Dine-and-scoot father-son held for cheating posh Mumbai hotels

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January 14, 2019

A father-son duo were arrested for allegedly posing as hotel guests and escaping without paying bills after dining there, police said on Monday.

The two were nabbed after staff at a five-star hotel in Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai alerted police on Saturday, an official said.

He identified the two as 57-year-old Suhas Nerlekar and son Swapnil (32), both residents of Kandivali East.

Explaining the modus operandi, the official said, “They used to book rooms in posh hotels after introducing themselves as businessmen. Before collecting the keys of their rooms, the two would have dinner at the hotel and then sneak away without paying the bill.”

On Saturday, a hotel staffer stopped them while they were making an exit and asked them to pay the bill, he said.

“They were detained as they did not have any money. The police was called in and we arrested the duo under section 420 (cheating) of the IPC,” the Cuffe Parade police station official added.

He said that the accused have reportedly cheated hotels in Colaba and Santa Cruz similarly.

CR local train gets blue indicator to warn commuters

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January 14, 2019

Central Railway has installed a blue indicator light at the entrance of a suburban train coach as a pilot project to warn passengers not to board trains on the verge of departing.

The Mumbai suburban network, among the largest in the world with over 75 lakh daily commuters, faces a perennial problem of people trying to board at the last moment or when the train has picked up speed while departing stations.

“We will monitor the performance of the new blue light visual indicator. Based on commuter feedback, a decision would be taken on installing it in more coaches,” said Sunil Udasi, chief public relations officer of CR.

He said the indicator switches on to warn passengers that boarding a train from thereon is unsafe, adding that the mechanism is linked to the train guard’s beat signal which tells the train’s motorman to proceed ahead.

The indicator mechanism was developed at CR’s Kurla Carshed, he informed.

HC dismisses PIL for more auto, taxi stands in Delhi

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January 14, 2019

The Delhi High Court Monday dismissed a plea alleging that there were not sufficient taxi and auto rickshaw stands in the city and those available were “illegally grabbed” by certain groups.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao rejected the petition after the Delhi government’s counsel said the secretary of NGO Nyayabhoomi has a personal interest.

“You are a beneficiary. At your instance in the PIL (Public Interest Litigation), we will not interfere. Dismissed,” the bench said.

Gujarat implements 10% EWS quota

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January 14, 2019

The BJP-led Gujarat government on Monday implemented 10 per cent reservation in state government jobs and education for the economically weaker sections (EWS) in the general category.

With this, Gujarat has become the first state in the country to implement the new provision.

The constitutional amendment to provide the 10 per cent quota was approved by Parliament last week and had received assent of President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Sunday announced that his government will implement the reservation provision from January 14.

“Happy to state that the Government of Gujarat has decided to implement 10% EWS reservation benefits from 14th January, 2019. It will be implemented in all ongoing recruitment process too wherein there is only advertisement published but first stage of examination is yet to held,” he said in a tweet.

“The economically weaker sections from the general category will get 10 per cent reservation in admissions to higher education and government jobs starting Uttarayan on January 14,” the state government had said in a release.

The new quota will also be implemented in admissions and jobs which were advertised before January 14 but for which the actual process has not started, it said.

In such cases, fresh announcement about the admission process or jobs will have to be made, it further said.

The Gujarat Congress, however, criticised the government’s decision to implement the quota, saying it was done in a hurry as January 14 was a holiday on account of the Uttarayan festival.

Congress to launch ‘Project Shakti’ in Pondy on January 20

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January 14, 2019

Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee will launch on January 20 ‘Project Shakti’, the brain-child of AICC leader Rahul Gandhi, to strength the party from the grassroots-level here.

Minister of Public Works and PCC leader A Namassivayam said in a press release here Monday that AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, project coordinator Praveen Chakravarty, AICC secretary Sanjay Dutt, also in-charge of the Congress party affairs in Puducherry, Territorial Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and Ministers would be among those who would participate in the launch of the project.

Namassivayam said an emergency meeting of the executive committee of the PCC held here yesterday adopted a resolution announcing the formation of the ‘Project Shakti.’

He said that the meeting also through other resolutions decided to distribute handbills door-to-door to bring into focus the ‘monumental failure and blunders’ the Narendra Modi-headed NDA government at the Centre has committed since it assumed office.

