General
The five women whose petition has shaken up the nation

The five women who caused an upheaval in the country by filing a petition seeking permission to offer prayers at the Shringar Gauri shrine in the Gyanvapi mosque complex here are neither friends, nor part of one group.
Of the five petitioners, one is based in Delhi while four belong to Varanasi. The closest they came to know of each other is a chance meeting at a ‘satsang’.
While Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas and Rekha Pathak live in Varanasi and have been present at every hearing of the case which began in August 2021, the fifth and the main petitioner, Rakhi Singh, lives in Delhi and has not been to court.
Rakhi Singh’s interest in religion seems to originate from her links to the ‘Vishwa Vedic Sanathan Sangh’.
Rakhi, 35, is a founder member of the outfit, which claims to have done ‘coordination’ for the petition. Her uncle, Jitendra Singh Bishen, is the President of the Sangh.
According to Santosh Singh, the UP convenor of the Vishwa Vedic Sanathan Sangh, the outfit coordinated with four of the women and brought them together to file the Gyanvapi petition in August 2021.
“We are managing the whole case,” he claimed.
The second petitioner is Laxmi Devi, 65, whose husband, Sohan Lal Arya, is a senior VHP office-bearer in Varanasi. Laxmi Devi is essentially a homemaker and lives in Varanasi’s Mahmoorganj area.
An active player in this case, her husband claims it was he who “inspired and brought together the five women (petitioners)”.
Arya, 71, is also the litigants’ agent in the petition.
The VHP Varanasi Mahanagar vice-president and spokesperson since 1984, he said that the petitioners, including his wife, were chosen by him.
Arya, who claims to have been associated with the RSS since childhood, said that he filed his first petition in the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi matter in a Varanasi court in 1985.
“This time, I decided to put women in front as it is they who pray to Maa Shringar Gauri. I chose the four women as I needed some women to file the petition. I didn’t have any other names, so I picked them,” he said.
The Vishwa Vedic Sanathan Sangh was founded in 2018 “for the cause of Hindutva”. The outfit has also filed cases over the status of Qutub Minar in a Delhi court as well as one regarding the Krishna Janmabhoomi in a Mathura court, which also involves dispute with a mosque.
Sita Sahu, another petitioner, however, has another story as to how they came together for the case.
“Four of us met at a satsang and decided to file the petition. We were contacted by Rakhi Singh saying she wanted to be a part of the petition, so we included her as well,” she said.
Sita Sahu runs a small general store from her house in Chetganj area of Varanasi, just 2 km from the Gyanvapi complex.
While she has never been associated with any outfit or organisation, she said, “We are doing work for Hindu religion and filed the petition because we are not allowed to properly worship our Goddess at the temple.”
Manju Vyas, 49, runs a beauty parlour from her house located 1.5 km from the Gyanvapi complex and is not a member or office-bearer of any outfit or organisation. Apart from her small business, she looks after her family. Her interest is to pray at the Shringar Gauri Sthal.
Rekha Pathak, 35, the fifth petitioner in the case, said she became a part of the petition for the cause of her Goddess.
“I felt bad that women who go to the temple for worship are not allowed past the barricading, so I became a part of the petition. The decision to file the petition was taken by us during a satsang of the temple because all of us worship the Goddess,” she said.
It is on their petition that the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Varanasi, ordered a videographic inspection of the Gyanvapi mosque, inviting objections from the Muslim community.
“For us, nothing else matters except for offering prayers at Shringar Gauri Maa and we will not rest till we are given the permission,” the petitioners said.
Interestingly, none of the five petitioners are aware of the legal or political implications that their petition is having on the nation.
“We are only concerned with worshipping at Shringar Gauri and nothing else matters to us,” said Rekha Pathak.
Maharashtra
Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Peer Dargah demolition order to file response within four weeks relief to Dargah management

