'Prasad' in temples: SC refuses to examine plea raising food quality concerns
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday refused to examine a plea seeking regulations over the quality of "prasad" or food offerings being distributed at temples, observing its prayers were within the state's domain.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan told the petitioner's counsel that Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 26 said the executive was discharging its function within its limits.
"We are not inclined to entertain the present petition in as much as the prayers made in the petition are within the domain of policy of the state," the bench noted, "if the petitioner so desires, he may make an application to the appropriate authority which would be considered in accordance with law".
The petitioner's counsel asserted that the PIL did not seek publicity while referring to news reports over people falling ill after the consumption of food offerings or "prasad" at various temples.
"Why only restricting it to prasadam? File it for food in hotels, food items that we purchase from the grocery (stores). There may also be adulteration there," the bench remarked.
The petitioner's counsel said it was not the case of temples being at fault as they lacked the wherewithal to check the quality of supplies.
He said though Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had powers, its guidelines lacked teeth and the plea was only seeking it to be regulated.
The bench, however, observed if there were individual cases concerning any temple, the person concerned could approach the respective high court.
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Gujarat ATS nabs labourer for providing information on Coast Guard ships to Pak agent
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Friday arrested a labourer for allegedly sharing sensitive information regarding the movement of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships with a Pakistani agent, said a police official.
Dipesh Gohel, who worked as a welder-cum-labourer at Okha jetty in the coastal Devbhumi Dwarka district, shared sensitive information about ICG ships coming to the jetty with a Pakistan-based woman for a payment of Rs 200 per day, said Superintendent of Police (ATS) K Siddharth.
He has been arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against the government under sections 61 and 147 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the SP told reporters.
The ATS had been keeping a close watch on Gohel after receiving a tip-off that the labourer was in touch with an agent of Pakistan's spy agency ISI or an Army officer. Technical surveillance mounted after the tip-off established that phone calls and messages to Gohel emanated from Pakistan, he said.
"For the past three years, Gohel has been employed by a contractor who repairs Coast Guard vessels at Okha jetty. Gohel came in contact with a woman named Sahima on Facebook nearly seven months ago. The woman then started talking to him on WhatsApp," informed Siddharth.
The woman, who told Gohel that she works for the Pakistan Navy, offered to pay Rs 200 per day if he shares names and numbers of Coast Guard ships arriving at the jetty and their movement, said the police officer.
"Despite knowing that it was illegal, Gohel agreed and started sharing such sensitive information," said the SP.
Since Gohel does not have a bank account of his own, he gave account details of three of his friends. They all received Rs 42,000 in total through UPI during the last seven months from the woman. Gohel used to take cash from his friends against those deposits, said the IPS officer.
