Ajay keeps his stardom at home: Shriya Saran

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July 13, 2015

Actress Shriya Saran says she was initially scared to act opposite Ajay Devgn but later felt at ease as the superstar does not carry his stardom on the sets. Shriya will be seen playing the role of a mother in the upcoming film “Drishyam”.

“I was intimidated when working with an actor like Ajay Devgn, who is big. Everything that he has ever done has been big, good or superbly good.

“He is a star so I was a little scared in the first 2-3 days. But an actor like him, he keeps his stardom at home and comes on the sets as a normal person. So it gets very easy to work with him,” said Shriya.

Actresses usually shy away from playing the role of a mother, but Shriya was not sceptical about it.

“It’s a beautiful film and a wonderful character to play and that didn’t really bother me. I was not thinking about all this, I just wanted to do this film,” she said.

“Drishyam” has already been made in different languages, but when the offer to act in the Hindi version came Shriya accepted it immediately.

“It is a well written script… It’s a wonderful film. The film is gripping and one would love that. I did this film because I wanted to work with Ajay Devgn. I have always been a big fan of his and he is a wonderful actor. Nishant (Kamat) is a wonderful director and I always wanted to work with these people,” Shriya said.

The makers approached Shriya to play Ajay’s wife in the film and she readily grabbed the role. “They were casting for the film and then they called me. When it came to me, it is one of those scripts that you want to be part of this brilliant film,” she said.

“Drishyam” has a number of National award winners like Ajay, Tabu, Nishikant Kamat (director), lyricist Gulzar, composer Vishal Bharadwaj and others.

“They all are very talented, they are extremely passionate about what they do, so when you work with a team like that you only want to work and give your best,” Shriya said.

The film will hit big screens on July 31.

Heated session ahead for BJP

By

Afternoon Voice

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July 12, 2015

Opposition all set to corner Fadnavis government in the monsoon session of Maharashtra state legislature

The Fadnavis government is likely to face tough challenges in the monsoon session of Maharashtra Legislature which is beginning today. The government already has received flak over the Chikki Scam, Vinod Tawde’s fake degree row, rising farmer suicide, farm long waiver, law and order situation and more than 100 deaths in the hooch tragedy. Congress, NCP and other opposition parties have united to raise these issues in the monsoon session. They have already boycotted the chief minister’s tea party event for protesting against the rising number of farmer suicides in the state. The opposition plans to take on the government on poor state of finances especially when the revenue deficit is estimated to rise to Rs 7,000 crore from the budget estimate of Rs 3,757 crore by end of 2015-16. Of late the government’s image has taken a severe beating due to the scams which has been unveiled in the state. The rift between Shiv-Sena and BJP too is not helping the government’s cause.

Opposition leader in the legislative assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil has threatened to disrupt the proceedings of the legislature until the government waives off farmer’s loan. According to him 1,576 farmer suicides have been reported in the state in last seven months and many of them have been denied compensation. This is the third successive year of drought in the state but the state government is overlooking the interest of the farmers.

He said “We will not let the House run unless the government announces a complete loan waiver for the farmers.” The Congress leader also said that they would raise the issue of corruption cases against BJP ministers. “The BJP government has been surrounded by scams even before they completed one year in power. First it was Vinod Tawde who forged educational certificates and then Pankaja Munde who has been accused of awarding contracts worth Rs 206 crore.”

The Congress had held demonstrations across the state to protest against the rising farmer suicides. All the senior Congress leaders participated in the protests criticised the government’s agriculture policy and demanded a complete loan waiver to the farmers.

Dhananjay Munde, Leader of opposition in Legislation Council said that he would demand that loans taken by debt-ridden farmers to be waived.

“We have been demanding complete loan waiver for farmers from 24,000 villages that were hit by the drought. Out of the Rs 4,000-crore package announced for farmers affected by unseasonal rain and hailstorms in March last year, Rs 800 crore is yet to reach farmers,” Mr Munde said.

Minister of State for Urban development Ranjit Patil’s name was registered in two different assembly constituencies. RTI activist Vikrant Kate has claimed that Mr Patil and his family members have registered themselves in the electoral list of the Election Commission as electorates in the Akola East and Murtizapur assembly constituencies.

Congress leader Sachin Sawant said, “Patil and his family members name are included in two electoral lists which is a violation of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951. Thus the voting rights can be misused by him.”

