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SC allows cleaning of ‘wazukhana’ inside the disputed Gyanvapi edifice where Shivling was found, Hindu petitioners had filed a plea

OpIndia Staff
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SC allows cleaning of ‘wazukhana’ inside the disputed Gyanvapi edifice where Shivling was found, Hindu petitioners had filed a plea

On Tuesday, January 16, the Supreme Court allowed the cleaning of the ‘wazukhana’ inside the disputed Gyanvapi mosque where the ‘Shivling’ was found on May 16, 2022, during a court-mandated survey. The area of ‘wazukhana’ was sealed in 2022 on a Supreme Court order after the discovery of the Shivling.

On January 2, an application was filed in the Supreme Court by the Hindu petitioners seeking direction from the District Magistrate of Varanasi for cleaning the entire area of ‘wazukhana’ of Gyanvapi mosque where the Shivling was found and maintaining hygienic condition.

The application said fish in the water tank died between December 12 to 25, 2023 and due to the same, there is a putrid smell emitting from the tank.

“Since there exists Shivlingam which is sacred to Hindus and should be kept away from all dirt, grime, dead animals, etc. and must be in clean condition, is currently amid dead fish which is hurtful to the sentiments of the devotees of Lord Shiva,” the application stated.

The application filed through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain said fish in the water tank have died and due to the same, there is a putrid smell emitting from the tank.

It is further submitted that the Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid which manages the mosque in the Gyanvapi complex is responsible for the condition of fish due to which they have died.

“In case, the fish would have been transferred as requested by District Magistrate, Varanasi the present unfortunate situation would have not occurred,” the application said while seeking direction to clean ‘wazukhana’.

‘Wazukhana’ is the reservoir where devotees perform ablutions before offering namaz. On May 16, 2022, the Shivling was discovered within the disputed Gyanvapi edifice. The Shivling was reportedly discovered after the water inside a pond-like well, which is used as Wuzukhana by Muslims, was pumped out of it. The area of ‘wazukhana’ was sealed in 2022 on a Supreme Court order after the discovery of what was said to be a ‘Shivling’.

‘Congress has lost cultural connect with people’: Milind Deora slams Congress for shunning the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony

OpIndia Staff
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‘Congress has lost cultural connect with people’: Milind Deora slams Congress for shunning the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony

Former Union Minister Milind Deora slammed the Congress party for declining the invitation for the historic Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event on 22nd January. In an exclusive interview with News18, the Former Congress leader stated that Ram Mandir’s inauguration was not a political event. He asserted that Congress’ decision to skip the consecration ceremony underscores that it has lost cultural connection with the people of India. 

Speaking with News18, Deora said, “The Congress has certainly lost its cultural connect with the people of India. In my opinion, the Ram Temple inauguration is the issue that has been settled after 500 years by the Supreme Court of India. This issue is not a political event. It’s not an event for the Hindu community or the Muslim community. It is an event for the world. It’s an event for humanity. The story of Ramayana transcends religion. It transcends nationality. You can argue it transcends even species. It’s a spiritual story. It’s a moral story. I don’t know why the party did what it did.” 

Notably, hours after resigning from the Congress party, Milind Deora on 14th January shared a letter listing reasons why he ended his decades-long association with Congress and joined Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. In a stinging criticism of the current Congress leadership, in his letter, Deora accused the Congress party of creating a division on caste and an artificial North-South divide while brandishing Business houses as ‘anti-national’. 

On the same day, he asserted that opposing Modi is the only agenda Congress has. He had said that if Modi says that Congress is a very good party, the Congress would oppose it. 

Further in the Interview with News18, Deora also criticised the Congress party for “not understanding the aspirations of young India”. 

He noted, “Economically, India is changing today. Indians are aware. Common people, whether they are highly educated or not highly educated, know what’s happening. Everyone has a smartphone. Everyone has an internet connection. Everyone has WhatsApp. Everyone has YouTube. Everyone has access to information. People are aware of what’s happening around the world. People have aspirations. People want to do some things. People want India to move forward. The Congress should have aligned with those aspirations with a more constructive agenda.” 

