UP Court orders Muslims to handover 600-year-old Dargah to Hindus
Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh: On Monday, the Baghpat District Court in Uttar Pradesh dismissed a decades-old petition filed by a group of Muslims seeking ownership of a site containing a graveyard and the dargah of Sufi saint Sheikh Badruddin Shah. Civil Judge Shivam Dwivedi, refusing to entertain the plea, issued an order directing the Muslim side to hand over the dargah to Hindus.
The dargah of Sufi saint Badruddin Shah, believed to be 600 years old, is located in Barnawa village of Baghpat district. Disputes surrounding the site began 53 years ago when a group of Hindus claimed it as the location of the 'Lakshagriha,' mentioned in the Mahabharata, a palace built by Duryodhana to burn the Pandavas to death.
In 1970, the dargah caretaker, Mukeem Khan, approached the court, alleging that a Hindu mob had trespassed inside the dargah and attempted to offer prayers. Seeking ownership of the land and legal protection against Hindu encroachment, Khan aimed to prevent desecration of graves and halt 'havan' ceremonies on the premises. The case was transferred to the Baghpat court from Meerut.
After five decades, the court's decision favored the 'Lakshagriha' claim reignited by Hindu nationalists in recent times. The court emphasized a technical loophole – whether the disputed site was designated as a 'waqf property' or a 'graveyard' in 1920, a point the Muslim side failed to establish.
Advocate Ranveer Singh Tomar, representing the respondents, stated, "We presented all the evidence of Lakshagriha in the court based on which the court rejected the petition of the Muslim side." Meanwhile, Advocate Shahid Khan, representing the petitioners, expressed their intent to move to a higher court to present their case.
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Student killed, six others injured after auto rickshaw overturns in UP's Ballia
Ballia (PTI): A 21-year-old student died and six others were seriously injured when the auto rickshaw they were travelling in overturned in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district on Friday, police said.
The accident occurred near Naurangiya village of Ubhaon area on Friday morning, they said.
The auto rickshaw, full of passengers, overturned while trying to save a motorcyclist who suddenly came in front of the auto, Station House Officer Vipin Singh said.
Upon receiving information about the accident police reached the spot and took the injured passengers along with the auto driver to a hospital, Singh said.
Shilpi Maurya, a student was declared dead by doctors while the other injured are undergoing treatment, he said.
The body has been sent for postmortem, he added.
