Woman can seek ‘stridhan’ back if marriage not dissolved: SC

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November 22, 2015

A woman can always seek her ‘stridhan’ back from her husband and his family members even if the marriage has not been dissolved by a judicial decree of divorce, the Supreme Court has ruled.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C Pant distinguished between ‘judicial separation’ and ‘decree of divorce’ and said that the woman, if not divorced, will have the right to seek ‘stridhan’ from the custodians which may include her estranged husband and his family members.

‘Stridhan’ is movable or immovable assets, received during the lifetime, by a woman either prior to marriage or at the time of marriage or at child birth.

“We have to see whether retention of ‘stridhan’ by the husband or any other family members is a continuing offence or not. There can be no dispute that wife can file a suit for realisation of the ‘stridhan’ but it does not debar her to lodge a criminal complaint for criminal breach of trust.

“We need not advert to the same as we are of the considered opinion that as long as the status of the aggrieved person remains and stridhan remains in the custody of the husband, the wife can always put forth her claim under Section 12 of the 2005 (Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act,” the court said in a verdict.

“We are disposed to think so as the status between the parties is not severed because of the decree of dissolution of marriage.

“The concept of ‘continuing offence’ gets attracted from the date of deprivation of stridhan, for neither the husband nor any other family members can have any right over the stridhan and they remain the custodians,” the bench said.

The apex court, while deciding the plea of a woman, quashed the order of a trial court and the Tripura High Court which had held that a woman cannot claim her stridhan after separation from her husband and criminal proceedings cannot be initiated against husband and in-laws for not handing over the properties.

Johnny Depp opens up about sexually fluid Lily-Rose Depp

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2015

American actor/producer Johnny Depp has opened up about daughter Lily-Rose Depp coming out as sexually fluid. The 52-year-old actor has revealed that he was already aware of his 16-year-old daughter’s sexual orientation.

The teenage daughter of the Pirates Of The Caribbean actor and Vanessa Paradis made the announcement in August on Instagram, sharing a photo of herself from the Self Evident Truths Project. According to the project’s founder, iO Tillett Wright, she does not feel completely straight.

“She’s got thousands of followers on social media, and they were all taken completely by surprise,” said Johnny. “But not me. I already knew because she tells me everything – she’s not afraid to say anything to me. We’re super-tight and I’m very proud of our relationship.”

“Lily’s really together – she’s a sharp kid and one of the smartest human beings I have ever met. She’s far surpassed myself there – and my friends, too! And, whatever she is doing, if she needs any advice, I’m there for her. Kids are going to make their own decisions, but I guess that the only thing you can do as a parent is to offer support. And I do,” he added.

However, Johnny is finding it difficult to see his daughter growing up so fast. He said: “What’s happening to Lily-Rose is something that I didn’t expect to happen this early, that’s for sure! It’s such a funny thing when you see your daughter transitioning from your baby, your little girl, to suddenly being a young woman.

“If you’re not really looking for it, you can miss it, and Lily-Rose is on that road already and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. She’s been snatched up by Karl Lagerfeld – which is a coincidence, as he spotted her mother when she was the same age, too – and when I see her with make-up and all that stuff, it’s really disturbing, because she’s a very beautiful girl, and it’s all happening so fast.

“Her becoming an actress was never my dream or my desire for her, but that’s what she enjoys doing, and it’s her passion and it’s where she ended up. And she’s got the goods – she can certainly deliver,” he concluded.

Angelina Jolie’s sons working on ‘First They Killed My Father’

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2015

Love for films and filmmaking is quite evident in Hollywood star Angelina Jolie’s sons Maddox and Pax as the two have joined their mother in the making of her next directorial venture “First They Killed My Father”.

Co-written by Jolie, 40, the film is adapted from a memoir about by Loung Ung about the 1970s genocide in Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge.

Maddox, 14, who originally hails from Combodia, is helping with the research work, while 11-year-old Pax is clicking stills.

“Pax is doing a lot of the stills. The whole movie is from a child’s point of view,” the “Maleficent” actress said.

Maddox also worked as a production assistant on Jolie’s recent movie, “By the Sea”, her first first on-screen collaboration with husband Brad Pitt in 10 years.

David Beckham is ‘very romantic’ : Victoria Beckham

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2015

David Beckham is “very romantic”.

The former soccer star loves to “surprise” his wife Victoria Beckham and she has revealed his commitment to family is what drew her to him in the first place.

She shared: “David is very romantic and we regularly do lovely things to surprise each other.

“The first time I met David, nearly 20 years ago, we were at a football match. After the game all the other players were having a drink with their friends and David was standing with his mum and dad and his younger sister Joanne. Family is important to him.”

