Maharashtra
Mumbai College Sparks Outcry with Dress Code Ban On Religious Attire; Students Divided, Legal Battle Looms
Mumbai: As Acharya Marathe College in Chembur continues to prohibit naqab, hijab, and burqa on the campus, the female Muslim students who wear this customary attire are chartering varied courses.
Following the Bombay High Court (HC) order upholding the college’s right to enforce a dress code, several students, including men, have left the college for other institutes. Among those still there, some have started taking off their coverings in the classrooms, while nine others who had moved HC against the restrictions are barred from classes.
About The Controversy
The college caused controversy in May after it introduced a ‘dress code’ for all undergraduates students, requiring them to only wear ‘formal’ and ‘decent’ clothes. Specifically forbidden are religious attire including hijab, naqab, burqa, stole, and cap. The diktat was challenged as “discriminatory and infringing on religious and personal freedoms”.
After a favourable order from the court on June 26, the college started evicting from classrooms not only those donning religious attire, but also those wearing torn and printed jeans and t-shirts. While the college refuses to relent, the petitioners are considering appealing before the Supreme Court. Even as they evaluate the implications, including the considerable cost, they make it a point to come to the college daily. They go to the college, get themselves pictured in front of the gate, and return home.
“We need to show that we intend to study here,” said one of them. However, a few others are choosing other colleges to avoid loss of education, without having to compromise on religion.
Students On The Hijab Row
Nisha Ansari, a second-year BSc student, said that she has applied for a leaving certificate. “I can’t bring myself to remove my naqab and burqa. Religion is important for me and I can’t lose my identity,” she said, adding, “I just hope to find a college that would allow me to wear them.” Inayatullah Shah, a third-year BCom student, also switched colleges after being asked to remove his skullcap.”
“I usually wear kurta, pajamas, and a cap. I tried explaining to college authorities that it’s a cultural dress, not a religious one. There’s a logical fallacy in what they are saying – there’s no correlation between clothes and academics. Education is all about hard and smart work, not about what you wear,” he said.
A considerable number of students have reluctantly fallen in line. A third-year science student, who earlier wore burqa, now attends without it. The staff wouldn’t even let her cover her head with a dupatta (shawl).
“I now just sit in a corner of the classroom and keep to myself,” she said.
Meanwhile, the college has softened towards other clothing items, as it now allows students to wear ‘plain’ jeans.
“The security lets us in if we have plain jeans on, but the printed ones are still not allowed,” said Samir Choudhary, a third-year BCom student.
Crime
Mumbai: Irfan Edenwala arrested on charges of fraud and preparing fake documents, including under the Arms Act

CRIME
Mumbai; The Mumbai Police has claimed to have arrested a youth who had cheated the police and administration by producing fake licenses and clearance certificates and had obtained fake police clearance certificates on Nagaland license. At Khar Police Station, Mumbai, a person named Faiz Irfan Edenwala, aged 36, illegally renewed his arms license from Nagaland using fake police clearance certificates and illegally kept firearms on the said arms license. He has also not submitted information about the said firearms in his possession to the Mumbai Police Commissionerate. Therefore, a case has been registered against him at Khar Police Station under sections 465, 467, 471, 474 IPC as well as sections 3, 25(1) (a), 30 of the Arms Act, 1959.
The accused named Faiz Irfan was arrested in the said crime on today as the investigation revealed that he was directly involved in the crime.
The said arrested accused was produced in the 9th Court, Bandra (East), Mumbai on May 30 and the Hon’ble Court remanded the said accused in police custody till June 2. Further investigation into the said crime is underway.
Maharashtra
Eviction action against around 250 unauthorized structures in Powai’s Phuket Nagar and Malind Nagar areas

A joint eviction operation was carried out by the ‘S’ Administrative Division (Ward) and the Water Engineering Department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation on about 250 unauthorized structures on the land of the Water Engineering Department located in the Phuket Nagar and Malind Nagar areas of Powai. This operation was conducted under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner (Zone 6) Shinus Kumar Dhunde. and led by Assistant Commissioner Samiti. Samreen Sayyad was also present. The operation was taken after observing a large number of unauthorized structures on government land in the said area. This campaign is being implemented in a planned manner with the aim of clearing the concerned land from encroachments and protecting it. About 150 police personnel, around 50 engineering officers and employees of the ‘S’ Department and Water Engineers Department and 200 labourers were deployed for this operation. This operation was also carried out with the help of 7 JCBs, 10 dumpers and other small cargo vehicles. During the operation, the unauthorized structures are being removed and the area is being completely cleared. As soon as the process of removing encroachments is completed, the work of fencing the relevant area will also be started immediately and necessary security measures are being taken to prevent further encroachments. Meanwhile, the administration has clarified that action against encroachments on government and municipal-owned areas will continue regularly.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Municipal Corporation has given three months to the concerned agencies to improve the quality of facilities provided in public toilets.

The Mumbai Municipal Corporation is always ready to provide clean, safe and dignified public toilet facilities to the citizens. It has been found that these facilities are lacking in some places in North Mumbai. Therefore, the organizations operating public toilets on the ‘pay and use’ principle have been given a deadline of three months to improve the quality of the facilities. It has been warned that action will be taken against the organizations that do not improve within the stipulated period. In line with the vision of Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and MP from North Mumbai Piyush Goyal for clean, safe and citizen-friendly public toilets, a review meeting of the organizations operating ‘pay and use’ public toilets in North Mumbai was held today (30th May, 2026) at the Zone 7 office. The meeting was chaired by Ganesh Khankar, Leader of the House, Mumbai Municipal Corporation. The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Kiran Dighavkar, Deputy Commissioner (Zone 7) Manish Valenju, Corporator Siddhant Sharma, Assistant Commissioner (R South), Assistant Commissioner (R Central) Praful Tambe, officers of the Solid Waste Management and Maintenance Department as well as representatives of organizations operating various public toilets were also present.
It has been observed that there is a need for improvement in the basic amenities, cleanliness and maintenance of public toilets. Leader of the House
Ganesh Khankar expressed the view that such public toilets need to be improved immediately.
All toilet operators were directed to complete the work of replacing broken commodes, fittings and other equipment, repairing broken doors and windows, repairing damaged tiles and cladding, painting and beautification in the next three months and bring necessary improvements in the standards of cleanliness and maintenance.
In addition, it has been made mandatory to implement a citizen feedback system in all public toilets, maintain a record of cleaning every hour, conduct a deep cleaning campaign at least once a week and install an IoT-based odor monitoring system to control odor. Assistant Commissioners of the concerned departments have been directed to issue notices to all institutions and regularly review the improvement work. It was also clarified in the meeting that the contracts of institutions that do not bring the expected improvements within a period of three months will be suspended or cancelled and alternative institutions will be appointed in their place.
The Leader of the House said that this campaign is being run with the aim of improving the quality of public toilets and providing citizens with cleaner, safer, and more dignified facilities.
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