According to him, Congress has deviated from its ideological and organisational roots, Deora had claimed that Congress lacks appreciation for honesty and constructive criticism. Additionally, the Congress party has not only failed to attain power but also it has failed to effectively serve as a constructive opposition at the centre.

He told News18 that he had failed to convince the Congress leadership that it should not deviate from its core stand including on issues like the Uniform Civil Code and Article 370.

He added, “I was unable to convince the powers that be that the Congress should maintain its stand on certain issues. It shouldn’t deviate from its core ideology. UCC, Article 370… these are the issues that the Congress espoused back in the day and look at where the party has moved today.”

He admitted that his decision to resign from the Congress party’s primary membership was deeply emotional. He stated that he aspires to collaborate with a leader who values constructive ideas, acknowledges his credentials, and aims to leverage his abilities in Parliament for the progress of the nation and state. 

He said, “Eknath Shinde ji believes in my potential and embodies the belief that hard work can achieve the impossible.” 

Sumit Nagal creates history at Australian Open, becomes first Indian since 1989 to beat a seeded player at a Grand Slam

OpIndia Staff
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Sumit Nagal creates history at Australian Open, becomes first Indian since 1989 to beat a seeded player at a Grand Slam

On Tuesday, January 16, Indian Tennis star Sumit Nagal created history when he became the first Indian since Ramesh Krishnan in 1989 to beat a seeded opponent at a Grand Slam. Nagal defeated World number 27 Alexander Bublik, who is seeded 31st, in the first round of Australia Open 2024. 

Sumit Nagal completed a convincing win against highly rated Bublik in straight sets, ultimately winning 6-4, 6-2, 7-6. While the first 2 sets were fairly routine affairs for the Indian, in the 3rd set, he had to face still opposition from his opponent Bublik. Facing a chance to serve out for the match at 5-4, Nagal lost his serve as Bublik took the 3rd set to a tiebreak. However, the Indian ultimately emerged victorious 7-5 in the tiebreak to take the match in straight sets.

The last Indian to beat a seeded player at the Grand Slam was the Indian legend Ramesh Krishnan, who reached the 3rd round of the Australian Open with that win, the furthest any Indian has reached at the Grand Slam. Krishnan beat World Number 1 Mats Wilander at Australian Open in 1989 in a massive upset. Ramesh Krishnan had qualified for the third round a total of five times in his career at the Australian Open. The last Indian to reach the second round of a singles competition at a Grand Slam was Somdev Devvarman in 2013 at the Australian Open.

Notably, Sumit Nagal reached the main draw of the tournament after getting through 3 tough qualifying rounds. World Number 139, Nagal has reached the main draw of Australian Open for the second time in his career, having earlier done so in 2021. He also made it to the main draw of the US Open in 2019 and 2020, making it to the second round in 2020.

Sumit Nagal will now face Chinese wildcard Shang Juncheng on Thursday, January 18 in the second-round clash. Shang Juncheng defeated his opponent Mackenzie McDonald in 5 sets 6-3, 1-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

PM Modi visits Veerbhadra Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Lepakshi: Read why the place holds special significance in Ramayana

Jinit Jain
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PM Modi visits Veerbhadra Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Lepakshi: Read why the place holds special significance in Ramayana

Ahead of the much-awaited Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, PM Modi is on his visit to ‘Lepakshi’ in Andhra Pradesh. The Prime Minister will visit the Veerbhadra Temple in ‘Lepakshi’, which holds profound significance in Ramayana.

Besides visiting the hallowed temple, PM Modi also heard verses from the Ranganatha Ramayan, a Telugu rendition of the great Hindu epic.

