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Mangaluru/Udupi, May 20: Islamic scholars belonging to different schools of thoughts including two prominent Qadis have issued special guidelines asking all Muslims in the region to offer prayers and celebrate Eid al-Fitr at home this year in keeping with the extended covid-19 lockdown.

Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan is rather a ‘humanitarian event’ than a fiesta. This year Eid is likely to be observed in coastal Karnataka on May 23 or May 24 depending on sighting of the new moon.  

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Muslims are preparing for — and reconciling itself to — a most unusual Eid bereft of all the usual trappings like huge prayer congregations, ceaseless shopping, social visits and the inviting warmth of an Eid Mubarak embrace.

In their separate messages, Udupi Qadi Bekal Ibrahim Musliyar and Mangaluru Qadi Twaqa Ahmed Musliyar have urged Muslims to refrain from all kinds of public gatherings during Eid. Noting that Muslims in the region have followed all the advisories in issued by the government to contain the spread of coronavirus in the blessed month of Ramadan, they have urged them to follow the guidelines during Eid too.

On social media groups, messages like “no new clothes, just wear your best clothes” are being circulated among family and friends, urging people to fill the festive void with the spirit of giving. The suggestions range from paying a needy child’s school fee or someone’s rent to helping a lockdown-hit trader revive his business.

Following guidelines are issued by the top clerics ahead Eid

1) There will be no Eid prayer in mosques or Eid-gahs. Hence, Muslims should offer Eid al-Fitr prayer in their homes with family members.

2) Distributing Zakat al-Fitr among needy is mandatory. However necessary safety measures should be taken while going out such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distance. As there is lockdown from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day, Zakat al-Fitr can be distributed a day before Eid or on the day of Eid before evening. 

3) Women, children and elderly people should not step out of the houses.

4) Avoid visiting graveyards or other places.

5) All mosques are closed due to lockdown. Hence, observe Eid in a simple way and set an example for the society. 

6) Strictly follow all the guidelines issued by the state and central governments

Mangaluru: The police team investigating the case of bomb planting at the international airport here on January 20, took suspect Aditya Rao to several places in the city where he had frequented in the past few months, police said on Wednesday.

Police had earlier recovered a box from his bank locker at Udupi that contained a white powder which he claimed was cyanide. The substance has been sent to the Forensic Science laboratory for confirmation.

On further interrogation, Rao told police that he had a locker in a bank in Mangaluru also, where he was taken. Only some papers were seen in the locker, police said. He was also taken to the room where he stayed while he was working at a hotel in Balmatta here and to a hardware workshop from where he had purchased some spare parts, they said.

A 'live' explosive device was found in an unattended bag near a ticket counter of the departure gate of the airport here on January 20, triggering a scare before it was defused at a nearby open ground.

Police had released a picture of a man captured on CCTV camera as the suspect who placed the bomb and Rao later surrendered. Meanwhile, sources said the airport authorities got an anonymous call on Monday evening that a bomb had been planted in the airport. After thorough search, it was found to be a hoax. City police commissioner P S Harsha has warned of stringent action against those who make such calls.

Bengaluru, Jan 22: The Bengaluru Police on Wednesday said that the procedure is being followed to hand-over to the Mangaluru Police a suspect who surrendered before it two days after planting an improvised explosive device (IED) at the Mangaluru International Airport.

"He [the suspect] surrendered before police claiming to be responsible for the Mangaluru airport incident. He is being medically examined and we are preparing procedure to hand him over to the Mangaluru team which is already on their way," Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Chetan Singh Rathore told the media persons.

Aditya Rao surrendered before Bengaluru Police today, days after a bag of IED was recovered from Mangaluru airport. He hails from Udupi and has engineering and MBA degrees.

An investigation team of Mangaluru police is flying to Bengaluru to question him. "Mangaluru city police investigation team is flying to Bengaluru shortly to investigate the developments in connection with MIA case..the team will question the suspect and will initiate further necessary legal action," Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru City, tweeted.

According to the police, the IED was recovered from a bag at Mangaluru airport on January 20. It was later defused in an open field by the personnel of the bomb disposal squad.