A group of individuals forcibly entered the revered Mata Tekri temple in Dewas city late Friday night, April 11, after it had closed, and allegedly assaulted the priest for denying them entry, police said.

While the opposition Congress alleged that the son of a BJP MLA was among the intruders, authorities have yet to confirm this claim.

According to the priest’s complaint filed at Kotwali police station, Jitu Raghuvanshi, a known figure with a criminal history, arrived at the hilltop temple with a group in eight to ten cars.

When the priest refused to open the gates, the group reportedly hurled abuses and physically attacked him, said City Superintendent of Police Dinesh Agrawal on Saturday. “An FIR has been registered, and we are reviewing footage from around 50 CCTV cameras to identify the culprits,” Agrawal told reporters, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Social media videos circulating online showed several cars, some with red beacons, parked near the temple’s base, fueling speculation about the group’s composition.

Congress city president Manoj Rajani pointed fingers at a BJP MLA’s son, criticizing, “A so-called Sanatani should be ashamed of such actions. The MLA needs to watch his son closely.”

A 30-year-old Indian Police Service (IPS) officer has been charged with rape in Nagpur, Maharashtra, for allegedly assaulting a 28-year-old woman doctor under the false promise of marriage, officials said on Sunday, April 13.

The case was registered on Saturday at Imamwada Police Station following the woman’s complaint, and an investigation is underway.

The complainant, a doctor pursuing her MBBS at the time, met the accused through Instagram in November 2022, when he was preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams. Their online interactions evolved into phone calls, fostering a friendship, PTI reported.

According to police, the officer promised to marry her, leading to a physical relationship. However, after securing his IPS selection, he began avoiding her and refused to honor the marriage commitment. The woman, distressed by his family’s lack of response, approached the police, prompting the rape case.

Authorities are probing the allegations, with the officer’s conduct under scrutiny, raising questions about accountability within the elite service.

In a separate incident, Vishal Gawli, a 35-year-old man accused of raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl in Kalyan, Thane district, in December 2024, was found dead in Taloja Central Jail, Navi Mumbai, early Sunday. Kharghar police reported that Gawli allegedly hanged himself with a towel in the prison toilet around 3:30 a.m. Prison staff discovered his body, and a spot inspection was conducted.

The body was sent to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for a postmortem to confirm the cause of death. Gawli’s suicide has shocked authorities, who are now reviewing prison safety protocols. The two cases, though unrelated, highlight the gravity of sexual violence issues in Maharashtra, with police under pressure to deliver justice and address systemic concerns.

In a strongly worded intervention, the Calcutta High Court on Saturday directed the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Murshidabad and other violence-hit districts of West Bengal, following widespread unrest over the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The court said that constitutional courts “cannot be a mute spectator” when citizen safety is at risk, and observed that the situation in parts of the state is grave and volatile.

The order comes after protests spiraled into violence across Murshidabad, Malda, Hooghly, and South 24 Parganas, resulting in the deaths of three people, the burning of vehicles, and stone-pelting at security forces.

“We cannot turn a blind eye,” says High Court

The special bench comprising Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury, constituted to hear a petition filed by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, said that the deployment of central forces was necessary as state measures were inadequate and delayed.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to the various reports that have surfaced which prima facie show vandalism in few districts of the state of West Bengal,” the bench observed. “The situation is grave and volatile… action against the culprits must be taken on a war footing.”

The court also directed that both the state and central governments submit detailed reports on the developments. The next hearing has been scheduled for April 17.

Mamata Banerjee: “We will not implement the Waqf Amendment Act”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a public address, declared that her government will not implement the Waqf (Amendment) Act, and questioned the purpose of the ongoing unrest.

“We have made our position clear — we do not support this law. This law will not be implemented in our state. So what is the riot about?” she asked in a social media post, blaming the central government for introducing the legislation.

She further warned against the politicisation of religion and promised legal action against anyone attempting to incite violence under the guise of protest.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose welcomed the court’s decision to bring in CAPF, stating that the judiciary’s timely intervention was necessary. In a video message, he said, “I am glad that the Calcutta High Court stepped in and gave the appropriate decision in appropriate time.”

Meanwhile, Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar cautioned protestors that the police would not tolerate disruptions to law and order. The state police remain on alert as central forces coordinate deployment in sensitive areas.