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Places of Worship Act put to test as Gyanvapi mosque case goes to Supreme Court

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The three-page legislation — The Places of Worship Act, 1991 — is at the centre of the row over videographic survey carried out at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, where a Shivling was purportedly discovered.

The law has been invoked by the Committee of Management, Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Varanasi, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, before the Supreme Court, saying mischievous attempts were being made to change the character of the mosque, which existed for 500 years.

In the Ayodhya judgment, the Supreme Court had said that the Act is intrinsically related to the obligations of a secular state and it reflects the commitment of India to equality of all religions.

However, in the Gyanvapi mosque matter, the Act will be put to legal scrutiny and face a test, in view of the ethos of secularism.

A bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and P.S. Narasimha observed that the survey of a structure to ascertain its religious nature is not barred under the Act.

The committee moved the top court under Order 7, Rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code against the maintainability of the suit, filed by five Hindu women seeking enforcement of their right to worship Goddess Shringar Gauri and other deities inside the mosque.

The masjid committee has also questioned the appointment of a commissioner for the video survey of the mosque, as it was barred under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, and pointed at the fallout of entertaining a suit in gross violation of the provisions of the 1991 Act.

The counsel representing the masjid committee argued in the apex court that similar mischief is being attempted in connection with four-five other mosques and objected to the trial court order to protect an area which had been used for the last 500 years by Muslims as ‘wuzu khana’ (ablution pond).

The Places of Worship Act, 1991 had its own share of controversies. The then Union Home Minister, S.B. Chavan, while moving the Bill in the Lok Sabha had said that it is a measure to provide and develop our glorious traditions of love, peace and harmony.

However, the BJP, then main Opposition party, had opposed the Bill tooth and nail, and termed it as another attempt by the Congress government to appease the minorities.

The Central government notified the Act to forestall fresh claims by any community about the previous designation of any religious place of worship and also subsequent attempts to regain land, on which they stood.

The Places of Worship Act, 1991 begins by saying, “An Act to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on the 15th day of August, 1947, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.”

Section 4 of the Act says, “It is hereby declared that the religious character of a place of worship existing on the 15th day of August, 1947 shall continue to be the same as it existed on that day.”

The Section 4(2) of the Act says any suit, appeal or other proceeding with respect to the conversion of the religious character of any place of worship, existing on August 15, 1947, is pending before any court, tribunal or other authority, the same should abate, and no fresh suit or legal proceedings would be instituted.

And, the proviso to this section clarifies that only those litigations are allowed, where conversion has taken place in the religious character after August 15, 1947. The offence under the Act is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and also a monetary penalty.

According to the Act, if a person attempts to convert any place of worship, or is part of a conspiracy, she/he can face a jail term.

The Act has put the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute outside its domain of operation. However, the Supreme Court in its Ayodhya judgment cited its importance. In November 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Hindu side paving the way for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The apex court had then said The Places of Worship Act is intrinsically related to the obligations of a secular state and it reflects the commitment of India to the equality of all religions.

“Above all, The Places of Worship Act is an affirmation of the solemn duty which was cast upon the state to preserve and protect the equality of all faiths as an essential constitutional value, a norm which has the status of being a basic feature of the Constitution. There is a purpose underlying the enactment of The Places of Worship Act. The law speaks to our history and to the future of the nation,” the top court had said.

The five-judge bench had said: “Historical wrongs cannot be remedied by the people taking the law in their own hands. In preserving the character of places of public worship, the Parliament has mandated in no uncertain terms that history and its wrongs shall not be used as instruments to oppress the present and the future.”

The apex court had said The Places of Worship Act imposes a non-derogable obligation towards enforcing “our commitment to secularism under the Indian Constitution and the law is hence a legislative instrument designed to protect the secular features of the Indian polity, which is one of the basic features of the Constitution”.

“Non-retrogression is a foundational feature of the fundamental constitutional principles of which secularism is a core component. The Places of Worship Act is thus a legislative intervention which preserves non-retrogression as an essential feature of our secular values,” it had said.

On May 20, 2022, the top court noted that ascertaining the religious character of a place of worship through a procedure known to the law, will not fall foul of The Places of Worship Act, 1991. The top court has shifted the trial of the suit by the Hindu parties from civil judge, senior division, to the district judge.

The top court said its May 17 interim order — protecting the ‘Shivling’, purportedly discovered during the survey, and free access to Muslims for ‘namaz’ — will remain operational for eight weeks, after the district judge’s decision in the matter, so as to allow the aggrieved parties to appeal against the decision.

The Supreme Court has scheduled the Gyanvapi case for hearing in July.

Maharashtra

Digital payment facilities will be made available at Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital, Additional Municipal Commissioner directs

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Mumbai: Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital, run by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, is witnessing a large influx of patients seeking various medical treatments. Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Prajakta Verma Longare has directed that both cash and digital payment options be made available for various healthcare services. He also directed that the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) be implemented effectively within the hospital.

The Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital in Mumbai is currently undergoing a capacity expansion project. Prajakta Verma Longare visited the hospital today (August 8, 2026) to personally inspect the progress of the expansion work. He visited the Emergency Department, various wards, MICU, and CCTV control room, among other areas.

