Students device gadget to protect house from theft

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March 21, 2014

A group of six teenagers in Thane claim to have devised a gadget that will protect a house from theft when its residents are away.

The gadget, named ‘Robo Nandi’, will immediately get activated and send an alert message on a person’s registered mobile number if anybody tries to break into his house or attempts to steal or shift anything from there, Purushottam Panchpande, the student’s guide for the project, told reporters in Thane yesterday.

The person can then alert his neighbours and friends to seek quick action, he said, adding that the project was the brainchild of six boys studying at different schools in Thane, while he, a professor from Children’s Tech Centre in Thane which imparts science and technology practical training to young students, encouraged them in the endeavour.

‘Robo Nandi’, deriving its name from the mythological bull of Lord Shiva, will soon hit the market and would be available for commercial purposes, Mr Panchpande said.

The gadget will be of immense help to people going on long vacations as they can be free from house-related worries as their home stays protected by ‘Robo Nandi’, he said.

Though most housing societies and offices these days are equipped with CCTV cameras, they require huge investment and continuous monitoring of the footage, he said.

“Also, what’s the point in realising later that something has been stolen and then watching the footage? ‘Robo Nandi’ can be installed at much lesser cost and works real time, thus avoiding the time lags. The gadget alerts the person without making a noise and without the intruder even knowing that an alert has been sent,” he said.

The six students – Shardul Datar, Harshal Veling, Sannel Patil, Vyom Vyas, Aamod Pant and Shaunak Sawargaonkar demonstrated the working of the gadget before the reporters.

Housewife alleges dowry harassment

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Afternoon Voice

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March 21, 2014

A housewife has complained against her in-laws for dowry harassment. According to the police, the victim, Wasima Shaikh, got married to the accused, Jahid Shaikh, a month ago and was living with her in-laws.

The victim alleged that the accused used to demand money from her to purchase a new house. When the victim refused to bow down to their demands, they started torturing her mentally and physically. Fed-up with this, the victim lodged a complaint with the Vartak Nagar police under Sections 498 (a), 325 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

According to police, Wasima Shaikh got married to the accused Jahid Shaikh a month back and was living with her husband along with mother and father in law.

The victim alleged that the accused would press for dowry of Rs 3 lakh from to purchase a new room when the victim refused to bring the dowry they in laws tortured mentally and physically. Recently, the left shoulder of the woman was fractured due to phyicial abuse.

Fed up with the harassment the victim lodged a police complaint at Vartak police station under section 498 (a), 325 and 34 of Indian Penal Code.

Allies in state
Opponents outside

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Prakash Jha

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March 21, 2014

Shiv Sena will have an alliance with BJP in Maharashtra but will compete against it in other states.

The ties between Shiv Sena and BJP have soured ever since its leader NitinGadkari met Maharashtra NavnirmanSenasupremo Raj Thackeray. Sena is upset with the secret poll pact between the BJP and MNS which has played spoilsport in the previous election by dividing Marathi votes. Sena will have an alliance with BJP in Maharashtra. However, the party will field their candidates against BJP in other states.

Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena spokesperson said, “Shiv Sena will have an alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra and will contest against it in other states. Our party is ready to fight election from any state of India. We will strive to expand our party in other regions of the country. We will ensure that BJP suffers minimum collateral damage outside the state.”

Shiv Sena is likely to field its candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala, Punjab and Delhi. According to information provided by Sanjay Raut the party will contest five seats from Bihar and seven from Delhi.

Senior BJP leaders are contesting polls from Uttar Pradesh. BJP’s prime ministerial candidate NarendraModi will be contesting from Varanasi and its president Rajnath Singh will fight election from Lucknow. Shiv Sena will be fielding 20 candidates in Uttar Pradesh. UddhavThackeray and his son AdityaThackeray has said that the party will not field their candidates against NarendraModi and Rajnath Singh.

The MNS will be supporting BJP’s prime ministerial candidate NarendraModi without joining the NDA. It won’t field its candidates in those constituencies where BJP is contesting election.On the other hand, MNS will be directly giving a tough competition to Shiv Sena by fielding its candidates against Sena. Shiv Sena had urged the BJP to distance itself from the MNS.The BJP nonetheless turned a blind eye towards it and had a secret pact with the MNS. Shiv SenasupremoUddhav Thackeray later had asked BJP to clear its stand on MNS.

