Top Stories

Lucknow, Sep 13 (IANS) A strange trail of lights in the skies of Lucknow on Monday evening have left people stumped.

Local residents captured the blinking lights on their cameras and shared videos on social media platforms.

Some found it a celestial event while others termed it 'strange'.

The video was recorded by residents of Malihabad in the Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh.

Sources, however, said that it was a Starlink-51 satellite train.

On September 4, Elon Musk-owned SpaceX had sent a space tug aloft along with another big batch of its Starlink internet satellites.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the east coast of Florida, carrying 51 Starlink internet satellites to orbit.

SpaceX has already sent more than 3,000 Starlink satellites into orbit, in an effort to create a huge constellation for broadband service targeted for remote areas.

The company founded by Musk has also launched more than 25 Starlink-centric missions in 2022 already. The September 4 launch was SpaceX's 40th of the year and continued to add to the Starlink mega constellation.

Some people on Twitter even said it could be an unidentified flying object (UFO).

--IANS
amita/khz/

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Jitendra Tyagi, formerly known as Wasim Rizvi, accused for making alleged inflammatory speeches against Muslims in Dharam Sansad case.

A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and B.V. Nagarathna directed Tyagi not to indulge into such alleged activities anymore and also furnish an undertaking before the trial court that he will not address electronic media or social media. At the end of August, the apex court had declined to extend Tyagi's interim bail, granted on medical grounds, and directed him to surrender.

On Monday, the top court said that Tyagi should be produced before the trial court within three days and he should be released on bail on terms and conditions to the satisfaction of the court.

It made it clear that if he breaches any of the bail conditions, the prosecution may move an application seeking cancellation of his bail.

On May 17, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail for three months to Tyagi arrested in connection with hate speeches at the Haridwar Dharam Sansad held in December last year. The top court imposed a condition that Tyagi would not indulge in hate speech and give a statement to any media.

The top court had told counsel representing Tyagi to ask his client not to indulge in hate speech, as harmony has to be maintained in society. Uttarakhand government counsel submitted before the top court that Tyagi could only be released on bail if he mended his ways and also assured that he would not indulge into making hate speeches.

The state government added that if one wants to talk about her/his religion is not a problem, but the person should not indulge in hate speech against other religions. In January this year, the Uttarakhand Police arrested him for inflammatory speech at the event in Haridwar.

--IANS
ss/vd

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit, has approved the appointment of 20 judges to high courts of Punjab and Haryana, Bombay, and Karnataka.

According to a statement uploaded on the apex court website, the Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on September 12, 2022 has approved the proposal for elevation of the following judicial officers as judges in the Punjab & Haryana High Court: Gurbir Singh, Deepak Gupta, Amarjot Bhatti, Ritu Tagore, Manisha Batra, Harpreet Kaur Jeewan, Sukhvinder Kaur, Sanjiv Berry, and Vikram Aggarwal.

Another statement uploaded on the apex court website said: "The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 12th September, 2022 has approved the proposal for elevation of the following Advocates as Judges in the Bombay High Court: Santosh Govindrao Chapalgaonkar, and Milind Manohar Sathaye."

The top court in a statement said: "The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 7th September, 2022 has approved the proposal for appointment of the following Additional Judges as Permanent Judges in the Karnataka High Court: Justice Mohammed Ghouse Shukure Kamal, Justice Rajendra Badamikar, and Justice Khazi Jayabunnisa Mohiuddin."

According to another statement, the Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on September 7, 2022 has approved the proposal for elevation of the following judicial officers as judges in the Bombay High Court: Sanjay Anandrao Deshmukh, Yanshivraj Gopichand Khobragade, Mahendra Wadhumal Chandwani, Abhay Sopanrao Waghwase, Ravindra Madhusudan Joshi, and Vrushali @ Shubhangi Vijay Joshi.

--IANS
ss/vd

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) Petitioners in the hijab ban case on Monday told the Supreme Court that Karnataka High Court faulted by holding wearing of the headscarf is not an essential practice of Islam, contending that since the court had no expertise in the field, it should not have gone into the issue of whether hijab was an essential religious practice by interpreting the Quran.

Senior advocate Yusuf Mucchala submitted before a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia that human dignity is a constitutionally protected facet and scriptures say people have to observe modesty and wearing of the headscarf may be a personal marker in this context.

He said interpreters and scholars may disagree, but if a woman thinks wearing hijab is right, then she should follow it. "It is not the job of the courts to say follow one and don't follow the other," he said.

He added further that the Karnataka High Court used one interpretation of the Quran against another to give a finding on the essentiality of the hijab, which is objectionable.

The bench replied that it had no option, as the petitioners claimed it to be essential religious practice. "What option does the high court have but to point it out? Now you say the high court cannot do this."

Muchhala said it is only judicial wisdom to not touch a field in which the court has no expertise and the court should have stayed away from it. "When HC encountered the question, it should have said hands off, we cannot look into that," he said.

