With the arrest of two persons from Tamil Nadu, police claimed to have solved a number of chain snatching and other criminal cases in the city.
Manikandan Nadar (19) and Prabhakaran Nadar (24) were nabbed from Nagercoil town in the souther state, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-III) Kalyan Sanjay Jadhav.
He said police have seized a ‘Swift’ car (registered in TN) which was stolen by the duo from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, and used in chain snatching and other crimes.
A number offences had been registered against the duo in police stations at Manpada, Mumbra and Vishnunagar in Thane and also in a couple of cities in Tamil Nadu, including Kudankulam.
Besides chain snatching, the two were also involved in house break-ins and car theft, among other crimes, the DCP said.
Manikandan and Prabhakaran were apprehended two days ago and have been brought here by the police.
The Bombay High Court restrained a city-based developer from going ahead with construction of a stilt plus 18-storeyed residential building in the heritage precincts of Khotachi Wadi in south Mumbai, after terming it as “illegal”.
A division bench of Justices A S Oka and Revati Mohite Dere was hearing a PIL filed by Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH) against construction of two buildings (one 11 storey and the second 18 storey) as it is in “violation” of the Development Control Regulations.
According to the petition, the two buildings constructed by Deekay Realtors Pvt Ltd on a lane which is not even 10 feet wide and hence the construction is “unauthorised, clearly unsafe and poses a grave fire safety hazard.”
It questioned the “arbitrary” sanctions by BMC and the Chief Fire Brigade officer to the developer.
The 11-storeyed building has already been constructed and its first seven floors have been occupied by residents despite no Occupation Certificate (OC) from the civic body. The 18-storeyed building has been constructed till the plinth level.
The court, after perusing the case, held that the developer has misrepresented facts to the municipal corporation. The court said the lane on which the building stands is only 3.04 meters and hence no fire engine or any other emergency vehicle can reach the buildings.
“We have prima facie found that gross illegalities have been committed thereby jeopardising the safety of the occupants. If a fire engine cannot reach the building, it will pose danger to the residents. What is done by BMC and the developer is that they have completely ignored the safety of the occupants and especially fire safety,” the court said.
Maharashtra Health Minister Deepak Sawant said he will inquire into the reports of hysterectomies allegedly done without valid reasons in various districts in the state.
“I will check the veracity of these claims. If anything of this nature is happening, action will be taken,” the minister told reporters here after a report was aired by a Marathi channel on doctors performing mass hysterectomies on gullible women for money.
Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus.
Nandkumar Panse, who conducts cancer awareness camp for the Barshi-based Nargis Dutt Cancer Hospital, said such cases rose in last four years in districts including Latur, Beed and Osmanabad.
“The hysterectomy surgeries were conducted on women engaged in sugarcane cutting and belonging to low income group and mostly from illiterate background,” he said.
Shashikant Ahankari of Hello Foundation (an NGO working in Marathwada) said corruption in medical profession is responsible for the rising cases of hysterectomy operations sans any valid reasons.
“Sometimes the surgery is performed on women in their mid-20s,” Ahankari said.
The doctors terrify women stating non-removal of uterus leads to cancer, he said.
A petition in Bombay High Court has objected to appeals of celebrities, including film actors Shiney Ahuja and Salman Khan, against their conviction coming up for hearing “out of turn”, while many other convicts wait endlessly in jail for justice.
Shashikala Bhagwan Gangurde has filed the petition on behalf of her incarcerated husband and many other convicts who eagerly wait in jails for many years to get bail and struggle hard to ensure that their appeals are listed for final hearing before the High Court.
The petition is slated to come up for hearing on July 20 before a bench of Justice Ranjit More.
The petitioner has cited the case of Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja who was convicted in March 2011 on charges of raping his maid, saying that his appeal has been listed already for final hearing.
It also referred to the case of actor Salman Khan who was recently sentenced to five years jail term in a hit-and-run case in which one person was killed and four others injured. The petition alleged that Salman’s appeal too has been listed out-of-turn for final hearing.
The petitioner argued it was discriminatory on the part of Respondents — The Registrar General (Judicial) of High Court and Maharashtra Government — in placing all matters of celebrities and high profile personalities for final hearing on an urgent basis, in spite of being filed much later.
The petition asked whether the respondents were justified in placing of appeals of celebrities for final hearing on out-of-turn basis while ignoring poor persons who are still languishing behind bars.
It also wondered whether the authorities were justified in having “discriminatory” attitude while functioning in the temple of Justice.
Four people were killed and three were injured in a cylinder blast in a house in Santacruz area on Thursday.
the blast occurred in Bhola Singh Chawl in the Golibar area. The cause of the blast is gas leak.
All the deceased belong to the same family. Some of the injured are in a very serious condition and are being treated in a hospital.
Meanwhile, two local goons molested a female TV journalist who went to cover the blast.
They first threw stones on her. When she confronted them, they attacked her and her cameraman and also started beating other journalists who came to intervene.
The TV journalist has registered a complaint against them.
