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Just married ND Tiwari

Finally, the veteran Congress leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari, who is 88 years old, married Ujjwala Sharma. Ujjwala is mother of Rohit Shekhar, whose biological relation with the 88-year-old former Uttarakhand chief minister was settled by the Delhi High Court recently. Tiwari was dressed in traditional wedding attire and Ujjwala wore a bright coloured saree and the ‘pichauda’ (odhni) gifted by Tiwari’s family. Tiwari spoke about the wedding to her a few days back and discussed it later with their ‘kul purohit’ (family priest) and the day of Buddh Poornima was finalised for the occasion, Ujjwala said. At 88, Tiwari will put the board on honeymoon room as just married.

If we look at the background, one powerful sperm that made a mistake and the 88 years old landed in trouble! Many social networking users are making fun of Congress leader ND Tiwari.

Do our lawmakers not have an obligation to abide by the law which they frame and expect all Indians to follow or face punishment? If Raj Bhavans and other government bungalows are being openly used by politicians to entertain themselves and their friends with call girls and social birds, then why should the media carry out sting operations to round the latter up only when they are plying the same trade with ordinary Indians elsewhere? How can the real breaking news remain no news and the insignificant news be routinely treated as breaking?

Let us take the case of Tiwari. Firstly, it is impossible that he would have paid for his daily ‘exercises’ from his own pocket. All expenses would have been ‘adjusted’ under some head or the other of the tax payer’s money. Second, it is given that as CM and Union Finance Minister, he must have been provided with or even demanded top-quality call girls by business houses, contractors, etc to get undue favours out to them. Third, it is very likely that on more than one occasion in life, he would even have been blackmailed into taking important decisions against his better judgment and the interest of the state. In short, probity was an immediate casualty.

Tiwari had a past as reported by the press. He was once the PM candidate. During his tenure as the Finance Minister, there were a lot of stories but there were no TV channels then and Congress had a reputation. His connections with certain industrial houses are well known and they used to get him “fixed” with the right contacts and at times were the contacts themselves. It is really not important, who and how he paid for his activities. His pictures are on the net which may find their way into the ‘BLUE’ market soon. Let’s not take this as a sex expose, who knows how many people would have black mailed him?

The event like ND Tiwari’s scandal is just a symptom of bigger disease of corruption. Somehow Indian media wants to specialise on symptoms rather than root cause. I think it started with Nehru, I suppose, who agreed for partition on bed with Lady Mountbatten. I wonder, if it is a coincidence that most of places where Americans do their business are most corrupt countries.

Narayan Dutt Tiwari is one of the grass root level leaders of Congress. At the seasoned old age of 88, he has revealed a streak that tells the world that the land of Kamasutra has not lost its vigor and is practiced more behind closed doors. But, more than that, he has reopened the debate on whether private lives of politicians should be open to scrutiny. For decades, there has been silent consideration between the media and politicians that their private lives will not be hung out in the open for all to see. Indians are largely indifferent to this aspect of the demeanor of India’s politicians since nothing really damaging about them has ever been revealed by mainstream media. The argument is what they do in their bedroom is nobody’s business. No one can find fault about this line of privacy. ND Tiwari’s romps with prostitutes, thrice a day routine, according to some, in the Raj Bhavan has graphically highlighted that the media has failed to perform an important national duty. A man who has been a cabinet minister in the Central government, Chief Minister thrice and Governor, has been doing this and more for decades. Why did the media not expose him for so long?

ND Tiwari is not only the politician who has been breaking the trust of India’s people. There are many others. The fact that India’s media has continued to shield them while conning the nation with the fodder of stings in dance bars and other seedy places is something that is equally, if not more, disturbing than the acts of politicians. The speed at which Tiwari has resigned and the manner in which the Congress has quickly taken the high moral ground, after a half-century of being in his bed, should leave no one in any doubt about the kind of behavior that is expected by India from its leaders.

The court’s directions came on the plea of 32-year-old Rohit Shekhar seeking to compel Tiwari to furnish his blood sample at the earliest to decide the four-year-old paternity suit. He has sought a judicial declaration that Tiwari is his biological father. The judgment is clearly a violation of right of privacy of every individual. The court has set a dangerous precedent without any security to an Individual. As a matter of fact, to talk morally, of course we cannot talk ‘morals’ with politicians. If at all, he really is the biological father, he should’ve accepted his son, as is, without an argument. On the other hand, if the claimant is not his biological son, he wouldn’t have reached so far, into the court. Anyhow, he was accepted as son by ND Tiwari, after son the mother has been married to son’s father.

I wonder whether the next in Congress is also planning for honeymoon.

