Clean Israel Lake: HC directs Panvel civic body
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Monday directed the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) to take steps to clean the holy Israel Lake next to the Jewish cemetery in Panvel.
A division-bench of chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice Sandeep Marne gave this direction while listening to a plea by Jewish Heritage Trust, which had earlier alleged contamination of the lake due to sewage flow from surrounding encroachments.
'You are under statutory obligation to take steps for ensuring cleanliness. You cannot shy away from that,' the court said.
The case pertains to a petition filed by the Jewish Heritage Trust, alleging illegal trespass and encroachment on land reserved for the Jewish community's burial rituals. The high court had earlier censured the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) for its apathetic response to encroachments on a 200-year-old Jewish cemetery.
The trust had claimed that the holy lake was being misused by encroachers for discharging drainage waste, and that an illegal slaughterhouse was operating within the encroached area. Furthermore, graves in the cemetery have reportedly been destroyed to facilitate these constructions.
The Jewish Heritage Trust, through trustee Raymond Gadkar, stated that repeated complaints to the PMC since 2019 have gone unanswered. The Trust sought directives from the court to compel the PMC to act against the encroachments to prevent further damage.
The high court has now directed the local body to survey the area and determine the extent of encroachment after listening to all stakeholders.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Watch: Mahmoud Khalil reunites with family after 104 days in detention; vows to speak up for Palestine even if threatened with death
Mahmoud Khalil reunited with family (Photo: AP) Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian rights advocate and Columbia University graduate, was released after spending over three months in US immigration detention, reuniting with his wife and infant son. The 30-year-old legal US resident walked free from a Louisiana facility on Friday evening after a federal judge ruled his detention unconstitutional. Khalil landed at Newark Airport in New Jersey on Saturday. He was met by cheering supporters and walked out with his wife, Noor Abdalla, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Khalil was seen pushing his baby son, Deen, in a stroller, raising his fist with a Palestinian keffiyeh over his shoulders. — MeghnadBose93 (@MeghnadBose93) Khalil, who faced no criminal charges, was among the most well-known pro-Palestinian students targeted by the Trump administration during campus protests against Israel's war on Gaza. ICE agents in plain clothes arrested him in March in front of his pregnant wife. 'If they threaten me with detention, even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine,' Khalil said during a press conference at the airport. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트, 지금 시작하세요 [자세히 보기] 임플란트 더 알아보기 Undo 'I just want to go back and continue the work I was already doing, advocating for Palestinian rights, a speech that should actually be celebrated rather than punished.' His release followed a ruling from federal judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark, who said the government had failed to prove Khalil posed a flight risk or a danger. '[He] is not a danger to the community,' Farbiarz had said. 'Period, full stop.' The judge further concluded that detaining someone over a civil immigration matter amounted to unconstitutional punishment. The Trump administration has filed a notice of appeal, according to NBC. Khalil's release came after mounting public pressure and legal efforts, with support from multiple Jewish students and faculty at Columbia University. Khalil was previously seen as a bridge-builder, acting as a lead negotiator in 2024 between Jewish and pro-Palestinian student groups during the campus protests. During a past CNN appearance, he said: 'The liberation of the Palestinian people and the Jewish people are intertwined and go hand-by-hand, and you cannot achieve one without the other.' Khalil had missed the birth of his son, his graduation, and both Mother's Day and Father's Day while in custody. He had only briefly been allowed to see his newborn once earlier in June. 'This is not over, and we will have to continue to support this case,' said Ocasio-Cortez. 'The persecution based on political speech is wrong, and it is a violation of all of our First Amendment rights, not just Mahmoud's.' Upon his release, Khalil said outside the Jena facility, 'Trump and his administration, they chose the wrong person for this. That doesn't mean there is a right person for this. There is no right person who should be detained for actually protesting a genocide.' 'No one is illegal – no human is illegal,' he added. 'Justice will prevail no matter what this administration may try.' As part of the release conditions, Khalil had to surrender his passport and green card and must stay within specific states including New York, Michigan, and Louisiana, notifying authorities of his address within 48 hours, reports the Independent. On Sunday evening, a rally celebrating his release and demanding freedom for other detained immigrants and Palestinians will be held at the Cathedral of St John the Divine in Manhattan.
