Karnataka Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi on Tuesday told the High Court that the judicial decision on hijab will have binding on “constitutional morality” and “individual dignity”.

“When we impose, the element of choice of dress goes away. The woman will be obligated to wear that dress. It becomes compulsory,” he said in his concluding remarks before a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, hearing the hijab row.

“Women cannot be subjugated to any form of dress code and she can’t be made to feel less equal and children of a lesser god. Judicial declaration of every woman of a particular religion to wear hijab, would it not violate the dignity? If it is a compulsion of an attire, it is impermissible on this day.

“We propose no ban on hijab, it should be left to the choice of the woman. Right to privacy cannot be enshrined in public. Institutional discipline is paramount. Dignity of women must also be kept in mind in a plural society,” Navadagi said.

He also quoted a Bollywood song: “Na muh chupake jiyo, na sar jhuka ke jiyo, gamon ka daur bi aaye toh muskura ke jiyo”.

He argued that it is entirely on the petitioner to prove that the practice of hijab is obligatory in nature and compulsorily followed in Islam. However, they have placed 144 Surahs of Quran to the court’s query and there is no record on table to show that the custom is obligatory and it is an element of compulsion which compels a member to be expelled from the community, he added.

“Wearing of dress is freedom of speech, as argued by the petitioners as their fundamental right under Article 19 (1) (a). However, Article 19 (1) (a) is subject to public order, decency under Article 19 (2). In the present case, the uniform rule is subjected to institutional restriction and it is subjected to institutional discipline not only in schools but also in hospitals, military establishments and others,” the AG submitted.

“The rule imposes reasonable restrictions on wearing a headscarf,” he said, adding that a uniform is being prescribed till Pre-University as they have “an impregnable mindset”.

“There is no restriction on campus to wear a hijab. Only during class hours, in the classrooms, it has been not allowed and anything beyond uniforms, irrespective of any religion, is not allowed,” he said.

As Navadgi mentioned the total ban on hijab by France and Turkey in public spaces, Justice Krishna S. Dixit, who is also on the bench, intervened and stated that it depends on the constitutional policy of every country. He then said that he only wanted to bring out that there is no prohibition as such in our country.

Reiterating that hijab is not an essential practice of Islam and can’t come under the Constitution’s Article 25. (Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion) he sought to bring to the notice of the court that how this has been upheld by various High Courts and Supreme Court judgments.

Giving clear indications of an early verdict on hijab row, the bench had directed counsel to complete their arguments by this week.

Chief Justice Awasthi asked the Advocate General to complete his submissions at the earliest, and he said that he would complete his arguments on Tuesday.

CJ Awasthi informed all counsel that the bench wants to complete the hearing on the case by this weekend and directed them to keep the arguments brief. “Make positive endeavors to complete within this week only,” he said.

Senior advocate R. Venkataramani, appearing for teachers who have been made respondents in the case, maintained that there are no hierarchies of religions between teachers and students. “School environment is more important than a public place. There should be a free mind among students and all minds of children should be in unity for education,” he said.

“Whatever may be the assertion, if the state is in collision with public order, morality and health, it will stop. The state comes in through Article 25 (2) in the matters of religion and finance, when it comes to regulation. There is public space and qualified public space. School is a qualified public space,” he added.

Referring to the verdict of the South African court allowing the wearing of ‘nose ring’ to school there, he stated that the court did not make an emphatic statement of religion in the judgment. “Borrowing from foreign judgments could be problematic here, though we cannot close our eyes on them,” he held.

Senior advocate S.S. Nagananda, who also appeared for teachers, maintained that there is a fine line of distinction as far as culture and religion are concerned. “It is not possible for Muslims to give five time prayers, similarly, it is not possible for a Brahmin to perform Sandhyavandana three times. This practice of wearing hijab is not an essential religious practice. There are some practices, which are required to perform otherwise, they will have consequences,” he said.

Hearing will continue om Wednesday.

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Crime

Property dealer shot dead outside gym in Delhi Narela

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19 hours ago

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September 3, 2026

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New Delhi, Sep 3: A property dealer was shot dead by three unidentified assailants outside a gym in north Delhi Narela on Thursday morning, officials said.

Police have said that they suspect the killing may be linked to an extortion attempt.

According to officials, the deceased has been identified as Pramod Dahiya, a resident of Haryana’s Sonipat district.

The incident took place at around 7 a.m. when the attackers allegedly arrived on a scooter, opened fire at Dahiya and fled the spot after the shooting, officials said.

They added that the murder seems to be connected to an extortion-related attempt.

Police teams have begun investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and are examining CCTV camera footage from the area to identify the assailants and establish the exact sequence of events.

The body of the deceased has been sent for post-mortem examination. Police are currently investigating the case, while further details are awaited.

The Narela killing comes against the backdrop of a similar high-profile murder involving Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Baliyan, who was shot dead outside a gym in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, on August 26.

Baliyan was attacked outside the gym by armed assailants, and investigators suspect that his murder was connected to a gang rivalry allegedly triggered by one of his songs. The case subsequently led to a major investigation by the Uttar Pradesh Police and Special Task Force.