The executive committee meeting was attended among others by the Chief Minister, Ministers, Deputy Speaker V P Sivakolundhu and party MLAs.

Pandya, Rahul tender unconditional apology; BCCI members demand SGM

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January 14, 2019

Suspended cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul on Monday tendered “unconditional” apologies for their sexist comments during a TV chat show amid CoA chief Vinod Rai saying that the BCCI should correct the two players, not end their careers.

However, despite the apologies tendered by the duo, 10 BCCI units demanded a Special General Meeting to appoint an ombudsman for carrying out an inquiry. Rai’s fellow Committee of Administrators (CoA) member Diana Edulji wants an inquiry done by CoA and the BCCI office-bearers.

“Yes, Hardik and Rahul have submitted their reply to the fresh showcause notices that were served to them. They have tendered unconditional apology. The CoA chief has instructed the CEO to conduct an inquiry as per clause 41 (c) of the new BCCI constitution,” a senior BCCI official told agencies on conditions of anonymity.

Edulji fears a “cover up” in the controversy, triggered by Pandya and Rahul’s much-condemned statements on ‘Koffee with Karan’ in which they spoke about hookups with multiple women and being casual about it even with their parents. The comments have been described as “inappropriate” by India skipper Virat Kohli.

Brought back midway from the tour of Australia, Pandya and Rahul’s immediate fate hangs in balance with the World Cup less than four months away. Rai, in an e-mail to Edulji, said that the “BCCI is not in the business of ending young careers”.

“Please be assured that the desire to conduct the inquiry is not a desire to ‘cover up’. The interest of cricket in India has to be kept in mind. The off the ground act of the players was deplorable. It was crass as I said immediately after reading the comments,” Rai wrote.

“It is our responsibility to reprimand them, take corrective action, sensitise them of their misdemeanour and then get them back on to the ground once they have suffered the consequences,” he said.

The former CAG stated in his mail that players have been “shamed” after being recalled from an international tour, the ongoing ODI series against Australia, and principles of natural justice demands that they be heard.

“We have shamed them by recalling them from an ongoing tour. We have suspended them from further games. We need to correct them and not bring their career to a cul de sac by indefinitely delaying a decision. These misdemeanours require swift action, with a corrective approach,” he added.

The road to redemption for the duo could prove to be a tricky.

As per the new constitution, the secretary — in this case the acting secretary — can call an SGM on 21 days’ notice but if it has to be an Emergent SGM within 10 days, the board president (acting president) in this case has to convene the meeting.

“It will be interesting what call Khanna will take. If I remember, he once didn’t sign the minutes of SGM fearing that it would be in violation of Supreme Court orders. On another occasion, he didn’t even attend an SGM,” a state unit member, who was present during both the meetings, said.

“There is a possibility that Khanna may instruct Amitabh Chaudhary to call a normal SGM with 21 days’ notice which a secretary is allowed to,” he added.

Lahiri rounds off with 66, finishes T-43rd; Kuchar wins Sony

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January 14, 2019

Anirban Lahiri rounded off the week with a four-under 66 that included six birdies and a double bogey to finish tied 43rd in the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Lahiri totaled seven-under 273 with rounds of 68, 68, 73 and 66.

Matt Kuchar turned in an amazing display of front-running to win the title with a final card of 22-under 258 and win his second title in three starts. He beat his playing partner Andrew Putnam by four strokes after leading by two going into the final round.

In his final round, Lahiri starting from 10th, birdied 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 3rd and 9th. In between, he suffered a three-putt double bogey on Par-3 seventh.

Kuchar was 1-over 36 for the front nine and that gave a lot of others a chance to get into the hunt. Then he had five birdies on the back nine and then he was comfortable and romped home to the win. After a 36 on front nine, he had a 30 on back nine.

Kuchar began the week 63-63 in the first two rounds and then it was 66-66 over the weekend to become the second player to become a multiple winner in this season.

As Putnam was second, there were four others in Tied-third place and they included Marc Leishman (64), Hudson Swafford (64), Chez Reavie (67) and Corey Conners (64).