And family played a big part in his proposal as David asked Victoria’s father for permission to get down on one knee.

She added: “When he proposed he asked my dad first, which is such a respectful thing to do.”

The 41-year-old fashion designer – who has sons Brooklyn, 16, Romeo, 13, Cruz, 10 and daughter Harper, four, with the 40-year-old star – admits their work can mean they have periods of time away from each other but insists they will always “make time” for each other.

She told: “Both of us have to travel with work, but we always make time for each other and time for the children. We always support each other and our family.”

Highhandedness of policemen

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2015

The very men who are supposed to uphold the law are routinely found misusing their powers. Policemen work together with organized gangs to extort huge sums of money by falsely implicating people in cases of flesh and other trades. In North India, it is still worse. Policemen drag suspects on the road with a rope and beat them up in full public view. They also rough up motorists who do not obey their orders. On August 28, 2015, the traffic constable outside Lokmanya Tilak railway station confiscated the autorickshaw’s driving license in which we (my wife, my daughter and myself) were travelling. They imposed a fine of Rs 500 on him just because we were carrying extra baggage. There are several instances of policemen raping complainants in police stations and chowkies too.

On Friday, May 22, 2015, at around 6.45 p.m., a young boy of around 20-21 years of age was severely beaten and his clothes torn in full public view by the traffic police constables of the Sion-Dharavi police chowki near Sion railway station just because he asked the police constables the reason for the nakabandi that was taking place that very moment. When the public went to help the boy (including myself), we were all lathi-charged. On December 28, 2013, I too was falsely implicated by the traffic police constables of the Bhoiwada, Lalbaug police chowki at Parel in Mumbai just because I refused to pay them a bribe for carrying goods in the tempo in which I was travelling.

Instances of attacks by the police in India on innocent citizens and misuse of power by them are reported in the media almost every day. In yet another incident, the Mumbai police mercilessly assaulted a young girl of around 21 years of age on September 27, 2015 at the pandal of Lalbaugcha Raja for no fault of hers just because she was trying to make her way through the huge crowd of people. Two women police constables were suspended. The decision was taken after watching the video footage that went viral after the incident.

In India, policemen misuse their powers and take the law into their own hands just because they are supported by thugs and corrupt politicians. Everyday we hear about custodial deaths in police stations and no inquiry is conducted against them. On April 17, 2015, two bike borne men had stolen a woman’s gold necklace at Dombivili while she was walking on the road. When she went to the police station to lodge a complaint, the cops, instead of registering a complaint delivered her a huge lecture.

In yet another attack, novelist ‘Puliyur’ Murugesan of Tamil Nadu was physically attacked in Karur by the police for portraying them in bad light in his recent book.

Yet in one more incident, a boy and his elder sister who were standing and chatting outside their own building compound late one night were asked to go in by the police. Because the policemen were not in uniform, the girl and her brother asked them for their identity cards. This angered the police and the two of them were forcibly dragged to the police station and beaten up badly. They were also stripped naked and the girl was raped repeatedly in front of her brother by several policemen. The next day when they were produced in court, the girl and the boy showed marks of injuries on their bodies and the girl also told the judge that she was raped by the police. The judge did not listen to the two of them but put them behind bars.

Earlier this month too, a couple was badly beaten up by the cops of/at the Andheri Police Station for no fault of theirs. Action against the cops has not been taken so far. This shows how corrupt our entire police department is.

Jubel D’Cruz

Kabir Khan wants to show a new side of Hrithik in his film

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2015

Kabir Khan, who is all set to direct HrithikRoshan in his upcoming film, says though he has not locked the script, he would like to show Hrithik in a “never seen before” style.

“It is only in principle now. We have not locked the script. We are talking about a film, whichSajidNadiadwala will produce, I will direct and Hrithik will act in it. I have given myself a month to explore and think of ideas,” said Kabir.

Kabir, who often makes films around terrorism or India-Pakistan ties as a backdrop, is “assuming” he would present the Bang Bang! star in a new way.

“There are certain aspects of Hrithik that really excites me and I would like to explore the aspects that have not been done before for the project,” he added.

The film’s makers are yet to zero in on other details including the lead actress.

Meanwhile, Hrithik is tied up with shooting for his upcoming venture Mohenjo Daro and Kabir is enjoying his break by vacationing and looking for ideas.

I will flirt with Salman Khan on ‘Bigg Boss’: Priya Malik

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2015

Big Brother Australia fame Priya Malik will be the fourth wild card entry in “Big Boss Nau” and the reality TV star has her eyes set on the show’s host Salman Khan.