Located in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, around 120 km from the southern metropolis of Bengaluru, Lepakshi is a backwater town infused with mythological splendour, speaking to the confluence of India’s rich architectural and spiritual heritage. As per the Valmiki Ramayana, it is believed to be the site where Lord Ram met the dying Jatayu, who valiantly fought with Ravana when he was on his way to Lanka after abducting Lord Ram’s wife, Goddess Sita.

It was this town, according to Valmiki Ramayana, where the mortally injured Jatayu informs Lord Ram and his brother Lakshman that Goddess Sita had been abducted by the King of Lanka, Ravana, and that they should move towards the seashore in the south to reach Lanka.

The name ‘Lepakshi’ in Telugu means ‘Rise, oh bird’, a tribute to Jatayu, who made the supreme sacrifice to stop Ravana from abducting Goddess Sita. The town is replete with ancient temples that serve as a treasure trove of narratives from Hindu mythology.

A picture from Jatayu Park in Lepakshi (Image Source: NDTV)

House to several shrines devoted to Shiva, Vishnu, Papanatheswar, Raghunath, Ram, and other revered deities, the intricate carvings and larger-than-life sculptures leave the visitor spellbound and transfixed. The finely detailed carvings on the pillars of the Veerabhadra Temple or beholding the colossal Nandi acclaimed as the world’s largest monolithic bull, the craftsmanship of the artisans from the Vijayanagara dynasty is unmistakable in the sculptures that grace the entire town.

One of the major centres of attraction in Lepakshi town is the Veerabhadra Temple, commonly known as the Lepakshi temple, which stands as a testament to the marvels of ancient Indian architecture. Created from rock, the intricately carved masterpiece attests to the historical grandeur of the Vijayanagara Empire.

The Lepakshi temple is a totem of timeless art, adorned with exquisite frescoes and murals. A substantial portion of the temple complex perches upon a small, rocky hill known as Kurmasailam, influenced by its resemblance to the shape of a tortoise.

Veerbhadra Temple (Image Source: The Hindu)

One of the much-vaunted features of the temple is the Hanging Pillar, indistinguishable from the surrounding pillars but miraculously suspended without resting on the ground. The temple is also believed to have preserved the footprints of Goddess Sita.

Hanging Pillar (Image Source: Ancient Origins)

The temple’s beauty and grandeur exemplify the magnificence of the Vijayanagara Kingdom, a powerful realm that reined in large parts of southern and peninsular India for a considerable period in the medieval era. The Kingdom, known for commissioning temples across the length and breadth of its empire, also sponsored artists in crafting the extraordinary pictorial depictions that line the walls of the Veerbhadra Temple.

The temple’s walls portray the images of musicians, saints, and celestial entities, featuring captivating sculptures of dancing Ganesha, Mata Parvati, and Lord Shiva. An inner cave chamber is believed to be the abode of Sage Agasthya, while the temple itself is adorned with 70 pillars. Of particular interest is the renowned snake sculpture on the Nagalinga, reputedly carved from a single stone during a sculptors’ lunch break. Furthermore, the adjacent hillocks, known as Kurma Saila, host temples devoted to Papanatheswara, Raghunatha, Srirama, and Durga, adding to the vibrant legacy of Lepakshi.

While AAP-Congress announce alliance for Chandigarh, Congress leader Navjot Sidhu attacks AAP ministers for allowing illegal mining in Punjab

OpIndia Staff
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While AAP-Congress announce alliance for Chandigarh, Congress leader Navjot Sidhu attacks AAP ministers for allowing illegal mining in Punjab

Amid a seat-sharing tussle at the national level, arch-nemesis turned alliance partners in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, agreed on Monday (15th January) to field a joint candidate for the annual Mayor election in Chandigarh. 

As part of the deal, AAP will fight for the Mayor’s post while Congress will be contesting for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar Tita will be the joint candidate of AAP-Congress for the Mayor post against BJP’s Manoj Sonkar. Congress’ Gurpreet Singh Gabi and Nirmala Devi will fight for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor respectively. BJP has fielded Kuljeet Sandhu, and Rajinder Sharma for the posts of senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor, respectively. 