In Akola, he has registered himself as Ranjeet Patil and in Murtizapur, his name was found as Ranjit Patil, while other details such as father’s name, surname, as well as family unit remained the same.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, “The revelation clearly shows that it has been done intentionally with criminal motives. Mr Patil has no right to be in office, he should be removed from the council of ministers.”

Modi is stepping forward to bridge the gap between Kashmir and India?

By

Vaidehi Taman

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July 12, 2015

After reaching out to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Russia, Narendra Modi gave a big outreach to Jammu and Kashmir. According to news reports published by various publications Union government is finalising a massive “development package” of as much as Rs. 70,000 crore. The package will be far higher than the one announced by the United Progressive Alliance government in 2004 under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Package of Rs. 24,000 crore (revised later to Rs. 36,265 crore) and is expected to be disbursed along the same lines. The projects will include a medical institute, affiliated to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, in Anantnag, an Indian Institute of Technology each in Jammu and in Kashmir, and an Indian Institute of Management in Jammu. State government put together several proposals, pitching for projects estimated at Rs. 1,00,000 crore. The common minimum programme of the ruling alliance of the PDP and BJP has development agenda for Alliance. Srinagar and Jammu will see major urban development projects and satellite “smart cities” called “New Srinagar” and “New Jammu”.

The funds will be spent over the next five years on projects to be identified by the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government. PM Modi had also announced his development agenda for J&K, Prakash, Paryavaran, Paryatan on August 12, 2014. The new package is about three times the figure announced by the UPA in 2004. Funds will be used for roadways, education, health, power renewable energy, smart cities, urban renewal and tourism projects. Bharatiya Janata Party and the Union and the State governments say the package will be announced in the coming week, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his Central Asian tour and coinciding with Eid-ul-Fitr, which will fall on July 18 or 19. Modi, along with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will visit Jammu on July 17 to attend the centenary celebrations of the State leader Girdhari Lal Dogra. It is likely to bring much cheer, especially in parts of the State such as the Kashmir Valley that were badly hit by the floods last September and this April. In June, the government announced a flood rehabilitation package of Rs. 2,437 crore taking the Centre’s assistance over the past year to Rs. 5,039 crore. Infusion of such large amount of funds seems quite indigestible and irrational; however, such steps shouldn’t be just to calm the political hunger. Instead, it must ensured that it had been used for genuine agendas of national and international significance.

Narendra Modi is trying his level best to appease Muslims in J&K, but he never spoke about the Kashmiri pandits those who are in living in transit camp for last 26 years. During election campaign, Modi has promised Kashmiri Hindus, but now he is ignoring them. Moreover, the state of Jammu and Kashmir is not like any other state of India. As a citizen of this country, we can purchase property in any other state but we cannot purchase a piece of land in Jammu & Kashmir. While, people of J&K can migrate to other states and enjoy benefits as other citizens are enjoying. With the least of hassles, the citizens of that state are known to wave the flags of Pakistan. In such conditions, what is the logic that the government of India in pumping huge amounts of tax payer’s money there? The central government should firmly say that they are prepared to invest such money in the state, provided they agree to fully get themselves integrated into the Union of India by abrogation of Article 370. Otherwise, Modi is doing a great disservice to the rest of India.

Moreover, just allotting funds for Jammu and Kashmir is not enough, they should constitute a committee involving Senior Secretaries of both the Central and State Government to closely monitor the projects covered under the Centre’s Package and see that the Contracts are awarded to the right people, strictly on the merit basis. Transparency should be maintained at every stage and money should not go in to wrong or corrupt hands. Everyone is aware of the massive scams involving thousands of crores of rupees that are swallowed by politicians and their associates across the Country. Everything should be done to ensure that the people of J&K reap the full benefits of this special package from the PM.

Earlier during Lok Sabha elections, Modi strengthened the party’s rhetoric on Article 370 giving special status to Jammu & Kashmir, saying it should be debated whether the constitutional provision has been beneficial for the state. The BJP’s position to scrap Article 370 under which Jammu & Kashmir enjoys a certain degree of autonomy, is in doubt. Describing his Jammu visit as ‘Lalkar’ or call to battle, he challenged all parties including the Congress to have a debate on the continuation of Article 370. Even Modi had said women weren’t given equal rights in the state unlike the rest of the country. Attacking the Congress, Modi then said it has encouraged separatism in J&K by ignoring its integration to make it a “super state” as Atal Bihari Vajpayee wanted. There are too much talks, assurances and future promised to people of this state but nothing much has been delivered so far. Let’s see, how much changes Modi will bring in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lawyer assaulted, complaint registered against five cops

By

Afternoon Voice

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July 12, 2015

A lawyer was allegedly assaulted by five cops inside the Mira Road police station where he had gone with his client to inquire about a dowry case.

