National News
SC tags Owaisi’s plea on Places of Worship Act with pending matters

New Delhi, Jan 2: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the tagging of a plea filed by AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi seeking implementation of the Places of Worship Act, 1991 with a pending batch of matters.
The 1991 Act 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.
At the very outset, a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar ordered that Owaisi’s plea be tagged with the pending clutch of petitions, where it had imposed restrictions on registering new suits, delivering effective or final judgments, or ordering surveys in ongoing cases concerning mosques and shrines.
In an interim order passed on December 12, 2024, the CJI Khanna-led Special Bench had ordered that no fresh suits would be registered under the Places of Worship Act 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, 1991.
As per the computerised case status, the matter is tentatively listed for hearing on February 17.
On the other hand, several intervention/impleadment applications were filed before the Supreme Court seeking the dismissal of the petitions against the Places of Worship Act.
In its application, the Managing Committee of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi Mosque said the “consequences of declaring the 1991 Act unconstitutional are bound to be drastic and will obliterate the rule of law and communal harmony.”
It said that an Article 32 petition challenging a legislative enactment must indicate the unconstitutionality of the provisions based on constitutional principles and the rhetorical arguments seeking a sort of retribution against the perceived acts of previous rulers cannot be made the basis for a constitutional challenge.
“As many as 20 suits are pending before different Varanasi courts seeking to nullify the protection accorded by the 1991 Act and to convert the character of the Gyanvapi Mosque and prevent access of Muslims to the mosque,” it said.
In a similar application, the Committee of Management of Mathura’s Shahi Masjid Eidgah said that the law was enacted by Parliament in the interest of the country’s progress, which has stood the test of time for more than 33 years.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had said that local courts were undermining the spirit of the 1991 Act by entertaining petitions and issuing orders concerning mosques.
“The manner in which local courts declared appeals admissible and issued orders on mosques and dargahs had made this Act ineffective. The Supreme Court has now stopped any effective or final decisions and prohibited survey orders until the next hearing,” added the AIMPLB.
National News
Thane, South Mumbai & Eastern Suburbs To Face 10% Water Cut From October 7 To 9 | Check If Your Area Is Affected

Mumbai, Thane: Residents across Thane and several parts of Mumbai are set to experience a 10 per cent reduction in water supply as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) undertakes the upgradation of electricity meters at the Pise and Panjrapur power stations. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) confirmed that the cut will be in effect from Tuesday, 7 October to Thursday, 9 October 2025.
Out of Thane’s total water supply, 85 million litres per day (MLD) comes from BMC’s sources. The ongoing electrical work is expected to impact multiple areas across Thane and Mumbai during the three-day maintenance period.
According to the Thane Municipal Corporation, the areas that will face reduced water supply include Kopri Dhobighat, Kopri Kanhaiya Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Anand Nagar, Indiranagar, Bhatwadi, Tekdi Bangla Water Tank, Gavdevi (Luiswadi) Water Tank, Balkum Pada No.1, Ambedkar Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Kajuwadi, Jijamata Nagar, Jai Bhavani Nagar, Dnyaneshwar Nagar, Ambika Nagar, Karwalo Nagar, Shivshakti Nagar, Janata Slum, Padval Nagar, Shivaji Nagar, Kisan Nagar No.1, Kisan Nagar No.2, Ramchandra Nagar 1, Sainath Nagar, Namdev Wadi, Raghunath Nagar, Luiswadi, Hajuri, Pachpakhadi, and Naupada.
The civic body has appealed to residents to store enough water beforehand and use it judiciously throughout the period to avoid inconvenience. Authorities have also urged the public to cooperate while the upgrade work is completed.
The BMC announced that parts of South Mumbai and the eastern suburbs will also experience a 10 per cent water cut between October 7 and 9. The work includes upgrading 100 kilowatt (KW) electrical meters at the Pise and Panjrapur water treatment facilities in Thane. Maintenance activity will take place daily from 12.30 pm to 3 pm, which is expected to affect supply in several zones temporarily.
A Ward: Fort, Colaba, Marine Drive, Nariman Point
B Ward: Masjid Bunder, Mohd. Ali Road, Dongri, Bhendi Bazar
E Ward: Byculla, Agripada, Nagpada, Dockyard Road, Reay Road
F-South Ward: Parel, Lalbaug, Hindmata, Lower Parel
F-North Ward: Matunga, Sion
M-East Ward: Chembur East, Govandi, Mankhurd, Trombay, Cheeta Camp, Deonar Municipal Colony, Anushakti Nagar
M-West Ward: Chembur West
L Ward: Kurla East
N Ward: Vikhroli, Ghatkopar
S Ward: Bhandup, Nahur, Kanjurmarg, Vikhroli East
T Ward: Mulund
Both civic bodies have requested residents to plan their water usage carefully and avoid wastage during the maintenance period. Supply is expected to return to normal from Friday, 10 October 2025.
Business
PM Modi to inaugurate India Mobile Congress 2025 on October 8