One of the accused was arrested by police while the other is still at large.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday held that couples where one of the parents is an Indian national and the other of foreign origin and are desirous of adopting a child in India, would be termed as ‘in-country’, thus reducing the formalities to be followed by them.
A division bench of Justices VM Kanade and B P Colabawala was hearing a petition filed by an American woman married to an Indian seeking to adopt a six-year-old boy with special needs who has been in her foster care.
The bench today permitted the woman to file an application for adoption of the boy before a magistrate court which has been directed to decide the plea expeditiously.
The court held that rule 40 of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) which mandates ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the agency for ‘inter-country’ adoptions will not be applicable to this case as it was ‘in-country’.
The woman approached the High Court when her application for child adoption was not accepted by CARA.
While CARA claims their NOC is required in this case as the lady is an American, the woman has said she has been living in India since her marriage to an Indian citizen six years back and even has PAN card and other documents.
The child was born to an unwed woman who put him in a Pune-based adoption agency. The adoption agency took care of him till the age of six after which he was sent to foster home and advertisements were issued for his adoption.
The boy was in the foster care of the petitioner woman who then expressed her desire to adopt the child.
The bench today posted the matter to July 30 when it would consider issuing guidelines to be followed by the authorities while dealing with such cases.
In an embarrassing turn of events for Shiv Sena, which controls the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the civic body officials on Thursday dismantled an open air gymnasium inaugurated by Yuva Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray.
BMC’s C-ward team seized the equipment of the open air gym at Marine Drive, but reinstalled it later.
Aaditya attributed it to a miscommunication on part of the concerned ward officer.
“The ward officer was apparently unaware that all necessary permissions were in place,” he said.
Marine Drive witnessed launch of the open-air gymnasium in the heritage precinct.
The fitness station is part of actor Dino Morea’s initiative to help citizens stay fit at no cost. Morea has already set up such fitness stations at Bandra Bandstand, Five Gardens, Dadar Shivaji Park and Worli Seaface.
Actress Jacqueline Fernandes and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray inaugurated the open-air, open-to-all gymnasium, which is an ensemble of multiple fitness equipment.
In April, Morea had written to BMC’s committee seeking permission to install open-air 10×10 sq ft fitness stations on the stretch between Oberoi hotel and Girgaum Chowpatty.
The letter mentioned that each fitness station would be an “easily removable structure made of non-corrosive material” and hence, would not damage the promenade.
The letter also said that the station would be set up 10 ft away from traffic junctions.
The Bombay High Court issued notices to Maharashtra government, cabinet minister Pankaja Munde and others in response to a public interest litigation seeking a ban on distribution of `chikki’ (snacks) procured by the Women and Child Development department.
Munde, the Women and Child Development minister, has been accused of irregularities in procurement of items worth Rs. 206 crore including chikki, a sweet savoury. It has also been alleged that the chikki, meant to be distributed to tribal students, had traces of clay. She had denied the allegations.
The petition filed by Sandeep Ahire also demands ban on manufacturing of chikki by the three suppliers who had got the contract.
The petition today came up before the division bench headed by Justice V M Kanade which asked the respondents to file replies by July 20.
During the hearing, Justice Kanade asked Ahire what was the basis for the petition and whether he had received any complaints about inferior quality of chikki from the parents of tribal children.
Ahire said the PIL was based on media reports and he personally had not received any complaints.
Besides Munde and the government, other respondents include the Chief Secretary, the Commissioner of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and the three chikki manufacturers.
Many a times, for senior citizens who are lonely they see another elderly person as the best companion. Being older does not mean fragile or week. For some it’s just a date in the calendar, but most of the time this age needs someone to hold them. Kudos to Suhasini and Atul for redefining the meaning of love. May both of you lead a much fulfilled life and live in abundance. Suhasini Mulay has smashed age-related stereotypes by not only getting hitched at the age of 61 but also by using the medium of the new age the internet to find her Mr. Right. The five time national awardee and popular screen mom met 65-year-old physicist Atul Gurtu online. Mulay, who has won acclaim for her roles Hu Tu Tu, Dil Chahta Hai and Lagaan, he was her Facebook friend and she met the particle physicist only after months of chatting online.
This just shows that Facebook is not just for the kids and youngsters as popular belief suggests…but it is for all kinds of people who are looking to connect with old friends and to make new friends or get in new relationships. The object of marital relationship is not only to obtain sexual gratification but it is beyond that, more so; when one doesn’t renunciate the world and instead wants to meet the challenges of life till his end. The age is no barrier nor is the backgrounds from where a man and woman hail. It is all about meeting of the minds and heart. It is not an emotional or impulsive decision – but a well thought over decision. I wish youngsters take a leaf from these two before tying the knot. This is what is called maturity. However, the society we live in is very conservative and old age people ridiculed the new steps as they set their minds with old moral parameters. Life may become drab and lonely for some who are old and many times it is another elderly person who is seen as the best companion.
