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Crime

Trouble brews over Bhopal’s Jama Masjid, 11th-century Bhojshala monument

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Two neighbouring states of north India, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, seem to be sailing in the same boat with similar headlines they have been making in the last few days.

While the Gyanvapi mosque case in Varanasi is being debated in and outside the court, a similar issue of ‘temple vs mosque’ seems to be brewing in Madhya Pradesh with a fresh instance surrounding the 19th century Jama Masjid located in Bhopal’s Chowk Bazar area.

A right-wing outfit, Sanskriti Bachao Manch, has claimed that the Jama Masjid located in old Bhopal’s Chowk Bazar locality was built in the 19th century on a Shiva temple.

The issue gained momentum after a group of right-wing activists on Thursday met the state Home Minister Narottam Mishra and drew the state government’s attention to this matter.

Sanskriti Bachao Manch headed by Chandrashekhar Tiwari submitted a memorandum demanding a detailed survey of the Jama Masjid.

Tiwari said that he is preparing to file a petition in the local court over the issue in the coming days.

“We have demanded a detailed archaeological survey of the Jama Masjid by the state government. We will also file a petition in the court seeking a survey and excavation to bare the history of the mosque built over a temple called Sabha Mandap’,” Tiwari told the press after meeting Mishra on Thursday.

Tiwari said that he has raised demands for the survey on the basis of facts collected in Hayate-I-Qudsi (a book on Bhopal’s first woman ruler Nawab Qudsia Begum). The empress (1819-1832) built the Jama Masjid and Gohar Mahal Palace in Bhopal.

“In the book on her life, Nawab Qudsia Begum mentioned that the work on building the Jama Masjid in Bhopal began in 1832 and was completed in 1857. It is also clearly mentioned that the mosque was built on the same land where a Hindu temple known as ‘Sabha Mandap’ already existed,” Tiwari claimed.

Notably, the same issue has been raised by another right-wing outfit called the ‘Hindu Dharma Sena’.

However, this is not the only ‘temple vs. mosque’ dispute in Madhya Pradesh that is being debated these days. Earlier this month, an organisation called the ‘Hindu Front for Justice’ filed a PIL in the high court claiming that the Bhojshala monument located in Dhar district belongs to the Hindu community.

A PIL was filed challenging the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) order of 2003, which imposed restriction on Hindus to worship at Bhojshala daily.

Subsequently, the Indore bench issued notices to the ASI, Centre and the MP government seeking their response on the matter.

Bhojshala is an ASI protected 11th century monument which Hindus claim is a temple of Vagdevi (Saraswati), while the Muslim community treats it as the Kamal Maula Mosque.

As per the arrangement made by ASI on April 7, 2003, Hindus perform puja on the premises every Tuesday, while Muslims offer namaz in the complex on Fridays.

“Only the members of the Hindu community have a fundamental right under Article 25 of the Constitution of India to perform puja and rituals at the place of goddess Vagdevi within the premises of Saraswati Sadan, commonly known as Bhojshala situated in Dhar,” the petition claimed.

“Members of the Muslim community have no right to use any portion of the aforesaid property for any religious purposes,” it added.

The petitioner also urged the court to direct the Centre to bring back the idol of goddess Saraswati from the museum in London, and re-establish the same within the Bhojshala complex.

The plea has cited that the then rulers of Dhar had installed the holy statue at Bhojshala in 1034 AD and it was taken to London in 1857 by the British.

One of the petitioners, Ashish Goyal, said, “We have now started fighting legally to reclaim our religious place. The court found our petition comprehensive and issued notice.”

Crime

Thane Residents Zakir Irani And Sonu Jadhav Get Five-Year Jail Term, ₹15.3 Lakh Fine For Chain Snatching

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Mumbai: The special MCOCA court on Thursday sentenced two Thane residents to five years’ imprisonment for chain snatching and operating a crime syndicate in a November 2020 incident. The MCOCA court imposed a fine of Rs15.3 lakh on each of the accused.

The court found Zakir Irani, 39, guilty of chain snatching and heading a crime syndicate involved in such crimes, along with Sonu Ananta Jadhav, alias Raj, 28.

