Questions have been raised over the “dental X-ray” method used by a Hong Kong-based NGO for determination of the age of unregistered children here in collaboration with a local dental college.

The NGO, however, rejected the charge holding it had applied only a “tested and proven” method developed by clinicians in India and abroad.

Dubbing it as “unethical and illegal”, former Secretary of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), K S Parthasarathy, today claimed this method of imaging of bones or teeth can never indicate precisely the chronological age of an individual.

He was referring to media reports that the NGO, Date of Birth Foundation (DoBF), has issued age certificates to as many as 102 children including orphans after a dental college in Navi Mumbai carried out jaw line X-rays and calcium tests.

“On the basis of my own experience and different citations of journals and institutes, I roundly condemn that the children’s age determination by using dental x-rays is unethical, imprecise and potentially illegal,” Parthsarathy said in a statement.

Citing various medical reviews from British Medical Bulletin, Medical Research Council’s Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health, UCI Institute of Child Health-UK, Centre for Migration Policy Research, Department of General Paediatrics of Great Ormond Street Hospital London, he said imaging of bones or teeth can never indicate precisely the chronological age of the individual.

Countering the argument that age determination is an administrative requirement, he also said that use of X-rays for satisfying an administrative reason is not justified.

X-ray is a double-edged sword. Children are vulnerable and are many more times radiosensitive than adults, he said.

Dental x-rays expose radiosensitive tissues such as bone marrow, thyroid, brain and eye lens, and unnecessary application of x-rays which is a potential carcinogen and can in no way be justified unless the exposed subject has direct health benefit, Parthasarathy added.

The Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules, 2004 read with the mandatory Safety Code on Regulation of Nuclear and Radiation Facilities calls for strict adherence to AERB regulations with respect to radiation protection, he said.

Appreciating Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) move to set up a grievance redressal mechanism to enable citizens to lodge complaints about potholes, the Bombay High Court asked the civic body to give a wide publicity to this measure.

“No authority can dispute that there are large number of potholes in the city (Mumbai) and other districts of the state. There has been a failure on the part of the authorities to perform their duties. Now that a grievance redressal mechanism has been set up in compliance with our earlier orders, it is the responsibility of the authorities to give it a wide publicity,” a division bench of justices A S Oka and K R Shriram said.

BMC counsel A S Sakhre today informed the court that since June 1, when the redressal mechanism has been set up, 3,760 complaints were received, out of which, 3,265 complaints have been attended to and the concerned road has been repaired.

“The website, in which citizens have to lodge their complaints, is easily accessible from Android phones. But Apple phone users cannot download it due to security reasons.

We have written to Apple and requested them to permit the site,” Sakhre said.

“It is good that in such a short span of time so many complaints have been filed. All technical issues can be sorted out in due course of time,” Justice Oka said.

The court has directed all the authorities to file an affidavit by September 10 stating what steps it has taken towards addressing the pothole issue, how many complaints they have received and the action taken thereafter.

The high court had taken suo moto (on its own) cognisance of the issue of potholes following a letter written by high court judge Gautam Patel. On May 20, the high court had observed that citizens have a fundamental right to good roads and that it is the state government’s statutory obligation to provide roads, which are free of potholes.

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who is serving a five-year jail term in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, walked out of the Yerawada prison on a 30-day parole after he cited his daughter’s illess.

In his application for parole, Dutt had sought the leave, saying he needed to be with his ailing daughter, according to prison officials.

The 56-year-old actor has been attracting flak from many quarters for frequent leave of furlough and parole granted to him since May 2013 when his sentence began here after being held guilty for illegal possession of arms under the Arms Act in the Mumbai bomb blast case.

The jail administration has, however, denied that he was being given a “special and lenient” treatment as alleged by many social and political organisations.

Dutt left for his Mumbai residence after his release on parole.

Describing as “serious” the purported claims by BJP leader and former home secretary RK Singh regarding Mumbai Police botching up a bid to go after fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said he will order a probe into the matter if the charges are substantiated.

“It’s a very serious allegation and, if substantiated, we will hold an inquiry,” the Maharashtra Chief Minister said.

“Such people don’t deserve to remain in service,” he said when asked about Singh’s allegation that some personnel in Mumbai Police had foiled a plan to bring Dawood to India.

In an interview to a news channel, Singh had talked about a botched operation to target Dawood. However, the former home secretary had made it clear that he cannot say it was confirmed and that he does not have any evidence.

“A group was being trained to target Dawood, but he had people in Mumbai Police on his ‘pay roll’ who were alerted. The Mumbai Police came saying there is a warrant against them. But I cannot say it is confirmed. I have just heard…I don’t have evidence,” Singh had said.

Singh had claimed that India had planned a covert operation to target Dawood which was launched when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister, but it was compromised by some corrupt elements in Mumbai Police.

Indrani Mukerjea’s former husband Sanjeev Khanna has been arrested in connection with the murder case of Sheena Bora. Sheena is the daughter of Indrani.

Sanjeev was questioned in Kolkata by the Mumbai police and that he allegedly help Indrani in killing her daughter.

Confirming the same, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Pallab Kanti Ghosh said, “Sanjeev Khanna, former husband of Indrani Mukherjea, arrested from Kolkata.”