Police custody of Jignesh Shah, Shreekant Javalgekar extended till 19 May

jignesh-shah1A Mumbai court on Thursday extended police custody of Jignesh Shah, chairman and group chief executive of Financial Technologies (India) Ltd (FTIL), and Shreekant Javalgekar, former chief executive of Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX), till 19 May in connection with theRs.5,574.34 crore payment fraud at National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL).

The economic offences wing (EOW) of Mumbai police arrested Shah and Javalgekar on 7 May. They were later remanded to police custody for interrogation.

The public prosecutor representing EOW on Thursday said the agency needs more time to question Shah and Javalgekar on financial transactions involving Indian Bullion Markets Association Ltd (IBMA).

“Several incriminating documents have been found during the investigation and the two accused (Shah and Javalgekar) need to be confronted with information. We believe both are fully involved in the NSEL crisis,” he said.

NSEL holds 60.88% stake in IBMA.

Mahesh Jethmalani, the lawyer representing Shah, argued against the police continuing to hold Shah in custody, saying Shah and Javalgekar were not involved in the day-to-day running of NSEL. “There was a China wall between the board of directors and the management,” he said.

Jethmalani shifted the entire blame of the NSEL crisis on former chief executive officer Anjani Sinha, saying he was responsible for running daily operations at the commodity spot exchange. “The EOW charge sheet in fact has identified Sinha as the mastermind of the crisis,” said Jethmalani.

According to Jethmalani, a May 2012 compliance report written by Sinha and sent to the NSEL auditors claimed no fraud or lapse had occurred in the internal controls of the company. “Shah and Javalgekar relied on this statement of Sinha,” Jethmalani said.

Shah and his family hold around 45.5% in FTIL. FTIL holds 26% in MCX and 99.99% in NSEL.

The settlement crisis at NSEL came to light on 31 July when the exchange suspended trading in all but its e-series contracts. These, too, were suspended a week later. The suspension may have been prompted by an instruction from the ministry of consumer affairs to the exchange asking it not to offer futures contracts.

On 14 August, NSEL proposed a payout plan, but it has been unable to stick to the schedule and has not made a single successful payout ever since.

HC points to voters’ role in updating electoral list

The Bombay High Court has raised questions over the responsibility of electorate to ensure their names are on the voters’ list instead of putting all the blame on authorities.

In an order earlier this week on a bunch of petitions complaining against deletion of the names in the voters’ list during the recent Lok Sabha elections, the court noted that petitioners have emphasised upon the magnitude of deletions and contended that it was indicative of negligence on the part of electoral authorities.

“However, there is no adequate explanation forthcoming from the petitioners, who at least personally, are neither poor nor illiterate, as to the steps adopted by them to verify that their names continue on the electoral rolls or for inclusion of their names in the electoral rolls, no sooner draft or final electoral rolls came to be published,” a division bench of justices A S Oka and M S Sonak observed in their order.

The order was given on a bunch of petitions filed by several voters, including actor and director Amol Palekar, from Mumbai and Pune complaining that their names were missing from the electoral rolls when they went to cast their votes in Lok Sabha elections.
The court also declined to stay the declaration of results of elections and restoration of names of the deleted voters in the electoral rolls of Mumbai and Pune constituencies, saying there was no explanation from the electorates as to what steps they had taken to verify their names in the lists.

The bench also refused to give direction for holding “supplemental polls” in the two constituencies, whose results are scheduled to be declared.
“In the aforesaid circumstances, we are of the opinion that no case has been made out by the petitioners for grant of interim reliefs in the context of Lok Sabha Elections 2014.
“Accordingly, prayers for interim reliefs in the context of Lok Sabha Elections 2014 are hereby declined,” the bench said.

The petitioners, who sought the right to cast their vote, had complained about the “deletion of over half a million voters” from the electoral rolls for the Pune and Mumbai Parliamentary constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections.

The bench noted that the complaint was made at a stage when polling had already concluded and only results remained to be declared.

The court also rejected the pleas challenging the validity of Article 329 (Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters) of the Constitution and certain provisions of the Representation of People Act.

The bench said Amol Palekar had addressed representations as late as on April 19, 2014 and April 24, 2014, while the draft election rolls were published on September 16, 2013 and final rolls on January 31, 2014.

“Incidentally, the Advocate General has pointed out that name of Amol Palekar continues in the 165- Andheri West (Mumbai) Constituency in Part No. 48 Serial No.704, even though the complaint of Amol Palekar concerns deletion of his name from the electoral rolls for Pune Constituency,” it said.

The bench said that the petitioners have pointed out that owing to the negligence on the part of electoral officers, the very democratic polity is at stake, however, as in case of liberty, “even the price of democracy is the eternal vigilance of its citizenry”.