New Delhi, Oct 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, Asia’s premier telecom and technology event, on October 8 in the national capital, Ministry of Communications said on Monday.
The four-day mega event, themed “Innovate to Transform,” will run till October 11 and is expected to showcase India’s growing leadership in the global digital and telecom space.
Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia visited the IMC 2025 venue to review the final preparations ahead of the Prime Minister’s inauguration.
Scindia also travelled to the venue and back via the Airport Metro, symbolising India’s push for modern and sustainable urban transport.
During his visit, the minister toured the exhibition area, interacted with participating startups and exhibitors, and chaired review meetings with senior officials from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), and other partner agencies.
Speaking to the media, Scindia said that IMC 2025 would mark a new era in global connectivity, where technologies like 5G, 6G, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), the Internet of Things (IoT), and satellite communications would come together to shape the future.
He emphasised that the event reflects Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a self-reliant and innovative India that connects not only within but also with the world.
IMC 2025 is expected to attract more than 1.5 lakh visitors, 7,000 delegates from over 150 countries, and 400 exhibitors spread across 4.5 lakh square feet.
The event will also feature over 1,600 technology demonstrations and 100 sessions with more than 800 speakers discussing the latest developments in telecom and digital innovation.
Highlighting the scale of the event, Scindia said that IMC has grown from being a national platform to becoming a global technology congress that represents India’s digital leadership.
He added that the 2025 edition will include six major global summits — covering 6G research, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, satellite communications, startups, and the Global Startup World Cup — India Edition.
The minister also underlined India’s achievements in the telecom sector, noting that the country now ranks among the world’s top three digital economies with 1.2 billion mobile subscribers, 970 million internet users, and the fastest-ever 5G rollout completed in just 22 months.
Crime
Mumbai Crime: 51-Year-Old Advocate Loses ₹2 Crore In Sextortion; FIR Filed

Mumbai: A 51-year-old advocate from Goregaon West was allegedly defrauded of Rs 2 crore by a 28-year-old woman from Himachal Pradesh who allegedly threatened to file a false rape case against him. The Goregaon police have registered a case against the woman Parul Rana, her parents, sister, and a friend for extortion and defamation.
The advocate Rajeev Ranjan, who filed the complaint on October 3, has represented India as an ambassador at the United Nations, World Trade Organization, G7, BRICS, UNICEF, the Commonwealth, and several other prominent international organisations and summits.
According to the FIR, Ranjan met Rana in May 2024 at his residence through mutual friends, after which they exchanged contact details and social media IDs. In June 2024, while Ranjan was in Geneva for a conference, Rana called him late at night, claiming her relative was unwell and asked for Rs 50 lakh. He transferred Rs 2.5 lakh from his SBI account. Later, when he returned to India, she again sought money under various pretexts, including modelling expenses, and he gave her Rs 2.5 lakh in person.
Ranjan stated in the FIR that despite informing her that he was married with a daughter, Rana pursued a physical relationship with him. Afterwards, she demanded Rs 10 lakh, of which he paid Rs 5 lakh through a friend’s company account. She later sought more money, including Rs 3 lakh at Mumbai airport and Rs 10 lakh during a stay at his residence with her sister, Nidhi Rana. In July, Ranjan and Rana travelled to Bali, a trip he fully funded.
During the visit, she repeatedly demanded more money, including Rs 20 lakh for unspecified reasons. When he refused, she began threatening him using their private photos, warning that she would file a false rape case if he didn’t comply. Ranjan alleged that Rana’s parents – Harvinder and Meena Rana – her sister Nidhi, and a friend, Konika Verma, joined in the threats, calling him and demanding money. Out of fear, he continued sending money until the total reached Rs 2 crore, most of it in cash.
Later, Rana and her family allegedly contacted Ranjan’s wife, revealing the affair and demanding more money, again threatening legal action if he did not pay. Ranjan later approached the police, who registered a case for extortion, cheating, defamation and criminal conspiracy.
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