Mumbai: The Supreme Court of India has granted protection to the Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Pir Dargah located in Mira Bhayandar, Mumbai and has issued an order to impose a stay on the demolition process for four weeks. Along with this, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Maharashtra government in this matter and sought a response. The Maharashtra government will file a reply in the court in this regard within four weeks, only after which a decision will be taken on the demolition process of the dargah.
State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bankole had issued an order for the demolition of the dargah by May 20 in the House and issued a public statement, apart from this, no other notice was issued. A bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih ordered an effective stop to the demolition process. Along with this, a response has been sought from the Maharashtra government on the petition filed by the dargah administration.
The petitioners argued that the demolition was ordered on the basis of the minister’s public statements in the state assembly and a recent police report despite the absence of any government notice. The petitioners said that the dargah is 350 years old and the state government has nevertheless classified it as an illegal structure. The trust claimed that a formal registration of the property was also sought in 2022 and the dargah has been standing at the same location for decades. According to the petitioner, the vacation bench of the Bombay High Court had wrongly rejected the petitions for urgent hearing on May 15 and 16. The dargah administration told the Supreme Court that the police had also issued a notice on May 15. In the notice, the members of the trust were warned not to obstruct or disrupt the demolition process. The demolition process is scheduled for May 20.
The petitioners argued that the demolition was carried out without any legal order or due process such as notice or opportunity to be heard, which is a violation of their rights. The Supreme Court adjourned the matter for four weeks and asked the Maharashtra government to file its response within that time.
Maharashtra
Two arrested, three dead in Dahisar bloody clash

Mumbai: Three people died in a bloody clash in Mumbai’s Dahisar MSP Ganpat Patil Nagar. Due to an old enmity, a bloody clash took place between the Gupta and Sheikh families last night in which 4 people were seriously injured and three died. In this case, the police have claimed to have arrested two people on charges of murder. Last night at 4:30 pm, the Gupta family of the Sheikh family attacked them with a sharp knife at their coconut stall. Due to this attack, Ram Lal Gupta senior and Arvind Gupta succumbed to their injuries and died on the spot. This bloody incident created a sensation in the area while Haroon Sheikh of the Sheikh family also died. After this clash, a case of cross murder has been registered against both the families. In this case, two people from both the families were also injured. In this case, a minor from the Sheikh family has been arrested and presented in the children’s home.
DCP Anand Bhuite said that this matter was about an old grudge and there was a clash between the two families in 2022 and a case has also been registered in this matter. He said that a total of three people have died in this matter. The police have registered a case in this matter and further investigation is underway. He said that after the murder, additional arrangements have been deployed to maintain law and order in the area. He said that a member of the Gupta family has also been arrested and the police are investigating this matter. The DCP said that a member of the Sheikh family was also killed in 2022. Communal elements had started trying on social media to give this murder a Hindu-Muslim color, but the police have made it clear in the investigation that this is an outgrowth of an old grudge and there was no personal enmity in it. The DCP said that after this murder, there is definitely tension in the area, but law and order is maintained and the police have also increased patrols. In addition, arrangements have also been deployed.
Maharashtra
Wanted accused in attempted murder of VB Nagar, Kurla, arrested from Jangal police station

Mumbai: Mumbai’s Kurla Vinoba bhave Nagar police station has claimed to have arrested two criminal goons from a forest in a police station adjoining Mumbai. On May 13, at 11:30 pm, the complainant was returning home after giving money to a rickshaw puller when criminal goons Dutta Mangesh Patil called as Sheru and Mahesh Krishna Maharana called as Panda pushed and abused the complainant on the way. When his brother-in-law and father tried to end the dispute, Sheru slapped the brother-in-law and Panda attempted to murder the complainant’s father by attacking him. In this case, the police have registered a case under various sections including attempt to murder.
In this case, two teams were formed on the instructions of DCP Ganesh Gawde of Zone 5 and a search was started for the two absconding accused. The team was informed that the two accused were in the forest of the police station. Here, the police arrested the accused Dutta Mangesh Patil alias Sheru, 30, and Manish Sanatan Sahu called as Chintu, 24. Several cases have also been registered against these accused. This operation was carried out under the leadership of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Satyanarayan Chaudhary and DCP Ganesh Gawde. Senior Inspector Ravinder Sirsagar said that several cases have been registered against the accused. The police have arrested them after searching for the absconding accused. These two accused had also tried to create terror in the area.
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