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Sambhal mosque row: SC stays implementation of notice relating to well

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New Delhi, Jan 10: In an interim direction passed on Friday, the Supreme Court told the Sambhal’s Municipal Council to not give effect to its notice concerning a well situated near the Shahi Jama Masjid.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar asked the Uttar Pradesh authorities to file a status report within two weeks, and, in the meantime, ordered that the authorities will not give effect to any notice in relation to the well.

Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the mosque committee, said that the impugned notice referred to the site as ‘Hari Mandir’ and now, the other side will likely start using the well for ‘puja (worship)’, bathing, etc.

Ahmadi said the well, which is “half inside and half outside” the mosque premises, has been used to draw water by the mosque administration since time immemorial. On the other hand, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for the Hindu plaintiffs, contended that well situated outside the purview of the mosque cannot be a subject matter of the proceedings challenging the district court-ordered survey of the disputed site. At this, the apex court observed that it was keeping a close watch so that peace and harmony were maintained.

“Issue notice returnable on Feb 21. In the meantime, a status report will be filed by respondents in two weeks. The respondents (authorities) shall not give effect to any notice in relation to the well,” the SC ordered.

The matter will be heard next on February 21.

On November 29, the CJI Khanna-led Bench told the Uttar Pradesh government that “peace and harmony must be maintained” as it dealt with a plea filed by the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid Committee seeking a stay on a district court-ordered survey of the mosque. However, it had asked the mosque committee to approach an appropriate forum against the district court-ordered survey and in the meantime, asked the trial court to not proceed with the matter.

The apex court had said that in case any appeal is preferred before the Allahabad High Court or any other forum, the appeal will be listed within three working days after it is filed.

Clarifying that the Supreme Court has not expressed any opinion on merits, it had ordered to re-list the matter in the week commencing January 6.

In its Special Leave Petition, the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid Committee had sought an ad-interim and ex-parte stay on the operation of the impugned decision passed by Chandausi’s Civil Judge on November 19, where a survey was ordered in a plea filed by the Hindu petitioners, claiming that the mosque was built by Mughal invader Babur in 1526 after demolishing Shri Harihar Mandir. Further, it demanded that the report of the survey commissioner be kept in a sealed cover and the status quo be maintained until the issue is determined by the Supreme Court.

The petition had also sought directions to the effect that surveys should not be ordered and executed as a matter of course in cases involving disputes over places of worship without hearing all parties and allowing sufficient time for the aggrieved persons to seek judicial remedies against the order of survey.

The survey of Shahi Jama Masjid was undertaken on November 19 and November 24. As the second round of survey began at the mosque, violence broke out in the area resulting in the death of four individuals.

In a related development, the CJI Khanna-led Special Bench, in an interim order passed on December 12, had ordered that no fresh suits would be registered under the Places of Worship Act, 1991 in the country, and in the pending cases, no final or effective orders would be passed till further orders. The Special Bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Viswanathan, had asked the Union government to file within four weeks its reply to the batch of petitions challenging the validity of the Places of Worship Act, which prohibits the filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947.

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Kerala declares Liberian ship capsize as a state-specific disaster, CMFRI begins study

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Thiruvananthapuram, May 29: The Kerala government on Thursday declared the wreckage of the Liberian ship M/s ELSA 3 in the Arabian Sea 14.6 nautical miles off the Kerala coast as a state-specific disaster.

A statement issued from the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the ship, M/s MSC ELSA-3, carrying more than 643 containers, was reported to have capsized on May 25 off the Kerala Coast near Thottappalli in Alappuzha District.

“The maritime incident has raised serious environmental concerns, including the potential for an oil spill and drifting of debris, including cargo, along Kerala’s coastline. Considering the potentially serious environmental, social, and economic impact of the ship wreckage, the Government hereby declare the wreckage of the ship M/s ELSA 3 in the Arabian Sea 14.6 nautical miles off the Kerala coast as a State-Specific disaster,” said the statement.

This fresh development comes at a time when the Kerala government is seriously contemplating legal proceedings against the ship’s owners after fishermen’s associations have demanded appropriate compensation, fearing that the chemicals could cause long-term damage to marine life and jeopardise their livelihoods.

