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The five women whose petition has shaken up the nation

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 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

Mumbai: Additional Municipal Commissioner takes action against construction on plots earmarked for schools and recreational grounds in Meghwari, Lalbagh, Parel areas

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Mumbai: In a bold move by the Municipal Corporation’s F (South) Division, 4 constructions on plots earmarked for schools and recreational grounds in Meghwari, Lalbagh, Parel areas were evicted today (June 9, 2026). Efforts were on for the last 12 years to vacate the said plots. With this, recreational grounds will be opened for over 50,000 citizens of Meghwari, Lalbagh, Parel and Kala Chowki areas.

Under the guidance of Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwani Joshi, Deputy Commissioner (Zone-2) Prashant Sapkale, the operation was led by Assistant Commissioner (F South Zone) Vrushali Angule.

As per the Development Planning Plan-2034, vacant land nos. 1/118, 1B/118, 2/118, 3/118, 4/118 and 7/118 in Meghwari, Lalbagh, Parel and Kalachowki areas have been earmarked for public purposes as recreational grounds and municipal schools. The total area of ​​the plot is 7,872.14 sq m. Out of which 13 vacant plot holders were residing on an area of ​​about 274 sq m. The said tenants as well as construction holders were informed to opt for alternative flats or financial compensation as per the local ready reckoner rate as per the prevailing policy of the Municipal Corporation. Accordingly, they were formally informed about the vacating of the concerned constructions. Out of these 13 constructions, 07 constructions have been evicted. However, the eviction proceedings of the remaining 06 constructions will be initiated soon. Efforts have been going on for the last 12 years to vacate the said plot. Along with this, the recreational ground will remain open for more than 50 thousand citizens of Meghwari, Lalbagh, Parel and Kala Chowki areas.

The eviction was carried out with the help of 02 JCBs, 01 dumper, 01 ambulance and other equipment to remove the encroachments. During this operation, 45 officers and employees of the Municipal Corporation along with adequate police force were deployed.

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Maharashtra

Pune Municipal Corporation’s demolition drive against 9 religious places, situation tense but peace maintained, police security tight, 4 people in custody

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The administration has intensified action against illegal religious places, temples and mosques in Mumbai Maharashtra. During the demolition operation on 9 religious places, temples and mosques in Pune’s Chikhli Pimpri Chinchwad, the situation became tense after stone pelting and rioting on the police during the demolition operation on the Chishtia Masjid. The police brought the situation under control and took 4 people into custody. Now the situation is peaceful but tension persists. The police have also deployed additional arrangements here.

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation took action to evict unauthorized structures in Kadalwadi, Chikhli under Chikhli police station on May 9 from 02:30 to 5:30 pm. In the said unauthorized eviction operation, action was taken on five mosques and five temples, religious places.

10 Unauthorized Constructions in Religious Places Temples and Mosques Masjid Naeem Group No. 692, Vaswa Chowk Chakhli RCC Stone Shed 12 m x 30 m, Masjid Abu Hurairah Plot No. 879, Near Naira Petrol Pump, Kadlawadi, Chakhli RCC(G) + First Floor Paper Shed 8m × 20m, Chishtia Masjid Group No. 878/879, Opposite Naira Petrol Pump, Kadlawadi, Chakhli RCC + Letter Shed (G+1) 22m x 12m RCC 32m x 18m Letter Shed, Hazrat Shabbir Bukhari Baba Dargah- Lot No. 896, Near Mohnishwar Mahadev Mandir Road, Kadlawadi, Chakhli Pune Stone Shed 2m X 2m, Royal Colony Masjid Group No. 903, 904, Opposite Kasturi Flora, Kadlawadi, Chikhli Pune Stone Shed 6 m x 12 m and Shri Kashi Ka Guruji Temple Near Moi Bridge, Chikhli Village RCC(G) 2.5m X 2.5m Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple – Chikhli Akordi Road, Chikhli RCC(G) 2.5m x 2.5m, Shri Tulja Bhavani Temple – Sec.No. 16, Near Fire Station, Chikhli RCC(G), Stone Shed 18mx18m above, Shri Viruba Temple Group No. 824, Near Siddhi Vinayak Hospital, Yadav Nagar, Chikhli RCC(G) 2mx2m

  1. Shri Hanuman Temple – Group No. 908, Padrasati, Chikhli Brick Construction (G) 3m x 3m included. Except for one location, the demolition operation at the remaining nine locations has been completed peacefully, while during this demolition operation, violence broke out during the operation at Chishtia Masjid and stone pelting was carried out on the police. While removing the Chishtia Masjid Group No. 878,879 Naira Petrol Pump, Opposite Kadlawadi, Chakhli Patra Shed, some people took advantage of the darkness and pelted stones on the people conducting the operation.
    The said stone pelting took place suddenly in the darkness and in which three to four policemen were pelted with stones. Four to five policemen were slightly injured. Taking advantage of the darkness, the Chakhli police station took four people into custody among those who pelted stones. The Joint Commissioner of Police, Pimpri-Chinchwad, brought the situation under control at the scene and took police action at the scene and took four people into custody. The eviction process has also been completed. This operation was completed by 5:30 pm. Police force has been deployed in the Chishtia Masjid Kadalwari area, in addition to which an anti-riot squad has also been deployed. After this incident, the police have also started monitoring social media and have also started action against the miscreants. Investigation is underway to find out how many more people were involved in the stone-pelting incident. The police have not ruled out the arrest of more unknown accused in this matter. The meeting of the Mohalla Committee and the Peace Committee has also started. Law and order is maintained in the area.
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Maharashtra

Delhi court rejects bail plea of NEET-UG paper leak accused Manisha Waghmare

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New Delhi, June 9: A Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed the bail plea of Manisha Waghmare, an accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The order was passed by the Rouse Avenue Court after hearing arguments from both sides.

During the hearing, Waghmare’s counsel argued that she is a certified education counsellor and receives regular income through counselling services. The defence contended that the CBI’s allegation regarding a financial transaction was misconceived, claiming that around Rs 3.5 lakh credited to her account had come from the execution of a gift deed relating to ancestral property.

It was also argued that the CBI had conducted searches at her residence on two occasions but had not recovered any cash or material linking her to the alleged offence.

Opposing the plea, the CBI argued that Waghmare was not merely an education consultant but also ran a beauty parlour and played an active role in circulating leaked examination questions.

The probe agency claimed that Waghmare was involved in leaking examination questions to students in exchange for money and relied upon statements of candidates who allegedly stated that they had paid her for access to the leaked questions.

The Rouse Avenue Court, after considering the rival submissions, rejected the bail application.

The case pertains to the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper, following which the CBI registered an FIR on May 12 on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education.

According to the CBI, Waghmare was among the intermediaries involved in mobilising students who allegedly paid lakhs of rupees to attend special coaching sessions where questions that later appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 examination were dictated and discussed.

The agency has claimed that Pune-based consultant Waghmare facilitated prospective candidates for special coaching classes conducted by NTA-appointed senior Botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, who is suspected to be the co-mastermind behind the Biology paper leak.

The CBI has identified Chemistry professor P.V. Kulkarni as the alleged “kingpin” of the paper leak network.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is scheduled to conduct the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on June 21, with admit cards expected to be issued by June 14. The original examination was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court declined to direct the NTA to conduct the re-examination in a computer-based test (CBT) mode. A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Aravind Kumar observed that such a direction could not be granted at that stage when authorities were already engaged in conducting the fresh examination. The matter has been posted for hearing in July along with other pleas seeking reforms in the functioning of the NTA. The re-test is set to proceed in the existing pen-and-paper format.

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