Malik, who is popular as Posh Spice on Australian television, said she would not miss a single chance to flirt with the “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” star.

“I love Salman Khan. I am going to flirt with Salman whenever I get a chance. I have already told my husband about it. I hope I will get along with him well,” said Priya. A high school teacher in Adelaide, Priya was part of “Big Brother Australia” in 2014 and made a lot of headlines with her antics in the house.

The budding stand-up comedian now wishes to spice up “Bigg Boss Nau” which she thinks is very boring right now.

“‘Bigg Boss’ is currently like a ‘pulao’. I will go inside and make it a ‘biryani’. People in the house are not playing good at all. They are being too cautious. There is too much of everything.

“People, who are in the house, have herd mentality. No one is standing up for anyone. I am not like that. I have my own brain and will stand for what I feel is right,” she said. Priya has been following the Indian version of the reality show since past three seasons and she personally liked the last season a lot.

Gauhar Khan, winner of “Big Boss 7”, has been Priya’s favourite contestant till now. Priya, who has her roots in Dehradun, says being opinionated is both her biggest strength and weakness.

“I am an opinionated person. I go with what I feel and I think thats my biggest strength and my weakness at the same time,” she said.

I am too critical and harsh on Ranbir says father Rishi Kapoor

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2015

Rishi Kapoor is too strict a father and even when it comes to praising the work of his actor son Ranbir the veteran Bollywood star prefers being “critical” and “harsh” on him.

The 63-year-old “All Is Well” actor said till now he has found his son significantly decent in “Barfi” and “Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year”.

“Generally I don’t like him as I am too critical and harsh but he was decent in ‘Barfi’ and ‘Rocket Singh’,” Rishi said, when asked about the best movie of his son, during a Q&A session with fans on Twitter.

The actor, who earned a lot of praise for his portrayal of Ravi Verma in 1980 thriller “Karz” directed by SubhashGhai, does not considers the film as one his best performances.

“Karz was no great work. Just stylized. Ghai’s best. Great music and Joie de vivre! Simi and Tina were to die for!,” he tweeted.

Rishi, son of Bollywood legend Raj Kapoor, also recalled his childhood days when yesteryear gems Madhubala and MeenaKumari visited their house on Diwali, but regretted that he did not realize their importance during those days.

“When I was very young they often visited our house for Diwali etc… How unfortunate I was not realising their worth,” he wrote.

The actor will next be seen in Indian comedy romantic drama film “Kapoor& Sons” directed by ShakunBatra.

Driver reveals Peter Mukerjea’s involvement in Sheena Bora murder?

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Afternoon Voice

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November 20, 2015

He had overheard the conversation which took place between Peter and Indrani pertaining to Sheena.

Media tycoon Peter Mukerjea who has been charged with the murder and kidnapping of his step-daughter Sheena Bora has been sent to CBI custody a day after his arrest. The CBI which arrested Peter informed the court of Metropolitan Magistrate that he was involved in a conspiracy with his wife Indrani and had played an active role in the murder of Sheena. Arrested driver of Indrani Mukerjea, Shyamvar Rai had provided vital clues to CBI which led to the arrest of Peter Mukherjea. Thus so far four persons have been arrested in this case. He has been sent to CBI custody by a local court till Monday. According to CBI, Peter was aware about Sheena’s death and was trying to shield the accused Indrani. He has been charged under Section 302 (murder), Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 306 (Abetment of suicide) and 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Sheena was Indrani’s daughter from her first marriage.

Shyamvar Rai told the CBI, “Peter knew everything about Sheena Bora. I also had overheard the conversation which took place between Peter and Indrani pertaining to Sheena.”

The Metropolitan Magistrate also transferred the trial in the case to a sessions court here and directed the three accused–Indrani Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai– be produced there on December 3.

“The case is committed to CBI court and jail officials are directed to produce them to the sessions court,” ordered Mumbai Metropolitan Magistrate RV Adone before whom the trio were produced.

Though Peter was earlier interrogated by the Mumbai Police, he had consistently maintained that he was unaware of what happened to Sheena as Indrani had told him that she was abroad.

The CBI, which filed its chargesheet three months after Sheena Bora’s remains were found in a forest near Mumbai in August this year, has charged Indrani, Khanna and Rai with criminal conspiracy to kidnap, murder, cheating, destruction of evidence, forgery and use of forged documents besides violation of provisions of Information Technology Act.

Sheena was allegedly murdered by her mother Indrani, Khanna and Rai in April 2012. The body of the 24-year-old was dumped in a forest in the neighbouring Raigad district.