Atul is a widower. He had been married for 36 years and his wife died about six years ago. He had written this article about how he discovered she had cancer. After the initial period of depression, rather than sitting and crying over it, he decided to make her as happy as he could. So, for the next 4-5 years they did everything they ever wanted to do. Learning this, hooked Suhasini to him. After bonding virtually, Mulay and Gurtu finally met. The actress, used to living alone, surprised herself and her family with her decision to marry him. She had never thought of settling down. She had started believing that she was always going to live alone. Marriage was the last thing on her agenda. She was never married but had a very long live-in relationship that ended in 1990. She then came to Mumbai in 2000 and have lived alone for 20 years, having no partner or companionship. Detachment in pain but time heals all wounds and creative person gets engaged and engrossed in his/her own world.
Her family was very surprised. When she rang up her sister, she asked her if Suhasini was drunk. After she told her everything, sister said ‘Hang on, now I need a drink’. Then Suhasini’s mother was in Mumbai and she met Atul and liked him. Her family had never in their wildest dream thought Suhasini would get married. The nature of Mulay’s work had made it even harder for her or her family to consider a match possible. Mulay has been taking all the surprised responses in her stride. At the Bandra court on January 7, people’s jaws dropped when they realised at the age of 60s the couple is getting married. They both are now settled in Mumbai. The 60-year sure has proved that there is really no age bar for settling down.
Some argue that this demonstrates that older people don’t want choices, just more reliable traditional services. Another interpretation is that choice is only valuable where a range of good, safe options is available and at least one fits the chooser’s particular wishes. Older people know that good support enables them not only to be cared for as an individual, but also to keep in touch with old friends and make new ones. It ensures their needs are met and that they can feel useful to those around them.
Anyway, there are very few examples like Suhasini Mulay or her spouse, the situation were in favour of them and also the families. The elderly population is large in general and are faced with numerous physical, psychological and social role changes that challenge their sense of self and capacity to live happily. Many people experience loneliness and depression in old age, either as a result of living alone or due to lack of close family ties and reduced connections with their culture of origin, which results in an inability to actively participate in the community activities. With advancing age, it is inevitable that people lose connection with their friendship networks and that they find it more difficult to initiate new friendships and to belong to new networks.
We are in 21st century, please allow and accept the changes. If your elders want to live with their “love” and companionship then please have heart to let them live.
India on Thursday categorically rejected Pakistan’s claim that it sent a ‘spy drone’ across the border into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and warned that ceasefire violations by the latter’s troops will be given a befitting reply.
India also lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over latest ceasefire violation in Akhnoor sector in which one woman was killed.
Addressing a press briefing here, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said, “India and Pakistan officials are in constant touch over recent incidents of firing along the Line of Control. It should be clear that any unprovoked firing will be met with an effective and forceful response from our side.”
Maintaining that Islamabad cannot hide behind such lame excuses, the Foreign Secretary further said that “we have sought an end to the firing and corrective steps on their (Pakistan) part.
“It’s not a matter of our choice if India and Pakistan will go for peace talks. It depends on Pakistan’s action. There should be no doubt that any unprovoked firing will be met with force.”
S Jaishankar, while reiterating that India remains committed to steps that contribute to peace on border, also warned that “we wont let our guard down.”
Categorically rejecting the Pakistan’s claim that India sent a ‘spy drone’ the Foreign Secretary said, “the picture of drone in question shows it’s not of Indian design or available in Indian armed forces’ inventory. It appears to be of Chinese design.”
Shifting his focus to recent ceasefire violations by the Pakistan troops, Foreign Secretary said, “Today at 1:35 am, there was infiltration attempt in the Jammu sector. I urged our High Commissioner in Islamabad to speak with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Abdul Basit.”
The Foreign Secretary also said that it were Pakistani troops who started the recent round of ceasefire violations on the border.
“Why conversations were not initiated by Pakistan if firing was started by the Indian side,” Jaishankar added.
“NSA Ajit Doval too inquired why conversations weren’t initiated by Pakistan if firing was started by the Indian side,” S Jaishankar said while responding to a query on ceasefire violations by the Pakistan side.
The remarks from the Foreign Secretary came shortly after the conclusion of a high-level meeting over drone row and ceasefire violations by Pakistan, which was attended by top NDA ministers.
The meeting concluded with the government reportedly finalising a strategy to counter the hostile neighbouring nation.
During the meeting, top ministers of the Narendra Modi government took stock of the situation arising out of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan’s allegations that India sent its ‘spy drone’ across the border into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The high-level meet, which was held at North Block, was attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who held a separate meeting with Director General of Border Security Force Devendra Kumar Pathak earlier, was also present.
India has already lodged a protest both in Islamabad as well as with the Pakistan High Commission in in New Delhi, but with the firing continuing along the border, the government may weigh its other options.
The current round of ceasefire violations has led to the death of a woman and left many injured, including BSF jawans.
These violations come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Jammu tomorrow to attend the centenary celebrations of former state Finance Minister Girdhari Lal Dogra.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has accused India of having breached its territorial integrity by allegedly sending a spy drone to conduct aerial photography along the LoC. The drone was shot down by Pak agencies.
India on Thursday categorically rejected Pakistan’s claim that it sent a ‘spy drone’ across the border into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and warned that ceasefire violations by the latter’s troops will be given a befitting reply.