According to the investigation, the Gogi gang is suspected to have orchestrated the killing of Baliyan.

On August 31, the Uttar Pradesh STF, along with the local police, shot dead two accused, identified as Sumit and Mohit, during an encounter. Both the suspected shooters were residents of Sonipat in Haryana and had previous criminal records.

Following the encounter, the Shamli Police announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of the two remaining suspected shooters, identified as Satyam Kadyan and Aryan Sandhu.

The two accused are currently absconding, and efforts are underway to trace them.

The investigation into the Baliyan murder has also brought the name of Rakesh alias Pappu to the fore. He is suspected of being the mastermind behind the conspiracy and is currently lodged in Karnal Jail in Haryana.

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Crime

YouTuber Santosh Pandit arrested over obscene posts on Maha Minister Chandrakant Patil

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19 hours ago

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September 3, 2026

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Pune, Sep 3: Social media influencer Santosh Pandit was arrested from his residence in Pune during the early hours of Thursday in connection with a case of posting obscene and sexually suggestive content targeting Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil and Pune Municipal Corporation corporator Mitali Kuldeep Salvekar.

Pune Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3), Sagar Kawade, told media that a case has been registered by Kothrud police against Pandit and he has been arrested in connection with the case.

The case was registered at around 1.28 a.m. on Thursday on a complaint filed by Sarika Ram Kamble, 36, a resident of Kothrud.

According to the complaint, Pandit allegedly uploaded objectionable posts and videos on his YouTube account, ‘@SantoshPandit6278’, targeting Chandrakant Patil and Mitali Salvekar.

One of the videos allegedly contained a remark that if Chandrakant Patil and Salvekar did not answer certain questions within two days, he would “parade” them. The complainant said the video had been viewed by around 4.53 lakh people.

In another video, Pandit allegedly used an obscene and sexually suggestive remark while referring to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. According to the complaint, the post and video had received more than 12 lakh views.

The complainant further alleged that Pandit had circulated several posts and videos targeting Chandrakant Patil, using obscene language and gestures and making defamatory allegations against the minister.

The complaint also alleged that such content was circulated with the intention of attracting publicity, causing insult and creating misunderstanding and tension among people.

Kothrud police have registered the case under Sections 75(1)(iv), 75(3), 356(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

This is the second case registered against Pandit over alleged objectionable remarks concerning Chandrakant Dada Patil. An earlier case was registered at Deccan police station in connection with alleged offensive remarks against the minister.

Police have taken Pandit into custody, and further investigation is underway.

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Crime

SSB nabs man with 952 grams brown sugar near India-Nepal border

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2 days ago

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September 2, 2026

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Kolkata, Sep 2: The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) conducted a raid at a house near the India-Nepal border in the early hours of Wednesday and seized 952 grams of suspected brown sugar. The value of the narcotics could be more than Rs 40 lakh in the illicit market, officials said.

One person has been taken into custody in this connection.

“Around 5 a.m. on September 2, acting on specific information received from the intelligence setup of 41 Bn SSB, a joint operation was conducted by personnel of G Company, Bhatgaon, A Company, Nimuguri, and a team from Galgalia Police Station at the residence of Md Jalal (60), at Thika Toli, Galgalia, Kishanganj, Bihar. During the operation, 952 gms of suspected brown sugar was recovered in five packets from the house, with the help of a sniffer dog. A mobile detection kit verified it to be narcotics. A keypad mobile phone was also recovered from the accused,” a senior SSB official said.

During interrogation, Jalal allegedly disclosed that his son-in-law, named Md Shamshad Alam, is involved in the dealing of narcotics and the packets belonged to him. The police verified the facts and confirmed that Alam is a history sheeter and has been involved in several narcotics smuggling cases.

The seized packets, along with the accused and the phone, have been handed over to the Galgalia Police Station.

On August 30, a joint team of the SSB and police had apprehended a woman from Galgalia with 50 grams of brown sugar. She had revealed that her husband and son are involved in the drug trade.

Drug trafficking is rampant in the area close to the India-Nepal border. Criminals take advantage of the boundary between Bihar and West Bengal and the international border to carry out their nefarious activities, authorities said.

“Once they cross over into West Bengal, the Bihar Police have no jurisdiction and vice versa. The police have no jurisdiction close to the border, while the SSB can’t operate too far inside. The criminals are aware of this and take advantage,” another official said.

The unique nature of the border between India and Nepal also poses a problem for the enforcers. Citizens of both countries require no passports or visas to move across, and not everybody can be searched without a valid reason.

Cross-border trafficking of drugs also takes place. In the past, Indians have been apprehended in Nepal with drugs, while citizens of that country have been found in possession in India. The heavy tourist footfall in Nepal and the demand for banned substances is also an issue.

Officials suspect that several gangs operate in the area. Over time, better co-ordination has evolved between the various agencies, and there is regular information sharing. Intelligence networks have also been activated for information about criminals.

“Apart from maintaining vigil along the border, we co-ordinate with central and state agencies to prevent crime in the area. Locals are also regularly told to seek out help to keep the area crime-free for their own sake,” the SSB official added.

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