In the current situation, when the Muslims of Palestine, Gaza and Lebanon are suffering from severe oppression and the entire Muslim Ummah is in turmoil and anguish, organizing such a program would certainly hurt the feelings of the Ummah. The Saudi government’s stopping the program in Jeddah is a positive step that is commendable. It should be noted that two days ago, the Raza Academy had issued a press statement against this program.

The officials of the Raza Academy said that the land of the Two Holy Mosques is a center of devotion and respect for Muslims all over the world, therefore it is very important to avoid such measures there that are contrary to religious and moral values.

The statement further said: “We hope that the Saudi government will continue to avoid all such programs that hurt religious sensitivities in any way, taking into account the feelings of the Muslim Ummah, Islamic traditions and the current global situation.”

Finally, the President of the Raza Academy, Alhaji Muhammad Saeed Nouri, expressed his happiness over the decision of the Saudi government.

A shocking case has come to light from Mumbai where a so-called ‘Baba’ has been exposed for influencing people in the name of superstition and Tantric rituals. Mumbai’s Dandoshi police station has arrested a man named Ridham Panchal (37), who claimed to be a charismatic worker and could solve people’s problems.

It is alleged that the Baba performed strange and terrifying Tantric rituals using cremation ashes, goat liver, lemon, incense sticks and kumkum (sindoor). He used to create a mysterious atmosphere for people. After the puja, he would ask them to tie all the items in a red cloth and keep them at a deserted intersection, which would create both fear and belief among people.

The most shocking thing is that during the puja, the Baba used to claim that a “goddess” would appear. In this alleged state, he would offer solutions to people’s problems, gradually developing a “charismatic image”, and a large number of people started contacting him with their problems. This continued for about six months, but the baba’s activities started disturbing the locals. Suspicious activities at night, strange things, and increasing crowds worried the locals. Finally, the neighbors got the courage and filed a complaint with the police. On receiving the complaint, the Mumbai Police swung into action and started an investigation. Investigation revealed that the baba was exploiting people’s emotions and problems to spread superstition. After his arrest, the accused was produced in the court from where he was remanded in police custody till April 19. The police are now investigating who else is involved in this whole matter and how many people this so-called baba has trapped. This case once again brings to light the spread of superstition in the society and its dangerous effects. Where people rely on false miracles instead of science and law to solve their problems.

In a major development in the shooting incident outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence in Mumbai’s Juhu, Mumbai Police has arrested the 15th accused in the case. The accused has been identified as Pradeep Kumar, a shooter associated with the Shubham Lonkar gang, the mastermind and wanted in connection with the shooting outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence. He was arrested from Agra in a joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF) and the Mumbai Crime Branch. According to investigators, the recently arrested accused Golu Pandit, who allegedly recruited the shooters, had received funds through an illegal hawala network. The money was allegedly sent via Nepal, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh before being used to commit the crime. The arrest of Pradeep Kumar has been confirmed by the Mumbai Crime Branch. He was the one who helped the other shooters in the Rohit Shetty shooting and identified the crime scene. The operation was carried out by Joint Police Commissioner Crime Lakshmi Gautam and DCP Raj Tilak Roshan on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti. The case is being investigated by the Anti-Money Laundering Squad. So far, 15 accused of the Bishnoi gang have been arrested. All of them were in contact with Shubham Lonkar and used to take instructions from him.