Uddhav Thackeray is reportedly still upset over the BJP’s overtures towards his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray.Earlier NitinGadkari had met Raj Thackeray and requested him not to field his candidate against the party.

Satpal Maharaj – Another rat of sinking ship?

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Vaidehi Taman

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March 21, 2014

You all might remember that when JD(U) separated from BJP over Modi’s prime ministerial candidature, everyone commented that Modi is a divisive force and no one like to do alliance with the BJP. No one will endorse him, and this person may become a liability for party. Now the tables have turned, Modi’s popularity and charisma has driven many people who once criticised the party and its leader, back to align with BJP. Not only that, but many strange entries like Satpal Maharaj of Congress, has surprised people by giving up his long association with Congress. It might be because each individual politician is much worried about his own future and sustenance in politics.

No doubt, politicians are attracted towards BJP all because of Modi. Modi has become a united force. In a season of political hopping, the Congress has been hit the hardest. Satpal Maharaj joining the Bharatiya Janata Party is the biggest setback for the Congress party. Recently elected Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Satpal Maharaj have internal rivalry. Satpal was not happy with Rawat’s appointment as CM of Uttarakhand. Moreover, anti Congress waves have compelled many of its leaders to quit the party. Satpal as a leader reportedly has support of five MLAs which could spell danger for the Congress government in the state. After joining the BJP, Satpal Maharaj hit out at the Uttarakhand government saying it has done nothing for the flood victims.

Expressing a deep sense of hurt, Satpal Maharaj said neither he nor anyone else from his family would contest 2014 Lok Sabha elections and advised the party to field a dedicated party worker from the seat. The drama and the statements issued by him has not surprised me; rather his morality can be questioned. When he knew that Congress has not done anything for flood victims, why he has taken so much time to quit? Was he aiming for the CM post in Uttarakhand? The time of his allegation is suspicious. After joining the BJP, Maharaj also rubbished the report that someone from his family could replace him as the party nominee from Pauri Lok Sabha seat. He said that neither he nor anyone else from his family would contest the general elections. Maharaj’s decision is a second jolt to the Congress ahead of Lok Sabha polls as former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Jagdambika Pal had earlier joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Satpal Maharaj, 62, has a massive following in the hill state of Uttarkhand. He was upset with the Congress when it selected Harish Rawat as the chief minister this year. Recently, the candidates he recommended for the Garhwal region were not cleared by the Congress. His wife Amrita Rawat is a Congress legislator in the state assembly. Satpal Maharaj reportedly has the support of 10 of the party’s 34 legislators in Uttarakhand that gives him the power to put the Congress government in the state in jeopardy. Satpal Singh Rawat is also known as Bal Bhagwan Ji. Worth remembering is that, in 1995, he left the Congress but returned back after four years. Now, again he left Congress and can return back any moment if his aspirations are not satisfied in BJP. Such leaders are not worth trusting.

Right now, Congress party is in crises, rats are swimming away, when a ship sinks. Satpal has association of 25 years with Congress Party. Party has taken him to this position, because he cannot come to this status on his own. Surprisingly, BJP is accepting these rats and other smaller parties who had criticised Modi in the past to reach the target of 272+. Such people could be turned out like Vinod Binny of AAP. BJP is taking high risk by this.

Time to review anti-rape laws

By

Prakash Jha

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March 21, 2014

Finally the four accused have been awarded life sentence for the gang rape of a telephone operator at Shakti Mills Compound in 2013. The public prosecutor has demanded a death sentence for three convicts who were also were convicted in the gangrape of a photojournalist at the same spot. The hearing of both cases were going on since last few months thus justice has been delivered after the court’s verdict. Thus now time has come to award either a life imprisonment or death penalty to the convicts responsible for the gangrape of the photojournalist.

After the Delhi Court had awarded death sentence to four accused responsible for the gangrape of Nirbhaya the entire nation was demanding death sentence to the convicts responsible for the gangrape of the photojournalist. According to top criminal lawyer the possibility of awarding death sentence to the accused of Shakti mill photojournalist gang rape is rare. The maximum punishment provided for gangrape under the Indian Penal Code was life imprisonment.