Meanwhile, Peter’s son Rahul Mukerjea, who had come to attend the court hearing said that his father’s arrest came as a “shock” to him.

“I don’t believe he knew (anything about the murder)..otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” he said.

Nitish Kumar – Man of the match in Bihar

By

Vaidehi Taman

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November 20, 2015

Bihar was literally in festive mood, Nitish changed all equations in politics by uniting all those leaders who are anti-Modi and BJP. He proved that he can defeat Modi and his leadership. All those made fun of Nitish during Lok Sabha elections are now trying to be cozy with him. Nitish Kumar is an able and efficient leader and hundred times better that Modi. Oath taking ceremony was a grand celebration. Anyway, some new faces came in Bihar cabinet with experienced Nitish. Young Tejaswi Pratap Yadav is Bihar’s new Deputy Chief Minister. He took oath immediately after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday afternoon at a grand ceremony at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan. Tejaswi Prasad Yadav won his first election on the day he turned 26, two weeks ago. What a qualified political rookie he is, who has only finished class 9.

Tejaswi is the son and political heir of Lalu Yadav, who made a triumphant political comeback in this year’s Bihar election with his Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD winning 80 of the state’s 243 seats, more than its partner Janata Dal (United) of Nitish Kumar’s 71 seats. Tejaswi Yadav is perhaps one of the youngest politicians in the country to lead a legislature party. With his rise, a new era has begun in the RJD with the leadership passing on to the next generation of Lalu Prasad, who worked strategically to return to power with a convincing victory.

For the young Tejaswi, the road to winning Raghopur was certainly not easy as he became a target for his rivals’ barbs on several occasions. His goof-up in filing election affidavits – where his elder brother, Tej Pratap, became his younger brother – or being a Class 9 dropout, Tejaswi was targeted by anyone who had a bone to pick with his father. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also referred to the goof-up and attacked the RJD chief for promoting his son at the cost of others. In his electoral debut Tejaswi, however, defeated sitting MLA of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Satish Kumar with a margin of over 22,000 votes. This victory may be seen as Tejaswi’s redemption of the defeat that his mother, Rabri Devi, suffered in the last assembly elections at the hands of Kumar, who was then in the JD(U).

It is well known how Lalu Prasad put in every effort to ensure a win for both his sons from their respective constituencies in a bid to ensure that his political clout remained intact. Lalu’s push for his sons’ victory was also seen as an attempt to restore his own clout among the Yadavs, which had waned following his disqualification to contest elections and the drubbing of his daughter Misa Bharti and his wife Rabri Devi in the Lok Sabha polls.

A tech-savvy politician, Tejaswi is quite active on social media, using the platform to reach out to his followers and well-wishers and to attack his rivals. He has conducted several online and offline campaigns under the RJD Youth wing and is said to have campaigned extensively for his family in the last assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

He was also listed as one of the 10 youngsters under 40 by Verdict, an independent policy, research and analysis think-tank based in Boston, US, which said that Tejaswi may be a game changer in the Bihar politics. Tejaswi’s older brother Tej Pratap, who turns 28, is also a minister in the new Nitish Kumar government. He was the third person to be sworn in and had to repeat a portion of his oath when Governor Ram Nath Kovind pointed out a mispronunciation. It was Tej Pratap’s first such ceremony – he too is a first-time lawmaker. Lalu Yadav, who could not contest elections or hold public office after being convicted in a corruption case, is said to have pushed for the deputy chief minister’s post for his son. Years earlier, he had installed his wife Rabri Devi, a complete political novice, as the chief minister of Bihar. Tejaswi, a former cricketer who played in the Indian Premier League, now becomes deputy chief minister have to play on a more complex pitch from today. And have to fill big shoes of Lalu. The last man to hold the post of Nitish Kumar’s deputy was the seasoned Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi, known to be a good administrator. Two years ago, Mr. Kumar dumped the BJP, an ally for 17 years. Nitish is known to carry strong likes and dislikes and never forget a slight-a trait for which Lalu Prasad described him as having ‘aant mein daant’ (teeth in his belly), did not for once forget what had been hurled at him in the campaign. Working with his new tactician Prashant Kishor, who had shaped Modi’s destiny to land him in power at the Centre, he worked carefully and crafted a soft campaign template for Bihar. He invoked only his work, the potential of the next government with him, the slights to Bihar and his own self, strident appeals to Bihar’s Asmita and speaking for himself as the lone Bihari against the Bahari. Nitish Kumar took 28 ministers in his cabinet. I must say once again Nitish rocks.

Wishing him and Bihar for every success ahead.