Citing Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s address to the Constituent Assembly, who was extensively quoted by the petitioners, the court said in his masterpiece, he had also urged Indians to be vigilant.
“Dr. Ambedkar urges the Indian people to be vigilant and not tardy in shouldering the great responsibilities which beckon. Dr. Ambedkar gently warns the Indian peoples to recognise the evils that lie across our path and which induce people to prefer ‘government for the people to government by the people’.” the judgement said, citing Dr. Ambedkar.

Ex-navy officer moves HC challenging conviction in murder case

Ex-navyFormer naval officer Manish Thakur, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his girlfriend has approached the Bombay High Court challenging his conviction.

A sessions court had on March 4 this year convicted Thakur (28), who was employed with the aeronautical wing of the Indian Navy, for murdering his girlfriend and employee of Tata Consultancy Services, Kaushambi Layek in May 2007.

Thakur has filed an appeal in the High Court challenging his conviction and that he has been falsely implicated in the case.

His appeal is likely to come up for hearing on June 17.

Thakur in his appeal has claimed that the prosecution has not proved beyond reasonable doubt that he was present in the hotel room along with the victim at the time of the incident.

According to Thakur at the time of incident he was in Goa and had resumed training.

24-year-old Layek was found murdered in ‘Sun-N-Sheel’ Hotel in suburban Andheri by the hotel staff on May 14, 2007.

According to the prosecution, a day before that Thakur and Layek had checked into the hotel. Thakur had shot Layek dead when she sought to end their relationship.

As per the prosecution case, the duo first met on a train to Thiruvananthapuram in Kerela where they were both attending separate training programmes in 2005. But their relationship grew on social networking site Orkut.

However, later when Layek came to know that Thakur was already married she sought to end the relation. Thakur pleaded with Layek to marry him and that he would divorce his wife.

Thakur convinced Layek to meet him for one last time and the duo checked into the hotel on May 13, 2007.

Thakur after shooting Layek dead went to Vasco in Goa and resumed training in INS Hansa. He was arrested a few days later.

26/11 case: Prosecution asks for shifting trial to Adiala jail in Pakistan

Prosecution lawyers in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case have entered a plea in a Pakistani anti-terrorism court to shift the trial back to the premises of a jail in Rawalpindi where the seven accused are lodged citing security concerns.
The prosecution lawyers submitted the application yesterday in the court conducting the trial for shifting the trial from the anti-terrorism court Rawalpindi back to Adiala Jail. “The trial should be shifted back to Adiala Jail after beefing up security there as there has been a threat to the life of both the judge and lawyers here at the ATC premises,” sources said.
The court admitted the petition and issued notices to the interior ministry and defence lawyers for the next hearing on May 21. No other witness showed up in the yesterday’s hearing. Anti-terrorism court Rawalpindi judge Attiquer Rehman had refused to hold proceedings of the case in Adiala Jail following a terror attack at a district court in Islamabad on March 3 and demanded the government to beef up security at the prison.
As the government did not entertain the judge’s request, he started conduction the trial at the anti-terrorism court Rawalpindi. Prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar had requested the government to provide him security because of threats to his life. Azhar was absent from the yesterday’s hearing and another prosecution lawyer submitted the application.
In the last hearing, a teacher who reportedly taught Mumbai attacks convict Ajmal Kasab in Faridkot had told the court that Ajmal he knew was not the one hanged in India. Lashkar-e-Taiba operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Anjum have been charged with planning, financing and executing the attacks in India’s financial capital that killed 166 people in November, 2008. All the accused are jailed in Adiala prison.

Rahul Gandhi insulted PM by not attending farewell dinner: Sena

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday accused Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi of insulting the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by skipping the farewell dinner hosted in the latter’s honour in New Delhi.
“It was farewell for Rahul Gandhi as well (and) not just (for) the Prime Minister,” Raut said when asked about the Congress scion not attending the dinner which was hosted by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday night.
In a dig, the Shiv Sena spokesperson said that Rahul Gandhi mostly lives abroad and comes to India for holidays.
“After May 16, he will have to go again,” Raut said citing exit polls that have predicted a rout for Congress and victory for BJP.
Rahul, who spearheaded the Congress’ election campaign in just-concluded Lok Sabha elections, was conspicuous by his absence at the function, raising eyebrows in political circles.
According to reports, Rahul has probably gone abroad to take a break after a long period of campaigning and may return before counting of votes tomorrow.
When asked about Shiv Sena’s role in the next government if NDA comes to power, Raut said all decisions will be taken after results are out.
Here are some of the political reactions:
Rahul Gandhi is a foreigner, he comes to India for a holiday. When he is done, goes back to his foreign home: Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena
Rahul Gandhi’s absence baffles me, he should’ve matured by now: Ashutosh on Rahul Gandhi missing PM’s farewell dinner
Like Sonia Gandhi insulted SitaramKesri, Rahul Gandhi insulted PM Manmohan Singh by missing the farewell dinner :Tarun Vijay, BJP
A PM for 10 years when relinquishing his office deserves a befitting farewell, Rahul Gandhi should have been there: Capt. Abhimanyu, BJP