The 22-year-old photojournalist who was working with English Magazine was brutally gang-raped at Shakti Mills compound by five drug peddlars. The incident led to a commotion around the country and after which cops arrested all five accused responsible for committing the crime.

The 19-year-old telephone operator was gang raped by five persons including three of the accused in photojournalist’s rape case on the same premises of Shakti mill on July 31, last year. After the rape case of photo journalist came into limelight, this brave girl who was telephone operator working at one private firm willingly came forward and complained to the police that she was raped. We need to salute the bravery of this girl who came forward and informed everyone about the brutality of those monsters who raped many women on difference occasions.

The accused were thinking that the police won’t be able to crack this crime. The brave photojournalist had exposed their heinous crime in public. It was really unfortunate that the female photographer had visited the isolated Shakti Mill compound to capture the unlawful activities occurring there to educate the readers. However, she was raped by the miscreants in a brutal manner.

Cops need to take a cue from such incidents and become more active so that incidents like rape should be curbed. Police need to become alert so that women can travel freely in the city without any fear. The four convicts who were awarded the life term are Vijay Jadhav, Qasim Sheikh alias Bengali, Salim Ansari and Mohammad Ashfak Shaikh. The fifth accused, a minor in the telephone operator gang rape case, is being tried by the Juvenile Justice Board.

BJP denies Jaswant Singh ticket from Barmer, may contest as Independent

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Afternoon Voice

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March 21, 2014

In a major development, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday denied former union minister Jaswant Singh Lok Sabha ticket from Barmer in Rajasthan.

The party has decided to instead field Col Sonaram, an ex-Congress legislator from the region.

Jaswant Singh, a sitting Lok Sabha MP from Darjeeling in West Bengal, this time wanted to contest the elections from Barmer in Rajasthan.

“I have done a lot for Darjeeling. I have done all that I could for Darjeeling. I wanted to contest my last election from my native place,” Singh said.

Singh had earlier said that if denied BJP ticket from Barmer, he will contest as an independent. He is now likely to file his nomination on March 24.

Barmer is Singh’s native place as his village Jasol falls in the district. His son Manvendra Singh has also fought elections twice from there.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had been in favour of making Col Sonaram contest from Barmer ever since he joined the BJP. Raje believes the Jat leader has a better chance at winning as the constituency has a large Jat population.

The development came a day after the BJP, with help from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, managed to cajole veteran LK Advani into contesting from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. Advani had expressed his desire to contest from Bhopal.

Time over for Advani to throw tantrums: Shatrughan Sinha

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Afternoon Voice

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March 21, 2014

Once a close confidant of BJP veteran LK Advani, actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has taken a dig at his mentor and the party patriarch, saying the time is over for him to show tantrums.

The BJP’s sitting MP from Patna Saheb, who is all set to file his nomination papers from here today, said that Advani has reached a stage where it does not suit him to show tantrums.

Actor-politician, however, hailed Advani as one of the tallest leaders of the country and said he was like a friend and guide to him.

Sinha’s sudden change of heart for Advani also reflects the growing urge in senior BJP leaders to remain in the good books of the party’s PM candidate Narendra Modi, who is known to be an authoritarian leader.

On Thursday, angry party workers protested at the BJP headquarters here against the re-nomination of Shatrughan as the BJP candidate Patna Saheb.

Anyone who tried to shout against Shatrughan were beaten up by his supporters in order to break down any rebellion. In these clashes, several workers from the party received serious injuries.

Sinha, along with his wife Poonam and son Luv Sinha had reached here yesterday for filling the nomination papers. He will be fighting against Dr Gopal Prasad Sinha of JD(U).

Dr. Sinha is said to be the personal physician of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Buta Singh quits Congress, to contest Lok Sabha polls on SP ticket

By

Afternoon Voice

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March 21, 2014

In a jolt to the Congress in Rajasthan, former Union home minister Buta Singh quit the party on Friday.

As per reports, Buta Singh has joined the Samajwadi Party.

He will contest the Lok Sabha elections on SP ticket from Jalore in Rajasthan, reports added.

Buta Singh had tried to join the BJP, but talks with the party leadership could not yield any results.