According to the prosecution, the complainant was on a morning walk toward Goal Garden, Malad (East), on November 9, 2020, at around 6am. At around 6.10am, a blue-coloured motor scooter approached from behind, and the pillion rider attempted to snatch a gold chain from his neck. The complainant resisted, but the pillion rider inflicted a blow with a helmet on his head, causing him to lose his balance. The rider then snatched the chain.

The complainant claimed that two passersby helped him get up, but the assailants threatened to kill him by running him over. The complainant chased them and tried to note the bike’s license plate number, but two digits were missing. He later lodged a complaint with Dindoshi police station. The police acted quickly and, based on a confidential tip, arrested Irani on the same day. A month later, Jadhav was also arrested.

Public prosecutor Jaysingh Desai contended that Irani had four prior cases and was out on bail when he attacked the complainant in this case. It was also noted that Jadhav was a co-accused in some of these cases. Desai argued that Irani headed the syndicate.

The prosecution stated, “It clearly reflects that in each and every case, Zakir is the ma in accused and there are certain other associates like Gulam Hussain with Zakir in three cases…. In all cases, the modus operandi is the same: the accused target the victim’s neck to snatch a gold chain or mangalsutra.”

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Crime

Mumbai Crime: 32-Year-Old BMC Employee Found Dead Inside SRA Building At HDIL Compound In Kurla; Police Launch Probe

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Mumbai: A 32-year-old employee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was found dead in Building No. 9 of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project at HDIL Compound, Kurla (West), on Thursday afternoon, police officials said. The incident was reported around 4:30 PM by the V B Nagar Police Station.

According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Rajesh Parmar, a resident of the Ghatkopar area, who worked in the BMC Solid Waste Management (SWM) department, F North Ward.

The body has been sent to the Rajawadi Hospital for postmortem examination. The exact cause of death remains unknown and further investigation is currently underway.

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Crime

Mumbai Shocker: 20-Year-Old Specially-Abled Girl Sexually Assaulted By Over 17 Men; DNA Samples Sent For Testing

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Mumbai: A very shocking incident has taken place in South Mumbai. A shocking incident has come to light in South Mumbai where a 20-year-old girl was sexually abused by more than 17 people on different days.

In this Case have been registered against unknown person under 64 (2) (i) (commits rape, on a woman incapable of giving consent) and 64 (2) (k) (commits rape on a woman suffering from mental illness or physical disability) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita at Cuffe Parade police station, said the police officer. Blood samples of more than 17 suspects named by the victim girl have been taken and sent for DNA testing with the Fetus.

According to FIR, This case was registered on September 22 and in this case, a 17-year-old minor boy has been taken into custody and a 34-year-old married man has been arrested.

Importantly, the NGO Vidhayak Bharati has helped the police in getting the victim girl, who is a special child, who unable to talk proper and deaf. Psi Ashwini Koli – Patil worked hard to detect this crime case.

According to the information given by the police, The victim girl complained to her grandmother that she felt worms moving in her stomach. She was then admitted to Cama Hospital. At that time, it was revealed that the girl was 5 months pregnant. Then the Call received from Cama Hospital to Police was unmarried, mentally retarded and five months pregnant.

In connection with this incident, when Cuffe Parade Police went to the said place to record the statement of the Victim woman. But she unable to record statement. Then Police have recorded statement of her father that she was mentally retarded since she could not speak and deaf. He did not know anything about this and told him that he did not want to file a complaint. Victim Father has refused to give Complaint.

However, on September 22, when she was brought to the police station for further investigation, she ready to filed a complaint against an unknown person. Then her father became ready to file Complaint.

The complainant and Victim’s Father said that some unknown person took advantage of her inability to speak and being mentally retarded, five to six months ago, while her daughter was living at house, and took advantage of this situation and raped and sexually assaulted her, even though he knew that she was not capable of giving consent to physical intercourse. A case has been registered.

It was difficult for psi Ashwini Koli Patil to solve this case. However, Counselor Lila Patade and Councilor Madhura Kodlekar – Counselor from Vidhayak Bharti – Child Rights Organizations helped in recording the girl’s statement using drawing and finger doll therapy for 5 days and 4-5 hours.

During this counseling, the person who was repeatedly named by the victim girl was arrested and a minor boy was detained. While the persons who were repeatedly named in the investigation were shown as suspects and their blood samples were taken for DNA.

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