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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Fake IAS officer among 5 held at Indo-Nepal border attempting to cross sides
Bahraich (UP) (PTI): Five persons, including a man posing as an IAS officer, were arrested by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) at the India-Nepal Rupaideha border in Bahraich district while allegedly attempting to enter the neighbouring country in a vehicle that had a red-blue beacon and hooter, police said on Monday.
Circle Officer of Nanpara, Pahup Kumar Singh, told reporters that the incident occurred around 7.30 pm on Sunday when an Innova Crysta with a Uttar Pradesh registration plate and flashing beacon was stopped by SSB personnel at the border during routine checks.
During questioning, one of the occupants identified himself as Dharmendra and claimed to be an IAS officer posted at the Lucknow Secretariat.
However, the SSB, Rupaideha police and other security agencies conducted a detailed inquiry and found that none of them was an IAS officer, nor were they authorised to use a red-blue beacon, the officer said.
The vehicle was registered in Lucknow in the name of a firm, Priya Agencies, owned by the wife of the accused Dharmendra, he added.
The arrested persons were identified as Dharmendra Singh, Shubham Bajpai, Anmol Singh, Sachin Singh and Swapnal Sahay, all residents of Lucknow.
During interrogation, they admitted they were heading to casinos in Nepal to gamble.
Police recovered Rs 2.17 lakh in cash, six mobile phones, an electronic chip device and a power bank from their possession. A case has been registered against them under Section 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and further investigation is underway, Singh said.
