Politics
Srirangapatna’s is becoming Gyanvapi of Karnataka

As the controversy surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi continues, Hindu activists in Karnataka are all set to take a legal recourse on surveying and inspecting the Jamia Masjid, located in the historical town of Srirangapatna in Mandya district.
Aswathi.S., District Commissioner (DC) of Mandya, has already received a petition by the activists to carry out an inspection to verify if the Jamia Masjid was built on the ruins of a Hanuman temple.
“The DC has informed us that she has already sent out a request to the government. If the government does not respond, we are ready to approach the court,” C.T. Manjunath, state secretary of the Narendra Modi Vichar Manch, told IANS, adding that legal action will be pursued in coordination with Hindu organizations.
Jamia Masjid, built by the erstwhile ruler of Mysuru Tipu Sultan, has come in the eye of the storm as Hindu organisations have announced the congregation of 6 lakh maladhaari devotees of Lord Hanuman in Srirangapatna during the upcoming Hanuman Jayanti, raising law and order concerns.
The organisations have also sought a nod from authorities to conduct prayers in the mosque.
The mosque authorities have already made several appeals to the authorities to protect the shrine from Hindu activists.
Jamia Masjid also called as Masjid-i-Ala, is located inside the Srirangapatna fort. Built in 1786-87, the mosque has three inscriptions that mentions nine names of the Prophet Muhammad.
The mosque has two minarets and is built over an elevated platform. There are galleried balconies that separate each stage of the minaret. The mosque is two-storied and unlike other mosques, it does not have a dome.
The Jamia Masjid is administered by the Bengaluru Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Meanwhile, C.T. Manjunath explains that they strongly believe with evidence that the Jamia Masjid was built after razing down a Hanuman temple.
“B. Lewis Rice, a British historian, archaeologist and educationist in his report to the ASI mentions about Hanuman temple on Page number 61 in 1935,” he told IANS.
“Apart from this, Malabar Manual, Mysore Gazetteer by Lewis Rice, Tareeq-e-Tipu, Haider-e-Nishani also give enough proof of razing down of temples by Tipu Sultan. The sword of Tipu Sultan has an inscription on it which reads that it will go against those who do not follow Islam.
“It is not intolerant to ask for our temple. There are 7 lakh active mosques in the country. If Hindus were to be intolerant, this would not have been possible. Even Muslim nations do not have such a great number of mosques,” he adds.
Manjunath says that there is a board put up by the ASI which bans any activity in the mosque, but Tablighis arrive here every year for training.
“The idol if Goddess Annapoorneshwari is not found now. The idols and footprints of Hindu idols, religious symbols are chiseled out. The issue has been raised already,” he explains.
Hindu activists maintain that there are emblems of the erstwhile Hoysala kingdom inside the mosque. There is ‘Kalyani’ (traditional Hindu water body built inside temple premises) inside the mosque. Every pillar also has the emblem of ‘Gandubherunda’ (two-headed bird in Hindu mythology) and ‘Simha’ (lion).
Hindu activists believe that Hanuman temples are built in eight directions of the historical Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Srirangapatna town. The Jamia Masjid was also one among them.
Nanje Gowda, a senior journalist working for a reputed Kannada daily, countered the view and told IANS: “The famous, most sacred and ancient 9th century Sri Ranganatha Temple in Srirangapatna town which is located within 200 metres of Tipu Palace Lotus Mahal is intact. It has not been disturbed by either Tipu Sultan or his father Hyder Ali. In fact the temple premises have Hyder ‘mantapa’ (platform). Hyder Ali has generously contributed to the temple.”
Gowda fears that this would become a major issue in the region. “After hijab crisis, saffron shawls have reached almost all Hindu students. Anything can happen in the coming days,” he said.
Rishi Kumar Swamiji of Kali Mutt was arrested in January on charges of giving a call to demolish the Jamia Masjid.
He had demanded for it to be closed until it was decided whether it is a temple or a mosque.
“Even a Hindu child will get provoked after seeing the pillars, platforms for Nag devtas. I am a sage. How should I feel? I naturally felt pained on seeing what had happened to my temple. I have faith in law. Through this law, the Ram Mandir is being in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. I will get justice in the case,” Rishi Kumar Swamiji said.
“For Babri Masjid, the authorities have to dig land beneath the mosque and find proof. But, in this case the authorities in Srirangapatna city will just have to get documents of the mosque.”
The historical Srirangapatna is regarded as Karnataka’s Ayodhya by Hindu activists.
Sources say that with Hindu activists taking up the issue, the party is going to reap rich electoral success in the region which is presently considered as the bastion of regional party JD (S).
Srirangapatna town is located in Mandya district, considered as the heartland of the dominant Vokkaliga community. With Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar pitching in against Hindutva ideology, experts say, it won’t be easy for BJP to reap political benefits here.
It also remains to be seen how the situation unfolds in the town, which will have a direct impact on capital Bengaluru.
Maharashtra
Mumbai News: CBI Books Plant Quarantine Officials For Taking Bribes From Importers And CHAs In Exchange For Clearance Work