Notably, the Chandigarh mayoral elections are slated for Thursday (18th January). Every year, elections are conducted for the three posts during the five-year term of the House. In the current cycle, the mayor’s position is designated for the Scheduled Caste (SC) category. The BJP has held the Mayor’s post for eight consecutive years.

In the 35-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the BJP holds 14 council seats. Additionally, the party has an ex-officio member MP with voting rights. The AAP has 13 councillors, while the Congress has seven. The Shiromani Akali Dal is represented by one councillor in the House. 

On previous occasions, the Congress abstained from voting in 2022 and 2023, leading to the BJP’s success in the mayoral elections. 

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu accuses AAP’s Punjab ministers of allowing illegal sand mining and corruption

Meanwhile, on Monday (15th January), the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued notice to the Government of Punjab and its officials on a plea filed by Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and others. The plea sought directions from NGT to “direct the Punjab government to immediately halt illegal mining and initiate stringent action against violators, constitute a high-level committee to investigate past violations, assess environmental damage and fix compensation.” 

Navjot Singh Sidhu said, “We cannot allow our hills and rivers to be sacrificed for illegal profiteering.”

Addressing media persons, Sidhu said that illegal sand mining was being carried out in Punjab under the patronage of the AAP Ministers. Sidhu said, “Apart from Ropar, the issue has come to fore from Moga and Pathankot too and people have testified as eyewitnesses with proof.” 

Navjot Sidhu stated that the Punjab government has been imposed with a penalty of Rs 630 crore, which it has not paid so far. He pointed out that ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections in the state, AAP had “given a guarantee of generating Rs 20,000 crore revenue” from mining claiming that the money will be distributed among women who were promised Rs 1,000 per month allowance.

The Congress leader added, “This makes it Rs 40,000 crores in two years, but only Rs 300 crore made it to the beneficiaries. The remaining Rs 39,700 crore went into their pockets. This is a serious matter involving the economy. Illegal sand mining is going on under the nose of Punjab ministers. We can also say that with their facilitation, illegal mining is being carried out.”  

Launching a scathing attack on his alliance partner’s government in Punjab, Sidhu’s petition reads, “Punjab’s rivers and environment is being ravaged under the watch of a corrupt and compromised government…This petition seeks to hold the government and authorities accountable for their inaction and compel them to enforce environmental safeguards.” 

The petition further read, “It is shocking that illegal mining is being carried out on the ED attached government land of an NDPS accused Jagdish Bhola… AAP, which came to power with on record guarantee…of institutionalising mining…promised a fortune and delivered a dead mouse.”  

He further wrote that “a sand trolley which was available for people at Rs 3,000 during Congress government in Punjab is today being sold at Rs 21,000 by AAP government.” 

Navjot Sidhu argued that the “issue of sand mining is a double-edged sword which is not only damaging our environment but has also derailed the economy” of Punjab.

The constant fights between alliance partners AAP and Congress in Punjab

While AAP and Congress have tried to put together a joint front at the national level, there have been constant allegations and counter-allegations between the two I.N.D.I.A. bloc partners at state level.

Punjab Congress leadership has previously denied any possibility of contesting elections with the Kejriwal-led party. On 26th December, it was reported that the majority of Punjab Congress leaders stood against the idea of an alliance with AAP for the General Elections during a meeting of Punjab’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) chaired by All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was also present at the meeting.

Earlier, On 17th December, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s chief and Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, expressed his desire to contest all thirteen Lok Sabha seats in Punjab and one Lok Sabha seat in Chandigarh in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections.

State units of both parties has stated multiple times that they want to contest Lok Sabha elections alone in Punjab, leaving 0 seats for their supposed alliance partner.

