Karnataka HC orders new survey to find if temple encroached on road
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka High Court has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district to depute the deputy director of land records and a technical team to submit a report on whether a temple there has encroached upon the road or whether the road was built around the temple.
The division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit were hearing a petition alleging that there was illegal encroachment of the road by Sri Sallapuradamma Temple, Hegganahalli Main Road, Sunkadakatte village, Bengaluru.
The road is said to have been blocked by the temple. After assessing the photograph, the high court said the temple seemed to be in the middle of the road.
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The high court had on March 8, 2021, directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to depute an officer to visit the site and file a report.
In its recent order on Thursday, the high court noted that the affidavit by the BBMP was "ambiguous and an attempt was made to create some confusion."
"We are unable to comprehend the statement which in a way indicates the situation that the road is laid around the temple. This report fails to show as to whether there is illegal encroachment and whether the temple has been standing there for ages," it said.
So to obtain a "clear report from an independent authority," the high court directed a new survey and adjourned the hearing for February 9.
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Stripped to identify religion, ears cut off: Muslim hawker from Bihar dies a week after lynching
Police deny religious angle in the case
Patna: Mohammed Athar Hussain, a 55-year-old Muslim cloth vendor, tragically died on Friday, a week after sustaining severe injuries in a horrific lynching, reported The Print.
Hussain, who made his living by selling clothes on a bicycle in the rural areas of Nawada for the last decade, is survived by his wife, Shabnam Parveen, and three children.
Before his death at a government hospital, Hussain recorded a video statement.
In the video, which is doing rounds on social media platforms, Hussain alleged that four men initially locked him in a room. They later returned late at night and, stripped him to find out his religion, identifying him as a "miyan ji" (a Muslim). He claimed the assailants then poured petrol on him, branded him with a hot iron rod, and used pliers to cut off his ear.
Furthermore, he stated, "The assault continued as some were beating with sticks, while others were using pliers to cut off my fingers and ear."
Speaking to The Print, his brother, Mohammed Shaqib, described the shock of seeing his elder brother's picture injured, telling that the family had been dealt a blow from which it would never recover.
No mention of lynching in FIR
Meanwhile, quoting Nawada Sadar SDPO Hulas Kumar, The Print reported that while the victim made serious allegations, his wife did not document the specific claim that her husband was stripped to determine his religion in her initial police complaint, dated December 6.
Furthermore, a senior police official in Patna denied this was a religious lynching, instead terming it a case of "mistaken identity" where the deceased was assaulted under suspicion of theft.
Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar confirmed that both the murder case against the assailants and a separate theft complaint, filed by one of the accused against Hussain, are being probed to reach a logical conclusion.
The DGP told The Print that while the theft case is being investigated, the focus is clearly more on the lynching case.
Following Hussain's death, Nawada Police upgraded the charges, adding Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with the offense of murder.
According to reports, police have successfully arrested nine people in connection with the assault, including four individuals specifically named in the FIR filed by Hussain’s wife.
One of the nine accused, Sikandar Yadav, is the same man who accused Hussain of theft, claiming that this accusation led to the assault.
The statements given by arrested suspects, including Sree Yadav and Ranjan Kumar, reportedly led police to the remaining five accused.
Further probe in this regard is underway.