Shivprasad Kanojia had gone to the police station with Madina Pathan at around 10.45 am. Pathan had filed a dowry case against her husband and in-laws on January 12, 2015. She along with her lawyer Kanojia approached the police station to know the progress in the case. A written letter regarding progress of the case was handed over to the duty officer.

The duty office and another cop in uniform asked Kanojia to leave the police station. They refused to provide him details of the case. When Kanojia refused to leave the police station, they hit him. Three other cops in plainclothes also joined in beating up Kanojia.

Kanojia sustained injuries on the forehead, eye and right cheek. He had to take three stitches on his forehead. Kanojia has filed a police complaint against the five cops. Lawyers from Mira Road protested against the cops for assaulting one of their colleagues.

High Court restrains MSEI from cancelling MCX warrants

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Afternoon Voice

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July 12, 2015

In an interim order, the Bombay High Court has restrained Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI) from cancelling or extinguishing warrants worth Rs. 41.60 crore held by the commodity bourse MCX.

The court also restrained MSEI, formerly known as MCX Stock Exchange, from appropriating or dealing with the deposits of MCX placed with it, until it disposes the case filed by the commodity bourse against the stock exchange, Justice Gautam Patel ruled in an order dated July 9. Transferable warrants entitle a holder to convert them into equity shares subject to the condition that no single holder of the warrants exceeds the five per cent shareholding cap clamped by the markets watchdog Sebi in a stock exchange.

Sebi had given MCX, which is a shareholder in the MSEI, three years until June 19, 2015 to dispose of warrants worth Rs. 61.71 crore, worth Re. 1 face value, which gave it a right to equity in MSEI well over the stipulated five per cent limit.

Both the exchanges were originally promoted by Jignesh Shah-led Financial Technologies Group, which went into a regulatory quagmire after the shutting down of another group company NSEL, a commodities spot exchange which was asked to shut down on July 30, 2013 following a Rs. 5,600-crore payment scam.

On May 25, the MCX had said that it had received offers from various investors to buy significant portions of warrants held by it in MSEI at a premium of 50 paise over the face value of Re. 1 each.

The case of MCX is that its sale of warrants — which it had undertaken to ensure compliance by the MSEI with statutory requirements — has been effectively undermined and sabotaged by the MSEI inter alia by opening a rights issue at the same time when MCX was attempting to sell the same warrants at a small premium.

“In my view, having regard to the past conduct of plaintiff MCX and the manner in which events have unfolded, the plaintiff has made out a sufficiently strong prima facie case,” Justice Patel said in his ruling.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the balance of convenience is in its favour and that if the urgent interim reliefs are not granted, irretrievable prejudice will be caused to the plaintiff,” he concluded.

Man attempts suicide in minister’s office

By

Afternoon Voice

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July 12, 2015

A man attempted suicide in the local public relations office of Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil, according to his family and police sources.

Santosh Bhagat, a resident of village Nimbhora, swallowed poisonous substance inside the office in Jathar Peth locality last evening, police said.

He was immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition.

Patil is Guardian Minister of Akola district.

Bhagat took the step to protest “inaction” against doctors of a government hospital who allegedly manhandled his pregnant wife in April when she had gone for treatment, his family sources said.

He had lodged a complaint and demanded a probe into the alleged incident and punishment for the doctors concerned. Based on the complaint, police had registered a case in April against a group of doctors.

One of the doctors, Vaishali Mate, had filed a counter complaint alleging the relatives of Bhagat created ruckus in the hospital and deterred them from discharging their public duty.

Bhagat had also submitted a memorandum to the District Superintendent of Police and Patil’s office seeking their intervention for quick action on his complaint. Angered by police “inaction” in the last two months, he tried to end his life, the sources said.

Cops bust gang led by Rajan’s aide which indulged in extortion

By

Afternoon Voice

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July 12, 2015

The Mumbai police claimed to have busted an extortion-gang led by Aftab Alam alias Haji, a close aide of fugitive gangster Chhota Rajan, with the arrest of six men.