Singh, who also served as the Union Agriculture Minister in the Rajiv Gandhi cabinet at the Centre between 1984 and 1986, was elected to Lok Sabha eight times between 1962 and 2004. He was Home Minister between 1986 and 1989.

Hailing from Jalandhar in Punjab, Singh was also the Governor of Bihar from 2004 to 2006 and a chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes between 2007 and 2010.

AAP sacks two leaders for demanding money

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Afternoon Voice

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March 21, 2014

Sending out a strong message to party office bearers, the Aam Aadmi Party Friday sacked two leaders from Uttar Pradesh for demanding money in exchange of party tickets.

Addressing a press conference at his Tilak Lane residence, AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal announced sacking of Avadh zone convener Aruna Singh and Hardoi’s treasurer Ashok Kumar for demanding money in lieu of giving party tickets for Lok Sabha elections.

“These two demanded money from prospective candidates in exchange of party tickets. We received complaints, following which we asked for evidence. When the party looked into the evidence, we found the allegations to be true. However, no kind of financial transaction occurred. Based on the evidence, we decided to sack the two,” Kejriwal said.

A party leader said one Rajesh Kumar from Sitapur had alleged that money was being taken in exchange of tickets, following which a sting was done by a news channel.

“Initially, when the voice record came to us, it was not clear. So, we asked the TV reporter to get fresh evidence and verified it after which an action was taken against the two.” said the leader.

Kejriwal asked the media and also the candidates looking for party tickets to conduct a sting operation if they found anyone demanding money.

“Whosoever does that, conduct a sting. We will verify it and the person will not be in the party for more than 24 hours after that,” he said.

Kejriwal added that whenever such cases come up, the party looks for the voice and raw footage before arriving at any conclusion.

“I am sending out a clear message, whosoever paid money for the ticket should assume that their money will be wasted. The candidate will also not get any ticket if he does this, Kejriwal said.

Nandan Nilekani, wife’s declared assets worth Rs. 7,700 crore

By

Afternoon Voice

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March 21, 2014

Making his wealth public a day before stepping into the fray, Infosys co-founder and Congress candidate from Bangalore South, Nandan Nilekani has declared that he and his wife Rohini Nilekani have assets worth Rs 7,700 crore.

“I started out with 200 rupees in my pocket, when I graduated from IIT; …We founded Infosys with Rs 10,000,” Nilekani’s media team, quoting him, said.

“On Thursday, because of the success of a company built from scratch, Nandan and Rohini have assets of Rs. 7,700 crore,” a release issued by the media team said.

His formidable opponent and five-time Lok Sabha member from Bangalore South, Ananth Kumar of BJP has declared himself poorer than his wife Tejaswani.

In an affidavit filed yesterday, Kumar has declared his total assets stands at Rs. 51.12 lakh, while Tejaswani owns assets worth of Rs. 3.86 crore. Total assets owned by the family is Rs. 4.4 crore.

Chief architect of UPA’S flagship “Aadhar” scheme, Nilekani took the political plunge on March 9, when he joined Congress, a day after the party named him as its candidate from Bangalore South.

Bangalore South has been a hostile terrain for Congress which had been tasting defeat since the late 1970s, barring in 1989 when former Chief Minister late R Gundu Rao had won.

Nilekani said, “Most of our wealth, almost 80 per cent remains in Infosys shares; …This wealth was created while Infosys brought lakhs of jobs to Bengaluru. The company also shared a lot of wealth with our employees through ESOPs (employee stock ownership plan).”

He said he still owns 1.45 per cent, and Rohini 1.3 per cent of Infosys.

Saying he is proud of the fact that his wealth is completely transparent, he said, “I haven’t made any of my money illegally, or hid it in investments outside the country.”

“Nothing is hidden in someone else’s bank account. It is all completely transparent, and tax-paid,” he added.

Since 1999, both are said to have donated almost Rs. 400 crore of their wealth to various causes and charities.

“I have worked in the social sector for more than 15 years now…And when I came into some money through the sale of Infosys shares, I was able to spend more on my philanthropy,” Rohini Nilekani said.

Nilekani and Rohini have prioritised their philanthropy into areas like water, governance, education.