Kuchar had 115 starts on tour without winning a single a title. Now he has won two of his last three tournaments. In terms of days, the 40-year-old Kuchar waited 1,667 days between his seventh and eighth TOUR wins but it took just 64 days to get this ninth title.

Charge sheet in sedition case ‘politically motivated’: Kanhaiya Kumar

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January 14, 2019

Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and others, named in a charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police in a sedition case on Monday, termed the move as “politically motivated” and questioned its timing, ahead of the parliamentary election.

“The charge sheet is politically motivated. However, we want the charges to be framed and a speedy trial in the case so that the truth comes out. We also want to see the videos that have been placed on record as evidence by the police,” Kumar told agencies.

The Delhi Police also charged former students – Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during an event organised on Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on February 9, 2016 to commemorate the hanging of Parliament-attack mastermind Afzal Guru.

Khalid, who addressed a student gathering at St. Joseph’s College in Bangalore on the “role of youth in safeguarding the Constitution”, said, “We reject the allegations. The move to file the charge sheet three years after the alleged incident is an attempt to divert the attention (of the people) right before (parliamentary) elections. We will fight it out in court.”

Others charged in the case are Aquib Hussain, Mujeeb Hussain, Muneeb Hussain, Umar Gul, Rayeea Rassol, Bashir Bhat and Basharat.

As many as 36 others, including Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja’s daughter Aprajita, Shehla Rashid (then vice-president of the JNUSU), Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Banojyotsna Lahiri have been named in column 12 of the charge sheet due to insufficient evidence against them, police sources said.

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) leader Shehla Rashid, who had led the campaign for the release of Kumar and other students, said, “This is a completely bogus case in which ultimately everyone will be acquitted. The timing of the charge sheet right before the elections just reflects how the BJP wants to reap electoral benefits out of this. I was not even on campus on the day of the event.”

CPI Leader D Raja said, “It is politically motivated. After three years Delhi police is filing the charge sheet in the case. We will fight it legally in court and politically outside court.”

Australian Open: Prajnesh loses in straight sets to American Tiafoe

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January 14, 2019

Prajnesh Gunneswaran’s maiden Grand Slam appearance ended in disappointment after American Frances Tiafoe defeated the Indian in straight sets in the opening round of the Australian Open on Monday.

Tiafoe defeated Gunneswaran 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 6-3 to set up a second round clash with big South African Kevin Anderson.

World No. 39 American beat the Indian qualifier in a match that lasted an hour and 52 minutes.

Guuneswaran fought hard in the first set which went into the tie-breaker after both players held their serve till the 12th game.

In the tie-breaker, Tiafoe got a mini-break and then closed the set at 9-7 in the tie-breaker.

Once he won the first set, the American completely dominated the 106th ranked Indian in the second and third sets respectively.

Prajnesh’s first serve let him down in the second set and his success rate was 43 percent compared to 72 per cent of the American.

Tiafoe converted two break points in the third and sixth game of the second set to take it 6-3.

In the final set, Tiafoe got an important break of serve against the left-handed Gunneswaran in the eighth game and then closed the match in the ninth game to end India’s lone challenge in the singles event.

In the women’s event, Ankita Raina and Karman Kaur Thandi failed to cross the early hurdle losing in the second and first round respectively in the qualifiers.

PM receives Philip Kotler award for his outstanding leadership

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January 14, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award which focuses on the triple bottom line of the ‘people, profit and planet’. It’s offered annually to the leader of a nation, a statement from the Prime Minister’s office said.

According to the award citation, Modi was selected for his “outstanding leadership for the nation”. His selfless service towards India, combined with his tireless energy has resulted in extraordinary economic, social and technological advances in the country,” it read.

The citation also states that under his leadership, India is now identified as the centre for innovation and value added manufacturing (Make in India), as well as a global hub for professional services such as information technology, accounting and finance. The statement quoted the citation as saying Modi’s visionary leadership has also resulted in the digital revolution (Digital India) which includes the Unique Identification Number, Aadhaar, for social benefits and financial inclusion.

The statement further read that the mentions initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India, Digital India and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which have positioned India as one of the most lucrative manufacturing and business destinations in the world.

Philip Kotler is a professor of marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. Owing to his ill health, Jagdish Sheth of EMORY University, Georgia was deputed to confer the award to Modi.