Sanjay Raut’s daughter Purvashi is a pillar of strength for parents

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August 8, 2022

ed, enforcement directorate, purvashi raut, raut, pravin raut, purvashi, sunil raut — Sanjay Raut's daughter Purvashi is a pillar of strength for parents 2

While the entire media was focusing on the court hearing and Raut’s arrival, I was watching his daughter who stole my heart. When Raut came out of the court his daughter Purvashi was right there escorting her father towards the car. She was holding a bag and files and stood by him like a pillar of strength. Raut waved at those people, who were waiting for him outside the premises. He smiled and sat in his vehicle. He was trying to tell his people that everything is fine or maybe it was a message to the media that all is well. One cannot ignore the fact that the tiredness and discomfort was very much visible on his face. Whereas his daughter looked very firm and composed while being with her dad all these whiles.

When ED summoned Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut, his daughter Purvashi was seen accompanying mother along with her uncle Sunil Raut. Varsha Raut, a school teacher, simple woman and mother of two daughters, got caught in the controversy because the transactions were done in her bank account. Purvashi sat in the ED office until her mother came out. ED questioned Varsha Raut for more than nine hours in connection with the case and recorded her statement. Then Purvashi took her mom back home. She is striking a balance between both. Younger one Vidhita was very emotional the day ED took her dad’s custody; Raut’s brother Sunil was seen cheering her. Who says daughters are less than sons?

Surprisingly, none of the leaders from Maha Vikas Aghadi came in support of Sanjay Raut, no one gave media statements or expressed solidarity. Bunch of Shiv Sainiks gather around court and ED office the day his custody gets over and they bid goodbye when he goes back. There is absolute silence from all those leaders who once were vocal for Nawab Mallik and Congress’s Anil Deshmukh. Well! Rahul Gandhi and His sister Priyanka Gandhi expressed their concern for Raut. Uddhav Thackeray has denied any wrongdoing and called the ED case against him Raut “false”. But no other local leader spoke to the media, his brother Sunil Raut played his spokesman. He gave media statements; he was very prompt during all the on-going events.

A special court sent Raut to 14-day judicial custody in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of a Mumbai ‘chawl’. This came after the ED prosecutor said that the agency no longer needed his custody for the probe. Raut was arrested by the central agency on August 1. Sanjay Raut, is taken to Arthur Road Jail.

His lawyer sought that Raut should be permitted to access home food, medicines and bed while in jail given his health condition. The court has passed an interim order allowing Raut home food and medicines, till a report is received from the jail superintendent and the chief medical officer of the jail on his health. The court said that his plea for a bed cannot be considered as adequate arrangement for a bed made by the jail SP in prison.

The ED prosecutor told the court that while his medical examination, mandatory as per law at least 24 hours before being produced in court, was done yesterday, Raut insisted that he be taken for the test today again before the hearing.

Meanwhile, Raut got caught in another storm; the ED is now looking into the editorial column published with arrested Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut’s byline in the party mouthpiece, Saamana, on Sunday. Sanjay Raut does not have permission from court to write editorials or columns while in custody. However, on Sunday, a column titled ‘Rokthok’ criticising Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for his recent statements, was published in Saamana under the Sena MP’s name. ED sleuths will be investigating several possible scenarios: if Raut wrote the column by his own hand, if he conveyed the details to someone meeting him while in custody, or if it was written by Saamana staffers in Raut’s name. Raut is allowed to meet his lawyer for one hour every day, as per court orders.

Earlier, three days after Raut was taken in custody, a letter was sent to various Rajya Sabha MPs belonging Opposition parties, in which the Sena leader thanked them for supporting him after his arrest by the ED.

(Any suggestions, comments or disputes with regards to this article send us at feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Parliamentary Panel says ” No child should be called illegitimate”

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ANI

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August 8, 2022

Parliament — Image: Representative / Agencies

There is a need to bring in a new and comprehensive law to deal with child adoption that makes the process smoother as well as more accountable, a parliamentary panel that examined the sensitive subject has felt.

The panel, headed by BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi, observed that a unique situation prevailed in India, where on one hand a large number of families were finding it difficult to adopt children while on the other hand, a huge number of children were living as orphans or beggars on the streets.

The committee also noted with alarm that 762 children had died in Specialized Adoption Agencies between 2018-19 and 2021-22 and called for a third party study of all Child Care institutions.

In another pertinent observation, the panel also took note of the word ‘illegitimate’ used in some legislations to describe children and asserted that no child should be described in this manner.

The 118th report of the standing committee on personnel, public grievances, law and justice was put before both Houses of the Parliament on Monday.

The committee looked at the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act and Juvenile Justice Act and said both have their own virtues and shortcomings.