‘Organised crime committed at the behest of ruling CPM leaders’: ED probing the multi-crore Karuvannur bank scam files affidavit in Kerala HC

OpIndia Staff
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‘Organised crime committed at the behest of ruling CPM leaders’: ED probing the multi-crore Karuvannur bank scam files affidavit in Kerala HC

On Monday, January 15, the Enforcement Directorate investigating the money laundering case linked to the Rs 312 crore fraud at the ruling CPM-controlled Karuvannur Co-operative Bank, filed an affidavit in the Kerala High Court. In the affidavit, ED said that the irregularities were committed at the behest of the party leaders of the Pinarayi Vijayan government in the state.

The agency further asserted that the bank fraud was “an organised crime”.

“It was found that many of the accused are office-bearers and members of the ruling political party CPI(M) and there was a deep-rooted conspiracy to embezzle money from the public and make gains for the party as well as its leaders,” the agency said in an affidavit filed in court. 

Furthermore, the ED asserted that the bank fraud was “an organised crime,” and the results of its investigation to date have identified high-profile links including politicians, police officials, and individuals in local, district, and state-level administration.

“It is one of the biggest scams the state of Kerala has ever seen in terms of money, political links, and public fraud. The transactions undertaken by these individuals are in ‘benami’ names and cash-based operations, which are easy to dispose and conceal from the investigation.” the ED added.

Party committees were operating accounts in the society without membership, the ED further stated, alluding to the CPI(M)’s purported involvement in the scam.

“Further, it is also revealed during the investigation that such accounts are maintained by CPI(M) party committee for different purposes including for collecting funds for the purchase of land, construction of party office, for raising funds for election expenses and souvenirs etc.

“The money flow out of these transactions is being investigated and it is revealed from the investigation so far that senior political leaders of the party are involved in these transactions and unprecedented money laundering has been carried out by them,” the agency said.

The affidavit was filed in response to an appeal by one of the accused in the case challenging the ED’s provisional attachment order and seeking de-freezing of his bank accounts.

In its affidavit, the ED requested that the plea be dismissed, arguing that because the amount at stake was substantial and ordinary citizens had lost their deposits, the agency had a duty to look into the cash-based money trail and benami properties to identify the real offenders.

It further accused the state’s Registrar of Cooperative Societies of “turning a blind eye” to the irregularities committed by different societies in Kerala.

“During the investigation, from the copy of the audit reports of the bank for the past 10 years, it was revealed that the audit objections reported the irregularities to the joint registrar. However, the office of the registrar, after knowing the above fraud and embezzlement, appears to have not taken these into observation and no actions were initiated.

“This practice of inaction on the audit observations and complaint appears to be in most of the cooperative societies regarding which the registrar had earlier been summoned. The timely action by the office of the registrar could have avoided such a big scam. In the investigation conducted by the ED, it is revealed that the Registrar of Cooperative Societies turned a blind eye to the irregularities by the societies,” the affidavit stated.

Karuvannur bank scam

The scam was unearthed in Kerala in 2021. On July 14, 2021, the Irinjalakuda police registered a complaint against the accused persons. Soon after, the case was handed over to the state crime branch. There were allegations that board members of the bank were aware of the ongoing fraud, and rampant forgery of signatures and documents carried out.

The governing committee of the bank with 12 CPM members was disbanded after the details of the scam were released in the public domain. 

The Bhartiya Janata Party’s state unit complained to the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department alleging the involvement of top CPM leaders in the scam.

In 2019 too there were complaints filed against the same bank alleging fraud.

ED raids residence of Kerala CPM MLA in connection with the party-controlled Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam case

In August last year, the Enforcement Directorate raided the residence of CPM MLA AC Moideen at Wadakkancherry in Thrissur district as part of an investigation in a money laundering case linked to the Karubannur Co-operative Bank scam case.

Moideen, who was reportedly under ED scanner over benami assets, was a State Minister in the first Pinarayi Vijayan government-2016-21.

According to reports, after the scam was unearthed it was revealed that Moideen, who is a senior CPI(M) leader who represents the Kunnamkulam constituency in the state Assembly, shares a close relationship with those who ran the bank.

