Nine students move Bombay HC over college's ban on hijab, naqab, burka in classroom
Mumbai, Jun 14: Nine students have moved the Bombay High Court challenging a directive issued by their college imposing a ban on hijab, burka and naqab in the classroom.
In their petition, the girls said the ban imposed by the Chembur Trombay Education Society' s NG Acharya and DK Marathe College was "arbitrary, unreasonable, bad-in-law and perverse".
A bench headed by Justice AS Chandurkar will hear the petition next week.
As per the plea, on May 1, a notice along with a message was circulated on the college's WhatsApp group, which includes faculty members and students, imposing a dress code restriction on burka, naqab, hijab, badges, cap and stole.
The petitioners, who are second and third year degree students, said such a directive was "nothing but colourable exercise of power".
The naqab, burka and hijab are an integral part of the petitioners' religious belief and imposing a ban on it was violative of their fundamental rights, the plea contended.
The petitioners 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".
They also raised their grievance against the notice with the chancellor and vice chancellor of the University as well as University Grants Commission requesting their intervention "to upkeep the spirit of imparting education to all citizens without discrimination".
However, when they did not get any response, the students filed a petition in HC, the plea said, adding the notice was issued without any authority of law and was hence bad-in-law, null and void.
The plea sought the High Court to quash the notice.
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Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of killing husband during honeymoon in Meghalaya, granted bail
Shillong (PTI): A court in Meghalaya on Tuesday granted bail to Indore resident Sonam Raghuvanshi, who allegedly got her husband killed during their honeymoon in the northeastern state in 2025.
Sonam’s husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, went missing on May 23 last year during the couple’s honeymoon, and his mutilated body was found on June 2 from a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra area of East Khasi Hills district. Sonam and several others, including her alleged boyfriend, were arrested in the case.
"The accused has been granted bail by the court. However, necessary legal procedures are being followed and the police will continue to pursue the matter as per law," SP Vivek Syiem told PTI.
According to police, Indore-based transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi married Sonam on May 11, 2025, in Indore, and the couple left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20.
The autopsy report of Raja Raghuvanshi indicated that he was hit twice with a sharp object on his head.
Sonam surrendered on June 8 before the police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district.
In September last year, the Meghalaya Police submitted a 790-page charge sheet, naming eight people, including his wife Sonam and her alleged boyfriend, as the accused.