He said whether hijab is a fundamental right or not is applicable here and the question here is not about religious denomination but an individual's fundamental rights.

The apex court was hearing submissions on the fourth day against the Karnataka High Court's judgement of March 15 upholding ban on hijab in pre-university colleges.

The high court found no infirmity in the state government's order that virtually banned the wearing of hijab by Muslim girls studying in pre-university colleges.

The top court scheduled the matter for further hearing on September 14.

--IANS
ss/vd

Bhubaneswar, Sep 12 (IANS) As many as 2,231 missing persons were reunited with their families during a 10-day special drive conducted by Odisha Police, the police said on Monday.

The police in coordination with the Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAW&CW) of the Odisha crime branch carried out the drive from September 1 to 10 to trace missing persons.

Out of the total persons traced, 1,536 are female and 390 are male. The police traced 305 minors, including 272 girls, during the drive, the state crime branch informed in a tweet.

On the other hand, the state transport authority (STA) in association with the police has conducted a drive against drunk driving from September 7 to 9.

During the three-day drive, a total of 599 people were found driving under the influence of alcohol, of which 222 drunk drivers were arrested in accordance with the directives of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, an official said.

Similarly, 338 driving licences have been confiscated for suspension. A total of 455 prosecution reports (PRs) have been submitted to courts for further action.

Besides, 1,568 other cases have been detected for violation of Motor Vehicles Act, against whom 1,532 e-challans have been issued.

Despite a set of strict laws and regulations, drunk driving continues to be one of the major reasons behind road accidents in India. As many as 246 road accidents took place in Odisha in 2021 due to drunken driving, claiming the lives of 79 people besides injuring 151 others.

The amended Motor Vehicles Act says that in the case of drunken driving, first-time offenders will face imprisonment up to six months and/or fine up to Rs 10,000 and the second offence can lead to up to two years' prison term and/or fine of Rs 15,000.

--IANS
bbm/arm

Bengaluru, Sep 12 (IANS) The Karnataka government's cyber security centre of excellence, CySecK, has tied up with IT major Dell Technologies to develop enhanced security practices in the state, especially among students.

After the MoU was signed on Monday, Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, Karnataka minister for higher education and IT/BT, said that the MoU will facilitate imparting cyber security awareness and practices to students, start-ups and public offices. He added that this will also benefit small and medium scale enterprises.

As per the agreement, Dell will provide learning of cyber safety practices through its interactive courses and will be available both in Kannada as well as in English, the minister informed.

Dell will also contribute to the start-up ecosystem of the state through its 'Ascend' initiative. This will help in expanding the start-up market in the state, he opined.

To achieve the target of the state becoming a 300 billion dollar digital economy by 2025, putting in place an efficient cyber security system is very necessary, Narayan stated.

Dr Karthik Rao Bappanadu, Head, CySecK, stated that the centre is working to expand the cyber security practices to tier 2 and 3 centres also.

--IANS
pvn/bg

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) Counsel representing petitioners challenging the Karnataka High Court judgment on hijab on Monday told the Supreme Court that women who wear hijab must not be looked upon as caricatures, and when wearing of a turban is not objected to, then why object to this head covering?

Senior advocate Yusuf Mucchala, representing some petitioners, submitted that women who wear hijab must not be looked upon as caricatures and they must be looked at with dignity. He said they are strong-willed women and nobody can impose their judgement on them.

As a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia queried that if his main argument is that it is an essential religious practice, Mucchala said his argument is that it is his right under Articles 25(1)(a), 19(1)(a) and 21, and on a conjoint reading of these rights, his fundamental rights are violated.

"What is the crime these little girls are committing? Putting a piece of cloth on their head?"

He added if wearing of a turban is not objected to and it shows that there is tolerance for diversity, then why object to the hijab.

Mucchala said two rights are given -- freedom of religion and freedom of conscience -- and they complement each other and added that the high court should not have gone into issue whether hijab was an essential religious practice by interpreting the Quran, as it did not have the expertise in the field.

The bench replied that it had no option, as the petitioners claimed it to be essential religious practice. Mucchala said whether hijab is a fundamental right or not is applicable here and the question here is not about religious denomination but an individual's fundamental right.

Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, representing some petitioners, submitted that one would wear a prescribed uniform, but the question is whether a person can wear anything more which is important for her culture.

As the bench asked Khurshid what was his view on hijab being an essential religious practice, he said it can be seen as religion, conscience, and culture, and also can be seen as individual dignity and privacy.

Khurshid added that there is no binary like obligatory and non-obligatory in Islam. "What is in the Quran is obligatory," he said. He added that revelations in the Quran are not man-made, they are the word of God, which came through the Prophet and it is mandatory.

He also said he will not say uniform must be dispensed with, but there is something in addition with the uniform which should be permitted.