India.com
8 hours ago
- India.com
Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei didn't name his son as successor due to...; know real story behind the fear, pressure and inner workings of Iranian politics
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei did not pick his son Mojtaba Khamenei as his successor due to various reasons. (File) Israel-Iran war: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Saturday announced his three chosen successors, amid assassination threats from Israel and its ally United States. But questions are being raised about the Supreme Leader's choices, especially his decision of not picking his only son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as one of the chosen ones to lead the Islamic Republic after his demise. Why Khamenei did not pick his son as successor? According to geopolitical experts, there are a multitude of factors which drove Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's decision to not declare his own son as successor. These factors are a multilayered web of religious, military and public sentiments, which drive the inner workings of Iranian politics, they say. Iran, as a byproduct of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, looks down upon dynasty politics, which the people equate with erstwhile dictatorship of the Shah of Iran. Who is Mojtaba Khamenei and what's his current role? Mojtaba Khamenei is the son of Iran's Supreme Leader and de-facto head of state, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mojtaba, a cleric like his illustrious father, has slowly emerged as a powerful figure in Iranian politics over the last two decades, despite not holding any formal position in the country's government or the Shura Council aka the 'Guardian Council', which oversees Iran's affairs. Mojtaba Khamenei has developed deep ties within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and has emerged as an important bridge between Iran's religious and political sections. While not high-ranking in Iran's clerical order, Mojtaba's work with the IRGC alone could have made him a potential candidate to become his father's successor. But the Ayatollah chose otherwise, and did not name his son as successor as it could've been seen as nepotism, and may have been exploited by Iran's rivals to discredit the regime as another family-ruled dictatorship like the Shah. Notably, when Ayatollah Khamenei became the Supreme Leader of in 1989, he did not promote any particular family to top positions within the government. Does Khamenei fear an Israeli attack on his family? Israel has assassinated many of Ayatollah Khamenei's top advisors, including the one who shaped his decisions, in recent attacks, and experts claim that the Supreme Leader fears that the Jewish state may target his family, especially his son if he names him as successor. Additionally, reports suggest that there are differences within Iran's power centres regarding the 'worthiness' of Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as the new Supreme Leader, with some considering him a worthy successor, while others view his surging influence within the IRGC as a potential red flag. Its believed that Ayatollah Khamenei is following the 'power from behind the scenes' formula, where Mojtaba remains a power player in Iran, but his name never comes up. Notably, Mojtaba Khamenei is considered a 'mid-tier' cleric, but his influence, especially on Iran's political parties, religious institutions and security forces makes him a powerful back-end operator. This means that he would continue to be a powerful behind-the-scenes force in Iran, regardless of who replaces his father as the new Supreme Leader.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Caught on hidden camera: US govt staff Arslan Akhtar admits he coaches illegal immigrants on how to avoid deportation, gets fired
Screengrab from viral sting video in which State Department staff Arslan Akhtar said he coaches illegal immigrants. Arslan Akhtar, a visa specialist working with the State Department, did not know that he was being recorded on a hidden camera when he took pride in saying that he coaches potential illegal aliens, offers them tips on how to avoid deportation. He also called his Jewish co-workers "garbage people" and opined that Elon Musk should be lynched -- speaking to journalist James O'Keefe, who was undercover. The discussion took place inside what looked like a restaurant. The State Department took immediate action and fired Akhtar as the clips for the interview went viral, with social media users asking why a person named Arslan Akhtar got a job in the State Department. The Washington Times confirmed that the department fired Akhtar "upholding the rule of law" as protecting the integrity of the immigration system is essential. The department will also launch a new contractor screening and vetting process, the department said. — StateDept (@StateDept) In the viral video, Akhtar said he gave advice to Hispanic people on avoiding deportation and his first advice is to "keep your mouth shut". 'Sometimes, I do say it to cab drivers that are from, like, Hispanic descent. I'm like, 'Don't talk to the police,'' Akhtar said in the video. 'I'm just saying, like, don't admit the truth. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Descubre cómo los inversionistas están obteniendo beneficios con los CFDs de Amazon. InvestIQ Registrarse Undo That is the ultimate loophole. Always maintain your innocence.' 'Don't give them more information. Don't tell them what you did, because you think being honest will help your case. It does not. Exact opposite. In fact, that's all we're looking for," he said. Akhtar said the State Department is full of Jewish people, "terrible Jewish people", 'like, really garbage people". 'These people are, like, colonists. These people are promoting genocide. These are real awful folks. And you know what the problem is? It's a cultural issue with these guys.' From his experience of working with Jewish organizations he said all of these people (Jews) are awful and they don't want change. On Israelis, he said he hates them to death and Yemenis are the most conniving group of folks next to Indians. 'Mexican people are nice. They never try to lie for no reason, like Bangladeshi people do,' he said. 'It's a culture of hatred, ultimately, and it's a culture of dominance,' Akhtar said on White people. 'They feel like they have the right to dominate everybody. To claim Greenland, to claim Canada, to claim Israel, Palestine.' In a post on X, the State Department said his dismissal was 'just the beginning.' 'These radicals with anti-American views have been embedded in our executive branch for generations and we are systematically cleaning out contractors that have allowed this,' said the Friday post. 'Let us be clear: If you have these views and you work in or with the State Department, we will find you.' On Elon Musk, Akhtar said, 'I would love for him to be dragged out of the building with his hair plugs' and be 'lynched on the street.'
