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Maharashtra

Mumbai To Host 33rd International Sunni Ijtema At Azad Maidan From Dec 12–14

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Preparations are underway for the 33rd annual international Sunni Ijtema, scheduled from December 12 to 14, 2025, at Azad Maidan, Mumbai. Considered the largest Sunni religious congregation in India, the event is organised by Sunni Dawate Islami (SDI), a global non-political organisation active in religious, charitable, and educational initiatives.

This year’s Ijtema coincides with 1,500 years of Islam, marked by the central theme “Celebrating 1500 Years of Guidance & Mercy brought by the Messenger of Mercy.”

The event has historically attracted hundreds of thousands of participants, including women, youth, and international scholars who address contemporary issues through an Islamic lens. This year’s discussions include artificial intelligence, digital finance, and modern trade ethics.

The Ijtema opens Friday evening with programmes exclusively for women. Key topics include.

Women as Seekers of Knowledge

Women’s Right to Inheritance

Character and Modesty as the True Ornament of a Muslim Woman

Lessons from the Marital Life of the Prophet

Scholars will also explain Islamic provisions on Khula, a wife’s right to initiate divorce by returning the dower or mutually agreed compensation. The session will highlight that Islamic teachings on knowledge are not gender-specific, with examples such as:

Hazrat Aisha, a revered scholar and instructor to many sahaba

Fatima Al-Fihri, founder of the University of Al-Qarawiyyin, considered one of the world’s oldest universities

Other sessions will address women’s rights to financial maintenance, choosing a spouse, and the pivotal role of education in shaping society. Over 1,00,000 women are expected to attend.

The second and third days are dedicated to men. Themes for the two days include:

Pleasing Allah by Serving Creation

The Spiritual Life of the Prophet

Religious Information and Artificial Intelligence

New Age Issues, Digital Finance, Family and Trade — a Q&A with Mufti Nizamuddin

Moral and Spiritual Development of Youth: From Distraction to Discipline

As every year, career guidance and higher education counselling will be conducted by Team SDI Ummeed. A mass prayer for global peace and prosperity will conclude the event. More than 2,00,000 men are expected to participate.

Renowned International Scholars to Address the Gathering

Allama Shakir Ali Noorie (Founder, SDI)

Allama Qamruzzaman Khan Azmi

Allama Qari Zahiruddin Khan

Mufti Nizamuddin Razavi

Sayyed Khalid Al-Gilani

Sayyed Moin Ashraf

Sayyed Aminul Qadri

Maulana Yunus Misbahi

Qari Rizwan Khan

Dr Waqaruzzama Azmi

Maulana Arif Patel

Al-Haj Sadiq Razavi

SDI president Hazrat Allama Shakir Ali Noorie and chief mentor Hazrat Allama Qamruzzaman Khan Azmi continue to be featured in the “500 Most Influential Muslims” list published annually by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, Amman, Jordan.

A dedicated box for clarity:

Facilities

Large number of ablution areas (Wudu Khana)

Ample restroom facilities

60+ CCTV cameras across the ground

2,000 female volunteers for women’s day

1,000+ male volunteers for Day 2 and Day 3

Police have advised attendees:

Not to carry handy cameras, laptops, wires, batteries, matchboxes, lighters, nail cutters, or other battery-operated electronic devices

No vehicle parking motorcycles or any other vehicles will be permitted around Azad Maidan

Maharashtra

Mumbai: Drug party at Hotel Lalit International, police investigation launched, no objectionable items recovered, investigation ordered

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Mumbai: Police has started an inquiry after a video of a drugs party at Hotel Lalit International under the limits of Mumbai’s Sahar police station went viral. In the initial investigation, the police did not find any intoxicating substances or drugs during the search. The complainant had called the police control room three times. The police searched the Kitty Saw Club all three times, but no objectionable items were found from here. However, an inquiry into the matter is ongoing.

The complainant has made a video viral from outside and inside the club, in which it is stated that drugs are sold to youths in this club, but no drugs of any kind were found in the police operation. In the video, a youth is also shown running away during the search, while he was also searched, but no drugs of any kind were recovered. DCP Manish Kalwaniya has ordered an inquiry in this regard. The police are finding out whether the allegations made in the video are true or not. Along with this, the complainant has also entered the club several times and an investigation has also been started regarding the activities he has done here. However, no evidence of a drug party in the Cutty Sow Club in Hotel The Lalit has been found. The police are also examining the video footage and other documents. No case has been registered in this matter so far, but the police are conducting an inquiry.

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Crime

Nasrapur Rape & Murder: Pune Police Clarify Lathi Charge During Protest Near Navale Bridge

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Pune: Police on Sunday issued a clarification over the use of force during a protest linked to the Nasrapur assault case, where a four-year-old was raped and murdered. Officials said a “mild lathi-charge” was carried out to disperse a crowd after a key highway remained blocked for hours, causing severe disruption.

The protest took place on Saturday evening at the Navale Bridge on the Katraj Dehu-Road bypass section of Mumbai–Bengaluru National Highway. According to police, the road remained blocked for nearly four hours, leading to a massive traffic jam stretching up to 15 kilometres on both sides. Thousands of commuters, including women and children, were stranded. Ambulances were also caught in the congestion.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3) Sambhaji Kadam said the police had been in constant touch with the victim’s family throughout the day. The family had been given a written assurance by the administration and wanted to end the protest, as they were exhausted.

Senior officials, including Pune City Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar, spoke to protesters multiple times. However, some individuals refused to withdraw and continued blocking the road. Police said the victim’s family was safely escorted from the site, and the girl’s body was later transported in an ambulance under police protection for the last rites.

Despite repeated appeals, a section of protesters remained adamant. Police then used mild force to clear the road and restore traffic movement. Officials stressed that the action was taken with restraint and only after prolonged efforts to resolve the situation peacefully.

A video showing the lathi-charge had circulated widely on social media, prompting criticism and raising questions over police action. In response, authorities released a detailed statement explaining the sequence of events.

Police also said the Nasrapur case is highly sensitive and is being investigated by the Pune Rural Police Force. They assured us that efforts are being made to ensure strict punishment for the accused. The victim’s family has been kept informed during the investigation.

The police appealed to citizens to remain calm and trust the legal process. They said maintaining law and order, while ensuring justice for the victim, remains their priority.

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Crime

Elderly Woman Murdered in Bandra; Accused Arrested Within 24 Hours

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Mumbai: In a shocking incident, a 78-year-old woman was brutally murdered in Bandra East, and the Kherwadi police solved the case within 24 hours, arresting the accused from Thane. The victim, identified as Saubhagyamma Kathimyunar, a resident of Dharavi, was found unconscious on a footpath near an RNA building in Bandra East on April 27.

She was rushed to Sion Hospital, where doctors declared her dead before admission. Initially, the case was registered as an accidental death.

However, the post-mortem report revealed that the woman had been strangled and assaulted with a blunt object, prompting police to register a murder case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). 

During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage and tracked a suspect seen near the crime scene. The accused, identified as Bhanudas Vitthal Kamble (44), was later arrested from Thane. According to police, the incident occurred on the night of April 26.

The accused had come to Bandra for a function and was urinating on the roadside when the elderly woman objected and abused him. Enraged, he picked up a brick and hit her on the head. When she continued shouting, he strangled her, killing her on the spot. 

The accused later fled the scene but was traced using CCTV footage and local intelligence inputs. He has confessed to the crime and is currently in police custody. 

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