Connect with us
Sunday,06-April-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Is there a bar on celebrating Tipu Sultan’s birthday: Bombay HC asks Maha govt

Published

on

Mumbai, Dec 12: The Bombay High Court on Thursday pointedly asked the Maharashtra government if there was any restriction on celebrating the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan of Mysuru in Karnataka.

The query came during a hearing of a plea filed All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Pune President Faiyaz Shaikh who was refused permission to carry out a procession to commemorate the birth anniversaries of Tipu Sultan, and Bharat Ratna Maulana Abul Kalam Azad last month along with the Constitution Day celebrations, at Baramati in Pune district.

However, the Pune Rural Police declined permission for the events, particularly Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary, directing Shaikh not to celebrate it publicly but to choose a private place for his rally.

The police argument was that it had received representations from another community apprehending law-and-order problems if the AIMIM rally was given the go-ahead.

On this, a division bench comprising Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Shivkumar Dige asked the Additional Public Prosecutor Kranti Hivrale, who responded in the negative but reiterated that if such a rally was allowed it could lead to a law-and-order scenario.

The judges noted that while law-and-order is the police jurisdiction, but said that if the rally could not be allowed in a particular area on the grounds of security, the organizers could have been asked to change the route, and if they flouted the rules they could face police action.

When APP Hivrale sought time on this, the judges directed Pune (Rural) Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh to remain present virtually, and he clarified that the objection was only pertaining to the rally for marking Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary.

At this, the court pointed out that the permission sought was not solely for Tipu Sultan’s birthday commemoration but also for the Constitution Day and Bharat Ratna Maulana Azad’s birth anniversary.

“You decide the route for them, but you can’t ask them to celebrate it at their own place… there’s no reason why they can’t be allowed to take out the procession,” said Justice Mohite-Dere.

She made it clear that law-and-order cannot be the ground for denial of permission, but if the organisers used objectionable language or committed any offence, then the police are free to act against them.

The court has now posted the matter for further hearing on December 17 to enable the petitioner Shaikh personally meet Deshmukh and finalise the details of where and how the commemoration rally can be taken out.

Maharashtra

Thief who came from Mumbai and committed several thefts arrested

Published

on

Mumbai: Police have claimed to have arrested a thief who committed theft in the limits of Milind police station, against whom several cases of theft and burglary are registered in Mumbai. Mumbai Zone 7 DCP Vijay Kant Sagare, while addressing a press conference here, said that the accused came to Mumbai by flight with the intention of stealing and broke into several 5 houses.

Theft cases are registered against him in Nehru Nagar, Milind, Alwaye, Navi Mumbai. One and a half lakh silver ornaments weighing two kg, totaling Rs 15 lakh have been seized. Cases of stalking are also registered against the criminal Rajesh in Dombivali, Vishnu Nagar, Vishai, Vitthalwadi, Manpara, Pan police stations.

The accused told that he came to Mumbai from Varanasi by plane on March 13, 2025 and robbed five houses in 15 days.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Struggle Against Land Mafia in Waqf Properties: New Amended Bill Adds to the Challenges

Published

on

New Delhi : In the ongoing battle to protect Waqf properties and ensure their benefits reach the deserving, land mafias, encroachers, and illegal groups were already a major hurdle. Now, the government’s newly amended bill has emerged as another significant challenge. Advocate Dr. Syed Ejaz Abbas Naqvi has strongly criticized this move and demanded immediate reforms. He stated that the primary objective of Waqf was to benefit the needy, but unfortunately, this objective has completely failed. On the other hand, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the largest Sikh religious organization, has been actively involved in the welfare of its community for decades. As a result, the Sikh community has nearly eradicated beggars and human rickshaw pullers.

Illegal Encroachments and Misuse of Waqf Lands Exposed :
According to Dr. Naqvi, Waqf properties have suffered the most due to unlawful encroachments by vested interest groups. The most unfortunate fact is that many Waqf lands were originally donated for the shrines (Dargahs) of Syed families, but they have been grossly misused. He revealed that a well-known individual shamelessly sold an acre of prime Waqf land on Mumbai’s Altamount Road for just 1.6 million rupees, a blatant violation of Waqf principles and laws.

Demand for a Stricter Amendment in Section 52 :
Dr. Naqvi has called on the government to take strict action against those who illegally sell Waqf properties. He has urged for an immediate amendment to Section 52 of the Waqf Act to introduce

capital punishment or life imprisonment* for unauthorized Waqf land sellers. This issue is a major setback for those fighting to safeguard Waqf properties, who are already battling corrupt elements and illegal land grabbers. It remains to be seen whether the government takes these concerns seriously and enacts effective legislation to protect Waqf lands.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Mumbai Cleanup Marshal and Swachh Mumbai campaign ended, fine collection from citizens also stopped, BMC helpline number released

Published

on

Mumbai: Mumbai BMC has abolished the clean-up marshal policy, after which now the clean-up marshal has disappeared from the streets of the city. The Municipal Corporation has completely banned the clean-up marshal and the Swachh Mumbai Mission has been stopped. This means that now no clean-up marshal will be able to force citizens to pay fines or take any other punitive action. After complaints against clean-up marshals, Mumbai BMC has decided to stop and suspend the service of clean-up marshals from today.

The Solid Waste Management Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation, under the Department of Garbage and Sanitation, oversees public cleanliness in Mumbai and the ‘Swachh Mumbai Mission’ has been closed from April 4, 2025. However, the Municipal Corporation administration has appealed to the citizens that if any fine has been imposed on them despite this, then they can complain about it. Complaints regarding cleanup marshals can be made to the divisional control room of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation at 022-23855128 and 022-23877691 (extension number 549/500).

Continue Reading

Trending