Gita Press Gorakhpur uploads digital version of Shri Ramcharitmanas in 10 languages amid surge in demand for print copies

OpIndia Staff
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Gita Press Gorakhpur uploads digital version of Shri Ramcharitmanas in 10 languages amid surge in demand for print copies

Ahead of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, Gita Press Gorakhpur has uploaded the digital version of Shri Ramcharitmanas for free on its website gitapress.org. The Holy book is available for free reading in 10 languages including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Oriya, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, Bangla, Nepali and Assamese.

Source: gitapress.org

The renowned publisher has witnessed a surge in demand for Ramayana-related scriptures ahead of the Pran Pratishtha which has led to a shortage of Shri Ramcharitmanas. The online edition cannot be downloaded and is for online reading only.

Lalmani Tripathi, Manager of Gita Press, said that after the Ram Mandir inauguration was announced, demands for Ramcharitmanas, along with Sundar Kand and Hanuman Chalisa have gone up substantially.

He said that press has no stock left for Ramcharitmanas. Tripathi said that as soon as copies are printed, they are shipped immediately due to the demands, and have no inventory of the copies of the Ramayana version by Tulsidas.

He said that generally Gita Press prints 75,000 copies of the scripture, this year they published 1 lakh copies, and still all stock were exhausted. He said that apart from Ramcharitmanas, demands for Sundar Kand and Hanuman Chalisa have also increased.

Reports suggest this is the first time that the primary publisher of Hindu scriptures has run out of Shri Ramcharitmanas.  Gita Press is also getting orders from its branches to distribute the scriptures, which the press is unable to fulfil.

By uploading the scripture on its website, Gita Press is making up for the shortage of the physical copies of Shri Ramcharitmanas.

The publisher is expecting that the demand for the scripture will increase manifold after 22nd January.

Ramcharitmanas is an epic poem in Awadhi language composed by bhakti poet Tulsidas based on Valmiki’s Ramayana. It made the story of Ramayana available to the common men as most people didn’t know Sanskrit. Sundar Kand is the fifth book in Ramayana, which tells the story of Hanuman. Hanuman Chalisa is a devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman.

Bengaluru CEO Suchana Seth visited Goa with her son a week before returning to kill him there

OpIndia Staff
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Bengaluru CEO Suchana Seth visited Goa with her son a week before returning to kill him there

39-year-old Mindful AI Lab CEO Suchana Seth, who killed her four-year-old son in Goa, had visited the state for 5 days, a week before returning there to kill her son, an Indian Express report stated. Seth had smothered her child to death in her hotel room before stuffing his body in a bag.

Suchana Seth had reached Goa on 31st December 2023 and stayed at a five star hotel for five days during the New Year celebrations. Two days later, as part of a “last-minute” plan, Seth went back to Goa and checked into Hotel Sol Banyan Grande on January 6. It was at this hotel that she killed her son.

Seth smothered her son to death at the hotel, packed his body in a bag and attempted to flee back to Bengaluru in a cab on 8th January. She was arrested on the way back at the Aimangala Police Station in Chitradurga police station in Karnataka.

During the routine cleaning after Seth’s departure, the hotel staff noticed blood stains in the room. The hotel management was informed, which promptly informed the Calangute Police at 11 AM. The police reviewed the hotel’s CCTV footage and noted that Seth left without her son.

Sensing something was wrong, Police Inspector Naik took the taxi driver’s number from the hotel staff and called him. When he questioned Suchana about her son, she told the inspector that she left him with a friend at Fatorda. Police checked the address given by Suchana in Fatorda and found it to be fake.

Interestingly, the cab driver Royjohn D’Souza played a key role in Suchana Seth’s arrest. On January 8, the cab driver received a call from the Goa Police and asked if his passenger was alone or a child was with her. The police were talking in Konkani, which the woman didn’t understand. Police told him them that they found bloodstains in her hotel room and they had a suspicion about her. The police then asked him to hand over the phone to Suchana and asked her about her son, and she claimed that she left her son at a friend’s house, and have them an address.