They were arrested under section 387 (extortion) of IPC by the anti-extortion cell last month and are currently in judicial custody, police said.

The arrested men were identified as Vinod Rajpethe, 26, Shailesh Uttekar, 40, Gopal Shetty, 34, Keshav Bhanage, 28, Prashant Shankar, 25, and Nadeem Kazi, 49.

They were operating in Navi Mumbai and suburban Dahiasar, police said.

Deputy commissioner of police Dhananjay Kulkarni said, “A case of extortion was lodged on June 9 by a businessman who said he was getting threat calls from Bangkok and from some local numbers. Callers were demanding Rs 15 crore from him.

“After studying the threat calls minutely, our men alerted local intelligence network and detained four persons. Following the probe, two more people were arrested,” said Kulkarni.

Describing the modus operandi of the gang, Kulkarni said, “They moved around Navi Mumbai calling themselves estate agents to collect information about the ongoing (construction) projects and lands available for development. The information was then passed on to Haji, who is based in Malaysia.

“Haji would then make threat calls for extortion (to concerned builders, etc.) and rope in his men here to settle the case. The accused used to collect the money here as ‘settlement fee’ in crores,” he added.

Haji is a close aide of fugitive gangster Chhota Rajan, a statement issued by Mumbai police said.

Police also seized a pistol and two live cartridges from the arrested men.

Mumbai local train’s monthly pass system faces a new type of fraud

By

Afternoon Voice

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July 12, 2015

Meenali Gore (name changed), a ticket collector, was as usual on duty. Checking tickets on western route was her routine duty. She in the profession since last 15 years, therefore she was well aware of how to catch hold of those who are travelling without ticket or pass.

During one of the afternoons, while Meenali was on duty, she checked the ticket of Nafisa (name changed). Nafis produced her monthly pass. While checking the date, duration and other details, Meenali was taken by surprise.

Once again she scanned through the bunch what she had in her hand. To her surprise, there were four seasonal pass of different months. Two of the previous passes were back dated, one was current dated and unfortunately the fourth was future dated. All were half yearly pass.

Though they were half yearly passes but something was in common about them. The serial number on top of them was same for all the four passes. The date instead of being on the right hand was printed on the left hand. Each pass was having an amount of Rs. 5000/-. In one line quarterly pass was mentioned and immediately below that line ‘half yearly pass’ was mentioned.

On repeatedly checking the same it was noticed that it was a copy paste fraud that was done using her personal computer. She made it on her computer using the same details. Only the dates (to and from) were changed while rest of the details remained same. She also claimed the pass amount from her company and they paid her without checking the dates of the pass or details on it.

Nafisa was immediately taken into custody and questioned about this act. She accepted that she was doing it since last many years, using the computer at her work place.

She was asked to show the computer from where she had generated the false pass. The police sealed the computer and kept her in the custody for 2 days and after that she was released on bail.

Nafisa was booked under two sections, one of fraud and other corruption. But there was no sign of regret on her face.

On the other hand the ticket collector, Meenali Gore was awarded for her presence of mind and sharp observance and detailed matching of all those post dated and pre-dated passes that she had in her hand.

Rs. 11 lakh stolen in two cases of theft

By

Afternoon Voice

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July 12, 2015

A sum of Rs. 11 lakh was stolen in two separate incidents in powerloom town of Bhiwandi, police said.

In the first incident that occurred last morning, two persons stole Rs. 10 lakh cash from cashier’s cabin in Quarter Gate branch of the Mercantile Bank, they said.

In another incident, two persons allegedly diverted attention of complainant in another branch of the same bank and walked away with Rs. 1,07,000 cash he was carrying, police said.

A case has been registered with Bhiwandi Town police station under various sections of IPC and the search is on for the accused, police added.

Men posing as I-T, police officials loot man of Rs. 3.77 lakh

By

Afternoon Voice

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July 12, 2015

Five persons, posing as Income-Tax and police personnel, decamped with gold ornaments and cash totalling around Rs. 3.77 lakh from a house, police said.

The five went to the house of one Babu Nadar in Siddharth Nagar area and sought to inspect the premises claiming they were from I-T and police departments, they said.

Under the garb of “search”, they got hold of gold ornaments, cash and a mobile phone – valued at around Rs. 3.77 lakh – and left the house, police said. Police have registered a case and launched a hunt for the culprits.