High Court refuses to interfere in hijab ban decision of Mumbai college
Mumbai(PTI): The Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to interfere in a decision taken by a city-based college to impose a ban on hijab, burka and naqab in its premises.
A division bench of Justices A S Chandurkar and Rajesh Patil said it was not inclined to interfere in the decision taken by the college and dismissed a petition filed against it by nine girl students, who are in the second and third year of a science degree course.
The students moved the HC earlier this month, challenging a directive issued by the Chembur Trombay Education Society's NG Acharya and DK Marathe College imposing a dress code under which students cannot wear a hijab, naqab, burka, stoles, caps and badges inside the premises.
The petitioners claimed such a directive was against their fundamental rights to practice their religion, right to privacy and right to choice. The plea termed the college action as "arbitrary, unreasonable, bad-in-law and perverse".
The petitioner's advocate, Altaf Khan, last week submitted before the HC certain verses from the Quran to support their claim that wearing hijab was an essential part of Islam.
Apart from the right to practice their religion, the petitioners were also relying on their right to choice and privacy while opposing the college's decision, he said.
The college had claimed the decision to ban hijab, naqab and burka in its premises was merely a disciplinary action for uniform dress code and was not against the Muslim community. Senior counsel Anil Anturkar, appearing for the college management, said the dress code was for all students belonging to every religion and caste.
The girls, however, claimed in their plea that such a directive was "nothing but colourable exercise of power".
They initially requested the college management and principal to withdraw the restriction on naqab, burka and hijab and allow it "as a matter of right of choice, dignity and privacy in the classroom".
The girls also raised their grievance against the notice with the chancellor, vice chancellor of the Mumbai University and the University Grants Commission, requesting their intervention "to upkeep the spirit of imparting education to all citizens without discrimination".
However, when the students did not get any response, they filed a petition in the HC.
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Man kills 12-year-old nephew over property dispute in Karnataka’s Sindhanur
Sindhanur: A 12-year-old boy was killed and his mother seriously injured after a man allegedly attacked his elder brother’s family with a knife over a property dispute in Alabanur village of Sindhanur taluk on Wednesday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Nagaraj Siddappa Alvi (12). Amrutha Siddappa (42) sustained serious injuries in the attack. Police said the accused is Basavaraj Rudrappa Alvi, the younger brother of the victim boy’s father.
According to preliminary information, Basavaraj had arrived in Alabanur village on Tuesday and was staying at his mother’s house.
On Wednesday morning, he allegedly went to the house of his brother Siddappa carrying a knife. At the time, Siddappa’s wife Amrutha and children Nagaraj and Dhanush were present in the house.
Police said the accused allegedly attacked them with the knife. Nagaraj died in the incident, while Amrutha and Dhanush suffered serious injuries.
The injured were shifted to the government hospital in the city for treatment.
Deputy Superintendent of Police G. Chandrashekhar visited the spot and gathered information.
Sources said Chinnamma Rudrappa of Alabanur village has two sons Siddappa, who lives in Alabanur, and Basavaraj, who resides in Alliganur village of Siruguppa taluk.
Police suspect the long-standing property dispute between the two brothers led to the fatal attack.