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched an investigation against two officials, including a deputy director rank official posted at plant quarantine office Mumbai which operates under the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage (PPQS) following the allegations that they indulged into corrupt practices by taking undue advantage from the importer, exporter either directly or through Clearing House Agents (CHAs) in lieu of performing work. Plant quarantine office deals with import and export of plant and plant based material.
Officials Allegedly Took Bribes Through CHAs for Expedited Clearances and Fake Certificates
According to the CBI, a reliable source information was received that some public servants posted at plant quarantine office were indulged into corrupt practices by taking undue advantage from the importer/ exporter either directly or through CHAs in lieu of performing works such as expedite clearance payment, selective inspection practices, treatment requirement manipulation, issuance of certificate without proper inspection.
“It was further learnt from reliable sources that this collusive corruption is being run in connivance with CHAs at the said office. It was also learnt that the some customs clearing agents are sometimes facilitating illegal imports or avoid proper inspection procedures in exchange of regular payment of undue advantage to the officers posted at plant quarantine office and the officers posted there are demanding and accepting around Rs 600 per documents, consignment from the parties or their CHAs,” said a CBI official.
“In order to verify the said allegations, a joint surprise check (JSC) team of CBI Officers, officers from vigilance of the department of agriculture and farmers welfare on 16.07.2025 conducted checks. During JSC, public dealing counters situated in the said office were checked. The bag and wallets of the staff available were also checked and it was found that a cash amount of Rs 49,750 was found in their possession and they were asked to explain the cash amount. It has transpired that the unaccounted money in cash has been accepted by the accused public servants as an undue advantage from CHAs for doing their routine official work,” said the official.
Case Registered Under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Prevention of Corruption Act
The CBI has registered a case on charges of criminal conspiracy, bribing of public servant and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Prevention of Corruption Act.
Maharashtra
Vasai-Virar News: Man Duped Of ₹35 Lakh Over Fake Medical Shop Near Multi-Specialty Hospital In Nalasopara

Palghar, Maharashtra: The Tulinj Police have registered a case of cheating against a 40-year-old man for allegedly defrauding a medical shop aspirant of ₹35 lakh under the pretext of renting a space near a prominent multi-specialty hospital in Nalasopara (East).
The accused promised a medical shop near prominent hospital
According to the complaint filed by Pradeep Kaluram Chaudhary, 21, a medical shop operator, the accused, identified as Ranjit Kantaprasad Yadav, a resident of Haridwar Housing Society, Mahesh Park, Tulinj Road, took ₹40 lakh as a heavy security deposit from him in June 2022, promising to provide a shop space near the hospital.
According to the complaint filed by Pradeep Kaluram Chaudhary, a medical shop operator, the accused took ₹40 lakh as a heavy security deposit from him in June 2022, promising to provide a shop space near the hospital.
However, more than two years later, the promised medical shop has not been made operational, and the accused has returned only ₹5 lakh of the total deposit. The remaining ₹35 lakh remains unpaid despite repeated follow-ups, the complaint states.
The accused fails to fulfill the agreement
The alleged fraud took place near a well-known multi-specialty hospital in Nalasopara (East), where the complainant had hoped to set up the business. When the accused failed to fulfill the agreement and did not return the remaining amount, the victim approached the police.
Based on the findings of a preliminary inquiry, Tulinj Police registered a case under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on August 5, 2025, at 2:01 pm.
Probe Underway
Senior officers including Police Inspector Vijay Jadhav and Assistant Police Inspectors Manesh Sable and Govind Baste are overseeing the investigation.
The police have launched a probe to trace the remaining funds and verify if other victims may be involved.
Maharashtra
Navi Mumbai Woman’s PAN Card Used To Float Fake Firm; Police Probe ₹29 Lakh Scam

Navi Mumbai: A major case of identity theft has surfaced in Navi Mumbai, where a fake PAN card was created using the details of a resident, leading to a financial transaction worth Rs 29 lakh. Upon discovering the fraud, the concerned authorities registered a case against an unidentified individual.
The victim, Parul Bhatia, a resident of Sanpada, became aware of the fraud while filing her income tax return for the previous financial year. During the routine document submission to her chartered accountant, she noticed suspicious activity linked to her PAN card. It was revealed that a company had been registered using her PAN, and a GST number was also obtained under her name.
Bhatia clarified that she had no involvement with the company or the transactions and questioned how her PAN card details were cloned and misused. She immediately filed a written complaint at the Sanpada Police Station.
According to the report, following her complaint, police investigations revealed that the fake PAN card had been used for financial operations since April 2024. A firm named “Bhatia Enterprises” was fraudulently established under her identity, through which transactions amounting to crores were conducted. Authorities further found that the operations were carried out in Uttar Pradesh.
After verifying the details in Bhatia’s complaint, the police filed a case on Tuesday, charging the accused with defrauding both the individual and the government using a forged PAN card. Police Sub-Inspector Suraj Raut is currently leading the investigation, as reported.
Elderly Powai Businessman Duped Of ₹52 Lakh In Online Honeytrap Scam
In a seperte news story related to the cyber fraud, a 65-year-old businessman from Powai was duped of Rs 52 lakh in a sophisticated cyber fraud involving a woman he met on Facebook. The case is currently being investigated by the West Region Cyber Police and has been identified as a classic honeytrap scam, where cybercriminals exploit emotional manipulation and false investment promises to deceive victims.
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