Muslim women can pray in mosques, reiterates HC
A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J Sreenivas Rao of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday dismissed a writ appeal filed by the Muthawali Committee of Ibadathkhana Hussaini challenging a prior court order allowing women of the Akbari sect to enter and take part in majlis (congregational prayers) inside the mosque.
The original ruling, which granted women access to the ibadathkhana, had included interpretations of Quranic verses. In its orders on Wednesday, the high court expunged these specific religious interpretations, focusing solely on the legal aspects of the case.
The Anjumane Alavi Shia Imamia Athna Ashari Akhbari had earlier filed a writ petition against the Muthawali Committee, contesting its refusal to allow entry to women for prayer. The single-judge bench initially ruled in favour of allowing women to participate in prayers, following which the Muthawali Committee filed the writ appeal.
During the appeal, both parties conceded that Muslim women have an undisputed right to enter a mosque and participate in prayers. However, it was agreed that women are not permitted to lead prayers within the mosque.
Acknowledging this consensus, the bench upheld the right of women to pray but removed any interpretative religious elements from the previous judgment. The high court also directed the mosque authorities to make appropriate arrangements to accommodate women, including designating a separate space for them to conduct their prayer sessions.
Sensitise police on handling animal cruelty cases: HC
Justice B Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court has directed the state government to implement guidelines issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and to train and sensitise police personnel on handling animal cruelty cases.
The court’s ruling came in response to a writ petition filed by the Akhil Bharat Krishi Go Seva Sangh, represented by Dr Shashikala Kopanati and three others, seeking enforcement of AWBI directives on animal welfare.
The petition called for the appointment of a nodal officer for animal welfare in Telangana, not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), and for the police to be trained in dealing with cases of animal cruelty, in accordance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The petitioner argued that failure to implement these guidelines was a violation of both the Indian Constitution and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, stressing the need for the police to take cases of animal cruelty more seriously.
In response, the Government Pleader for Home informed the court that the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of law and order has already been appointed as the nodal officer for animal welfare in Telangana.
Acknowledging this, the court disposed of the writ petition, directing the state government to implement the AWBI circulars and to ensure that police officers are properly trained and sensitised on matters related to animal cruelty.