After confirming that Suchana was lying about her son, the officers called the driver again some time later, and ordered him to take the cab to the nearest police station, without telling Suchana. The cab was already in Karnataka at the time. The driver headed to the Aimangala Police Station where Suchana Seth was detained.

The accused allegedly committed the crime to keep her estranged husband from visiting their son as part of his visitation rights. The couple’s divorce is currently underway. According to reports, Seth was upset after a court order allowed her estranged husband, who is from Kerala, to see their son every Sunday. She then allegedly planned to murder her son just a day before the scheduled meeting.

Supreme Court stays Allahabad HC order appointing court-monitored survey of the disputed Shahi Idgah in Mathura

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court stays Allahabad HC order appointing court-monitored survey of the disputed Shahi Idgah in Mathura

On Tuesday (16th January), the Supreme Court halted the Allahabad High Court judgment appointing an Advocate Commissioner to visit the Shahi Eidgah mosque in Mathura as part of the Krishna Janmabhoomi litigation.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta issued the interim order while issuing notice on a special leave petition presented by the mosque committee against the Allahabad High Court’s December 14 order, which allowed an application for the appointment of a court commissioner to inspect the mosque.

Advocate Tasneem Ahmadi, representing the Mosque Committee, said that the High Court could not have issued the ruling while an application to reject the matter as barred by the Places of Worship Act 1991 (under ruling VII Rule 11 CPC) is pending. She also relied on the recent decision in Asma Latheef v Shabbir Ahmad, which stated that when a suit’s maintainability is called into doubt, the trial court must first consider whether it has jurisdiction before giving interim relief.

While adopting the legal contention on a prima facie basis, the bench highlighted concerns about how the commission application was filed.

“We have reservations about this application. Look at the prayer. It’s very ambiguous. Read it. You cannot create an omnibus application like this. You have to be very clear about what you want the local commissioner to do,” Justice Khanna instructed Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, representing the plaintiffs.

“There are legal concerns that arise. Apart from that, the application for a local commissioner could be clearer. Is it possible to create an application like this?”… We are staying the operation of the impugned order until the commission is completed,” Justice Khanna stated.

The bench issued a notice to return the petition by January 23, 2024. “Some legal issues arise for consideration, including the question in light of a judgment of this court in Asma Lateef. Proceedings before the High Court can continue but the commission will not be executed in the meantime,” the bench stated in its order.

The Allahabad High Court’s decision granted an application under Order XXVI Rule 9 of the Code of Criminal Procedure filed on behalf of the deity Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman and seven others in an initial lawsuit.

The proposal claimed that the birthplace of the Hindu God Krishna was located beneath the structure, and it provided evidence to support the structure’s Hindu origins. The primary claim, which is currently pending before the Allahabad High Court, seeks a ruling that Lord Shree Krishna Virajman owns the disputed land, which includes the structure of Shahi Eidgah Mosque. The plea also seeks that the defendants, including the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, remove the structure in question.

The day after the high court issued this ruling, Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi attempted to have the order for the appointment of a court commissioner delayed or stayed orally before the Supreme Court, which was considering a special leave petition filed by the mosque committee contesting an order from the Allahabad High Court dated May 2023 that transferred several suits related to the land dispute to itself. Senior Advocate Ahmadi was told that the order had not been formally challenged. Later, the Mosque panel filed a special leave petition to formally challenge the High Court’s order.

The mosque committee contended in its special leave petition that the High Court should have weighed its appeal for the plaint’s rejection before deciding on any other miscellaneous motions in the matter. The Committee has requested that the plaint be rejected because the claim is precluded under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991. The mere fact that the application for commission appointment was filed eight days before the application for plaint rejection did not justify determining the former first.

