Mangaluru: Madrasa students take out rallies to mark Eid Milad

Bengaluru, May 26: The state government today hinted that places of religious worship belonging to Hindus will be allowed to reopen from June 1, keeping social distancing and other norms in place.

In principle, the government has decided to open temples coming under the Muzrai department after Lockdown 4.0 ends on May 31. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

“Movement of people on air and rail has started. We have been receiving repeated pleas from devotees that temples should be opened. When this was discussed with the CM during a review of the Muzrai department, it was decided that temples can start from June 1,” Muzrai Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary told reporters. 

Poojary said all day-to-day activities will be allowed in temples. “But religious fairs and ceremonies will not be permitted,” he said. 

Mosques and churches

Asked whether his government will allow opening of mosques and churches too from June 1, he replied that they don't come under his Muzrai dept.

Howvever, government sources said this may apply to mosques, churches and other places of religious worship as well. However, this decision will be subject to whether or not the Centre will allow places of religious worship to be open for the public after Lockdown 4.0, an official said. 

All places of religious worship have been closed for the public ever since Karnataka enforced a state-wide lockdown on March 24 to contain COVID-19. 

New Delhi, May 14: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Al-Hind Islamic State (IS) Bengaluru module case has announced a cash reward of Rs three lakh for wanted absconder Abdul Mateen Taahaa.

An NIA spokesperson in Delhi said, "We have declared a cash reward of Rs three lakh for providing any information leading to arrest of Taahaa." The spokesperson said that Taahaa, 26, a resident of Shimoga in Karnataka is wanted in Al-Hind ISIS Bengaluru module case that the agency registered this year. The NIA had taken over the probe from the Karnataka Police.

According to the NIA officials, the case relates to ISIS-linked terror group formed by arrested accused Mehboob Pasha, along with accused Khaja Moideen aka Jalal and his associates involved in the murder of a Hindu leader in Tamil Nadu. The official said that Pasha conducted several meetings in 2019 at his residence in Bengaluru to hatch the conspiracy, by radicalising and recruiting other co-accused to carry out terror activities and join ISIS in Afghanistan or Syria.

The NIA has arrested 12 accused namely Pasha, Imran aka Imran Khan, Mohammed Haneef Khan, Mohammed Mansoor Ali Khan, Saleem Khan aka Kolar Saleem, Hussain Sharieff, Ejaz Pasha aka Azaz Pasha, Zabiulla, Syed Azmathulla, Syed Fasiur Rehman, Mohammed Zaid and Sadiq Basha.

The official said that Taahaa is a friend of arrested accused Saleem and Zaid, through whom he contacted arrested accused Pasha of Al-Hind Trust and was also associated with his online foreign handler.

New Delhi, Feb 20: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the non-bailable warrants issued against the state Director General of Police (DGP) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) by the Karnataka High Court.

A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde stayed the non-bailable warrants while hearing a plea filed by the Karnataka government.

Earlier today, the apex court had agreed to hear the matter today itself after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter before it.

Tushar Mehta had pointed that Home Secretary has been asked by the High Court to execute the non-bailable warrants and said that this order is "unusual".

Karnataka High Court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against the top cops in a case.