He submitted that the idea of unity in diversity comes from this preservation of composite culture, and added that one of his clients is a Sikh woman, as some of them have started wearing turbans, the issue may arise for them too.

Khurshid also distinguished between burqa, hijab, and jilbab through pictures, and emphasised on the importance of cultural identity.

"Ghoonghat is considered very essential in UP or north India. When you go to the gurudwara, people always cover their heads. This is culture."

He further added that in mosques in some countries, people don't cover their head, but in India people wear a head cover, and this is culture.

After hearing detailed arguments, the top court scheduled the matter for further hearing on September 14.

The apex court is hearing submissions on the fourth day against the Karnataka High Court's judgement of March 15 upholding ban on hijab in pre-university colleges.

--IANS
ss/vd

Bengaluru, Sep 12 (IANS) The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has intensified operations to remove encroachments in flood-affected regions of the state capital even as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said there is no question of any disparity in the drive.

Talking to reporters in Vidhana Soudha, Bommai said eviction notices have been served on those who have built the buildings or houses on Rajakaluve (storm water channel), causing problems in the free flow of water or closing it totally, to clear them.

He said the recent floods had affected not only IT/BT companies and workers but also the common people as houses in low-lying areas too faced problems. The work on removal of all encroachments will be completed, he said.

Replying to a question, Bommai said the government has sought directions from courts in many cases. The courts will be seriously apprised of the situation. Several directions have been issued by courts in connection with flood related cases in the past. This time, the encroachments will be removed on a big scale, he added.

Meanwhile, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said that directions have been given for authorities to clear 600 structures which have encroached the storm water drains in Bengaluru.

The operation has been intensified in Mahadevapura zone which houses major IT and BT companies - was the worst-affected during the recent heavy rains. Sources stated that one of the famous IT park owners in C.V. Raman Nagar had prevented the BBMP officials, who came to vacate encroachment, from their work.

Notice has been served to more than 15 owners of villas located on the Rainbow Drive Layout, which literally sunk in the water. The people had to be evacuated in boats and tractors from the layout. The owners have been asked to vacate the encroachments by themselves, and warned that if they do not do so, the BBMP would do it and owners have to bear the expenses.

--IANS
mka/vd

Bengaluru, Sep 12 (IANS) With the proposal mooted by Karnataka Sahitya Parishat, the nodal agency for promotion of Kannada language has run into a controversy with the Karnataka Jain community opposing the idea of renaming the arterial AdiKavi Pampa road of the Chamarajpet locality in Bengaluru.

The president of Karnataka Sahitya Parishat, Mahesh Joshi has sent a proposal to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to rename AdiKavi Pampa Road as 'Kannada Sahitya Parishat Road'. Karnataka Jain Association has registered a strong protest in this regard.

The association has stated that such a move is an insult to the Jain poet. Kannada litterateurs have also objected to the proposal. They maintain that AdiKavi Pampa has a special place in the realms of Kannada literature.

Representatives of the Jain community from all over Karnataka have submitted a memorandum to the President of the Parishat requesting withdrawal of the proposal to change the road's name.

AdiKavi Pampa Road is situated between a short stretch of the Minto Hospital and Makkala Koota Park. The Parishat has grand plans of elevating this total stretch of road to promote Kannada language. The office bearers of the Parishat have also decided to meet Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in this regard.

Mahesh Joshi has defended the proposal to change the name as the decision has been made after studying roads being developed on specific themes in foreign countries. "This stretch of road will be elevated in such a way that it is going to be a feast for lovers of Kannada language," he said.

"The plan is being made in such a way that every tourist who visits Bengaluru would be compelled to visit this stretch. All stakeholders on this stretch of road have been invited to discuss the proposal," he explained.

"Statues of major Kannada litterateurs would come up, Kannada songs would be played and special lighting arrangements would be made, popular statements by Kannada writers would be installed as per the proposal," Mahesh Joshi stated.

--IANS
mka/kvd

Ayodhya, Sep 12 (IANS) The cost of construction of the grand Ram temple is expected to be around Rs 1,800 crores.

Champat Rai, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, told reporters that this was a revised estimate.

He said this after a meeting of the trust on Sunday evening.

The Trust also finalised its rules and regulations in the meeting that was presided over by Nripendra Misra, chairman of the Ram temple construction committee.

"After several revisions, we have reached this estimate. Even this might go up," Rai said about the construction cost.

The Trust has also decided to use white marble in construction of the idol of Lord Ram.

Idols of several other deities of the Ramayan era will also come up at the Ram temple.

"Rules and regulations of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust have been finalised. We have been working on it for the past several months," Champat Rai said.

The construction of the temple is expected to be completed by December 2023 and Lord Ram is expected to be seated in the sanctum sanctorum by the Makar Sankranti festival in January 2024, Rai said.

He also said 14 of the 15 trust members attended the meeting.

--IANS
amita/shs