The mosque committee has also challenged the plaintiffs’ allegations, claiming that they failed to give substantial proof to support their claim that Lord Krishna’s recognized birthplace, is beneath the Shahi Eidgah mosque. The committee also questioned the plaintiffs’ request for an in-depth poll to validate their claims, describing it as simple speculation. It further claimed that the plaintiffs had an ulterior motive for attempting to demolish the mosque while the dispute was still pending.

Denying the argument about specific architectural aspects indicating a Hindu origin, the mosque committee described the plaintiffs’ plea as a transparent attempt to ‘deceive the court into believing Mughal architectural styles were Hindu religious symbols’.

It further maintained that unless the plaintiffs’ major prayer – the revocation of the 1973 and 1974 judgments – is addressed, the stage for evaluating the building’s factual situation, as indicated in the application, is rendered ineffective.

Telugu film HanuMan, made for Rs 20 crore, becomes 1st blockbuster of 2024 surpassing KGF 1 and Kantara in 1st weekend box office collections

OpIndia Staff
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Telugu film HanuMan, made for Rs 20 crore, becomes 1st blockbuster of 2024 surpassing KGF 1 and Kantara in 1st weekend box office collections

The recent Telugu superhero movie ‘HanuMan,’ which stars Teja Sajja in the lead role, has surpassed the first-weekend box office collections of the superhit Kannada films ‘KGF Chapter 1’ and ‘Kantara’ and seems to be at par with Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa’ on its third day of release.

With estimated opening weekend earnings of Rs 40 crore, ‘HanuMan,’ which was made at a budget of Rs 20 crore, has outperformed some big-budget films’ opening weekend totals paving its way to become the first blockbuster of the year 2024.

According to film industry tracker Sacnilk, the film grossed Rs 64.75 crore within four days of its release in India. The movie brought in a net revenue of Rs 15.2 crore on its fourth day of release in theatres. In light of its success at the global box office, the movie has brought in a total of Rs 94.75 crore, including Rs 30 crore from overseas and Rs 55.85 crore from India.

Comparing it with KGF and Kantara, KGF had collected Rs 10.75 crore and Rishabh Shetty’s Kantara had collected Rs 3.7 crore on the first Monday of its release.

Aside from this, the movie brought in about Rs 40 crore over its opening weekend. On the first day, it made Rs 8 crore, but after that, there was a significant increase. The movie brought in Rs 28.21 crore in Telugu and Rs 0.19 crore in Tamil. Similarly, it made Rs 0.19 crore in Kannada and Rs 0.06 crore in Malayalam.

Specifically speaking of the Hindi version, it brought in Rs 2.70 crore on Friday and Rs 4.85 crore on Saturday. Sunday’s revenue, however, was Rs 7.65 crore. As a result, the movie brought in Rs 15.20 crore net across the Hindi belt in just three days.

Comparing Kantara’s and KGF’s earnings in the Hindi belt, Kantara made Rs 7.52 crore and KGF Chapter 1 made Rs 9.20 crore over their first weekends, respectively. This indicates unequivocally that Hanuman has vanquished both of them. In terms of earnings, HanuMan is almost at par with the movie Pushpa, which grossed 12.68 crores in its first weekend.

Confirming the same, film trade analyst Taran Adarsh wrote on X on Monday, “Here’s the big surprise… #HanuMan first *3-day* [opening weekend] total is higher than #KGF [first part] and #Kantara, at par with #Pushpa [note: all #Hindi dubbed versions]… Yes, you read it right! #HanuMan emerges first hit of 2024… Packs an impressive total in its *opening weekend*… While mass pockets continue to dominate, the national chains have also joined the party… Fri 2.15 cr, Sat 4.05 cr, Sun 6.06 cr. Total: ₹ 12.26 cr. #India biz. Note: #Hindi version.”

Owing to the love the audiences are showering on the Telugu mythological movie HanuMan, there is a possibility that it may soon join the 100 crore club.

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