The Vijayan government is awaiting a response from legal experts dealing with marine topics to go forward with legal steps.

On Thursday, the containers that had been cleared from near the coast of Kollam and were being readied for transportation caught fire.

But the fire was quickly doused.

The vessel, which had reported listing approximately 38 nautical miles off the Kochi coast, ultimately sank into the Arabian Sea on Sunday morning.

In a related development, the ICAR- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) on Thursday launched a study to assess the changes in the marine environment following the shipwreck.

The study is currently being conducted by four different teams on the coastal areas of Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts.

The teams are collecting water, phytoplankton and sediment samples from 10 stations in these districts at regular intervals for the investigation.

According to CMFRI Director Grinson George, the study aims to understand various types of marine pollution associated with the shipwreck.

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Centre approves deployment of 581 companies of CAPF for Amarnath Yatra security

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Srinagar, May 29: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the deployment of 581 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to Jammu and Kashmir for providing massive security to the Amarnath Yatra 2025 beginning on July 3.

The MHA has approved the deployment to provide security to the pilgrims, official sources said on Thursday.

The decision comes ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to the union territory.

The ministry has authorised the J&K administration and police to utilise 156 CAPF companies already stationed in the region.

“These include 91 CRPF, 30 SSB, 15 CISF, 13 BSF, and 7 ITBP units, each comprising around 75 to 80 personnel.

“MHA will dispatch an additional 425 companies by June 10, which will include 130 BSF, 128 CRPF (including five women’s units), 67 SSB, 55 ITBP, and 45 CISF companies. The forces will be on duty till the conclusion of the yatra on August 9, after which they will be de-inducted.

“A communication regarding the same has been sent to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of J&K on May 23. The MHA had responded to a formal request from the J&K government dated May 20, seeking additional forces to ensure a safe and peaceful pilgrimage season,” sources said.

This year’s Amarnath Yatra begins on July 3 and will end on August 9, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan and Shravan Purnima festivals.

The Amarnath cave shrine is situated 3888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas. The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon.

Devotees believe that the ice stalagmite structure symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva. They approach the cave shrine either from the traditional longer Pahalgam route in Anantnag district or the shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal district.

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Rajasthan govt employee arrested in Jaisalmer on suspicion of spying for Pakistan

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Jaipur, May 29: Security agencies have arrested a government employee in Jaisalmer on charges of espionage. The accused, Shakoor Khan, currently employed as a clerk at the Mangalia District Employment Office had recently travelled to Pakistan without obtaining departmental permission.

He was formerly the personal secretary of ex-minister Saleh Mohammad in 2008, during his tenure as the MLA from Pokhran.

According to reports, the authorities discovered several Pakistani phone numbers in his phone which Shakoor Khan couldn’t explain. He also confessed that he had travelled to Pakistan at least seven times in recent years.

Officials revealed that acting on Intelligence inputs, security personnel detained Shakoor Khan from the employment office and began questioning him regarding his visit.

Sources confirmed that Shakoor, a resident of Mangalia Ki Dhani in Baroda village, is being interrogated by the Joint Investigation Committee.

Multiple agencies are collaborating to probe the matter further as Shakoor Khan was found to have phone numbers associated with Pakistan stored on his device, officials said.

The arrest comes amid heightened security across India following ‘Operation Sindoor’, launched in response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly civilians, were killed.

Given the strategic sensitivity of Jaisalmer due to its proximity to the Indo-Pak border, agencies are closely monitoring all suspicious activities. As of now, no official statement has been released by authorities regarding the case.

The Joint Investigation Committee is questioning Shakoor Khan, who was caught from the employment office on Wednesday night.

Various investigation agencies are working together to get to the bottom of this matter, said officials, adding, “Shakoor is being questioned for travelling to Pakistan without informing the department despite being a government employee.”

“There were inputs about Shakoor Khan that he could be involved in spying for Pakistan. He was on surveillance following inputs and was detained last night,” media reports quoted an official as saying.

A joint interrogation was conducted in Jaisalmer following which the team left for Jaipur with Shakoor Khan.

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