Patients and their families currently have to pay cash for various medical services, such as X-rays, MRI scans, Outpatient Department (OPD) case papers, and medical service fees. Point of Sale (POS) machines should be provided at these locations to facilitate digital payments. Additionally, a dedicated counter for digital payments should be set up inside the hospital to help reduce queues. Ms. Verma-Laungaree noted that digital payment options will provide greater convenience to citizens, patients and their relatives.
Officers and staff including Deputy Commissioner (Public Health) Sharad Oghade, Deputy Commissioner (Zone-2) Prashant Sapkale, Director (Medical Education and Major Hospitals) Dr. Shailesh Mohte and Assistant Commissioner (F-North) Mr. Arun Kasher Sagar were present.

Mrs. Verma-Laungaree inspected the ongoing works in the main building (Phase 2A), Oncology building and other areas of the hospital, while also reviewing the status of the project. He directed that recreational areas be created for the citizens as well as the resident doctors and staff within the newly developed hospital. He directed the hospital administration to ensure the availability of barrier-free walkways for the citizens at the entrance of the hospital and within the premises. He also directed that staff should be regularly deployed in the control room. The staff working in the hospital should be monitored through the CCTV control room so that the employees leave the premises before their scheduled time. Notably, the human resources department at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters is already monitoring the attendance of the staff using artificial intelligence. He further directed that steps be taken to implement a public address system operated from the control room.

Giving priority to cleanliness in the hospital, he directed that specific uniforms be provided to the staff. Steps should also be taken to keep the hospital free from the nuisance of rats and stray dogs. Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Prajakta Verma-Laungare directed that the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) be implemented in the hospital.

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Maharashtra

Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra (Arshad Madani) appeals for assistance to Assam flood victims, asking well-wishers and helpers to cooperate as much as possible

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Mumbai: An important consultative meeting of the executive members of Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra, special invitees and dignitaries of the city was held at the State Office, Imambara Compound, Mumbai under the chairmanship of President Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra Hazrat Maulana Haleemullah Qasmi, in which the executive members, special invitees and eminent personalities of the city participated. It may be noted that the executive members of Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra and special invitees were invited to attend the meeting of the Emirate of Sharia at Sabo Siddique Guest House in Mumbai, taking advantage of this opportunity, this meeting was held at the state office of Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra.

The meeting reviewed the flood disasters in Assam and the serious situation arising as a result of it. The participants were also informed about the ongoing relief and relief activities for the flood victims by Jamiat Ulema Assam on the instructions of the President of Jamiat Ulema Hind, Honorable Maulana Syed Arshad Madani.

On this occasion, stressing the need for immediate and effective assistance to the victims of Assam, Mufti Muhammad Yousuf Qasmi, General Secretary of Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra, appealed to the executive members, special invitees, district presidents and nazmas and philanthropists to actively participate in relief activities in the spirit of humanitarian sympathy and offer cooperation according to their capacity. He said that receipts have been set aside in the office for the relief of the flood victims, you should also take the receipt book with you. The imams of the mosques are also requested to announce this in their mosques and attract the donors towards it. It was also explained in the meeting that a large number of brothers of the country are in the flood-affected areas, however, in times of trouble and disaster, it is the moral and human responsibility of all of us to help the victims on the basis of humanity, transcending religion and nationality. In this regard, instead of Zakat, seeking support from donations, Allah and interest, while observing the principles of Sharia, so that timely assistance can be provided to the needy and affected families.

The participants of the meeting expressed their full solidarity with the flood victims of Assam and reiterated their resolve that Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra will continue to provide all possible support in relief activities to the best of its ability.

The State Executive Council, special invitees and dignitaries of the city attended the meeting in large numbers.

Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra

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Maharashtra

Juhu: Conspiracy to kill businessman’s family and loot exposed after security guard’s murder, entire plan of accused foiled, accused arrested

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Mumbai: Police have claimed to have unearthed a robbery conspiracy while solving the mystery of the murder of a security guard in Mumbai. An incident took place between 4 am on August 2, 2026 (Juhu Police Station CR No. 1236/2026; Sections 103(1), 310(3) of BNS 238), where the accused reached a residential building with the intention of robbing a businessman. The robbers attacked the building’s security guard Manoj Kumar Ayodhya Yadav (38), strangled him to death with a cloth rope, and threw his body into the building’s water tank. Soon after the crime, various police teams were formed under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (West Zone-2) and started the investigation. During the investigation, information came to light about the involvement of the domestic helper (cook) through the businessman’s family and his friend. On the arrest of the cook, Jogeshwar Udhan Malik (alias Kishan) and his accomplice Vijay Gonzari, it was revealed that Malik, along with the businessman’s wife and daughter, had hatched a conspiracy to kill the businessman’s relative and loot cash and jewellery from the house. It was learnt that the conspiracy had been in the planning stages for the past two years. As the mastermind behind the conspiracy, Jogeshwar Udhan Malik (alias Kishan) took the help of Vijay Gonzari and appointed three additional accomplices Sharad Yarodkar (41), his brother Mahadev Yarodkar (35) and Aniket Bornak (30) to execute the plan. During the investigation, the main accused Jogeshwar Malik introduced his accomplices to the deceased security guard Manoj Kumar Yadav. On the night of August 2, the accused gathered near the building and sat down to drink alcohol with the security guard. They strangled the guard, tied his hands and threw his body into a water tank. Thereafter, at around 4:00 AM, the accused went to the 6th floor and tried to enter the flat of a businessman using a duplicate key. However, after failing to open the door, they gave up the attempt and fled the spot. After being arrested, the accused confessed to the crime. The investigation was conducted under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police (West Region) Abhinav Deshmukh and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2, West) Mr. Mohit Kumar Garg.

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