Boney Kapoor unhurt in road mishap, car damaged

Filmmaker Boney Kapoor escaped unhurt after his car collided with a tractor at Wai in Maharashtra while he was returning from a film shoot, official sources said.
While his car was damaged in the mishap that occurred last night, Kapoor did not sustain any injuries, they said.
Kapoor, 59, was in Wai for the shooting of his upcoming home production ‘Tevar’, starring his son Arjun and Sonakshi Sinha.
After the shoot was over, Kapoor was scheduled to leave for Mumbai. He was on the highway in his car with a boy (helper) and driver, when his car met with the accident at around 9 PM.
“Boneyji is absolutely fine, he has not suffered any injuries as reported. I spoke to him this morning and he is very much fine. Even the driver is fine, the boy who was sitting behind got very minor injury in his back,” PankajKharbanda, manager of Kapoor’s wife Sridevi, told PTI.
The shooting of ‘Tevar’ is going on in Wai for quite some time. From May 18, the shoot will take place in Mumbai.
Almost 80 per cent of the shoot is over.

Autorickshaw Driver Held for Not Heeding Police Advice

An autorickshaw driver was arrested for allegedly not obeying instructions of a police official and then dragging him alongwith the vehicle.

The policeman suffered injuries in the incident, police said.

While traffic branch inspector Dileep S Suryavanshi was on duty near Deepak hotel in Kalyan last evening, he spotted an autorickshaw parked wrongly which was affecting the traffic movement on the road, police said.

Suryavanshi asked the driver to park the vehicle properly.

The driver, Arvind Pundalik Sanap, did not listen to him and when the officer tried to reprimand him, Sanap drove away in speed, dragging the traffic cop, who was holding a rod on the vehicle, along with the vehicle to a considerable distance and in the process the latter sustained injuries.

Suryavanshi later lodged a complaint against the driver who was arrested last night, police said.

The auto rickshaw driver has been charged under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 of the IPC and relevant sections of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, police added.

Milk Vendor Awarded Rs. 1 Lakh Claim for Death of his Cattle in Accident

The Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded a claim of Rs. 1 lakh to a milk vendor for the accidental death of his cattle.

MACT member and adhoc district judge M H More awarded the claim filed by Deonarayan Ram Naresh Jaiswar, a milkman from Fansipada of MIDC Shilphata in Ambernath.

Jaiswar stated in his complaint that on October 19, 2005, his four buffaloes were killed by a truck due to rash and negligent driving by the vehicle’s driver.

According to the applicant, each buffalo rendered about 15 litres milk every day.

He substantiated the claim with the valuation of the buffaloes given by the veterinarian at the time of postmortem of the carcasses and submitted that he had suffered a loss worth about Rs. 90,000.

The respondents in the claim petition were Rambhau Sandho Hiwarale, the driver of the vehicle, Baliram Narayan Dawre (owner of the vehicle), and The New India Assurance Company Ltd.

The tribunal gave the verdict ex-parte against the owner and driver of the vehicle while the insurance company contested the claim, stating that the application was false, frivolous and not maintainable.

The insurance company said the applicant has no right to file the said application because the death of the buffaloes was not caused due to accident of the said vehicle.

The insurance company also stated that the claim made by the applicant was high, excessive, exorbitant and therefore unreasonable.

However, the tribunal, in its recent order said that after carefully going through the documents, it was clear that the buffaloes met with an accident and died.

The MACT member also observed that the spot panchanama clearly showed that the offending vehicle was coming from Badlapur to Shilphata Road and it was on the slope. The driver could not control the speed of the vehicle and hit the buffaloes.

Considering the value of buffaloes and monthly earning from them, the tribunal directed the three respondents to jointly pay a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh to the applicant.

Woman’s Body Found Hanging From Tree, Murder Suspected

A middle-aged woman was found hanging from a tree in a forest area of Thane district with police suspecting it to be a case of murder.

Police yesterday received information from a local that the body of the woman, around 45 years of age, was hanging from a tree in Manicha forest, assistant police inspector S T Patil said today.

Police recovered the unidentified body from the spot and sent it for post-mortem.

A case has been registered under section 302 (murder) of IPC against the unknown killers.

A search is on to identify the culprits and nab them to ascertain the motive behind the killing, he added.