“While the adoption procedure laid down under HAMA is simple and takes less time as compared to that stipulated in JJ Act, adoptions made under JJ Act are transparent, accountable and verifiable,” the panel said in its 43-page report.

It, however, pointed out that the adoption regulations framed under Juvenile Justice Act provide for an elaborate and time-consuming and were beset with inordinate delays.

It is also observed that Specialized Adoption Agencies are also overburdened with procedural requirements and massive paperwork. “The Committee feels that there is a need to harmonise both the laws and bring out a Uniform and comprehensive legislation on adoption which is more transparent, accountable, verifiable, less bureaucratic and applicable to all irrespective of religion in order to make adoptions more easy and less cumbersome,” the panel said.

The panel also said that section 3(1) of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act makes use of the term ‘illegitimate’ in reference to a child born out of wedlock.

The Committee strongly feels that the word ‘Illegitimate’ should be omitted as no child is illegitimate and the law should be the same for all children whether born within or out of wedlock, the panel said.

The committee also felt that the new law it has suggested should also cover the LGBTQ community “The Committee is of the view that the new law on adoption should provide for early de-institutionalization of the newborn as it is in the best interest of children. The Committee also opines that the adopted child should be entitled to a share in the property of his adoptive parents and not of his biological parents since adoption replaces biological parents with adoptive parents permanently,” said the panel.

In its report, the panel also called for creating an adoption register to keep record of authentic data. “The Committee takes note of the paradoxical situation where on one hand there are a large number of Parents willing to adopt a child, on the other, there are not many children available for adoption, all this while the 2020 World Orphan Report estimates number of orphans in India at 31 million.

Also, as per the information furnished by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, as per Census 2011 there are 55,258 child beggars in the age group of 0 to 19 years in the Country,” said the panel report.

The Committee also noted with concern that 762 children had died in Specialized Adoption Agencies between 2018-19 and 2021-22 which it called “alarming”.

The Committee recommends the Ministry to commission a third party study of all Child Care institutions.

The Committee also recommends the Ministry to investigate into the causes of child deaths in Specialized adoption agencies and furnish a brief note to the Committee within three months time, the panel said.

CWG 2022: Paddler Sharath Kamal clinches gold in men’s singles final

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ANI

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August 8, 2022

Indian paddler Sharath Kamal clinched the gold medal in the men’s singles final at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Monday.

Kamal defeated England’s Liam Pitchford 11-13, 11-7, 11-2, 11-6, 11-8 registering a 4-1 victory. Kamal defeated England’s Liam Pitchford 11-13, 11-7, 11-2, 11-6, 11-8.

The first game of the match saw England paddler giving a tough fight to the Indian and he won the game 13-11. The ace paddler Kamal was at his best in the second game as he crushed his opponent 11-7.

The third game was even better as Kamal outclassed his opponent 11-2. Pitchford tried to claw back in the fourth game but the Indian paddler did not allow any slip-up and clinched the game by 11-6. Kamal kept up the momentum and won the fourth game 11-8.

Earlier, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran won his first singles medal at the CWG. The Indian defeated England’s Paul Drinkhall 4-3 in the bronze playoff. Gnanasekaran won the hard-fought match 11-9, 11-3, 11-5, 8-11, 9-11, 10-12, 11-9. His match against Drinkhall was a tale of two halves. The 29-year-old had a wonderful start, winning the first three games.

However, Paul pulled things back by claiming three games in a row. But it was the Indian paddler who took the match. With the win, Sathiyan became India’s 58th medallist, and 23rd bronze medallist, at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Earlier, the Indian mixed doubles duo of Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula bagged the gold medal in the mixed doubles final in table tennis.

The Indian table tennis duo of Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula registered a 3-1 win over the Malaysian pair of Javen Choong and Karen Lyne 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6.

Shuttler Lakshya Sen captures gold in men’s singles

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ANI

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August 8, 2022

Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen clinched the country’s second badminton gold of the day, defeating Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong in the final of the men’s singles category at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Monday.

Sen fought brilliantly on his way to victory. He won the match by 19-21, 21-19 and 21- 16. He took on the Malaysian challenge head-on and toiled his way towards the ultimate prize.

Sen and his Malaysian opponent started the opening game on a mostly even note. Sen gained a slight advantage with a 5-4 lead. But Tze Yong was not the one to give up and not only did he score points, but he also made Sen toil hard for his own points. Sen kept fighting and eventually made things 19-19. But Tze Yong secured the first game after outclassing the Indian by 19-21.

The next game also started off as a see-saw contest, with Tze Yong having a lead. Sen continued fighting hard for his points and made things 6-6. Lakshya’s perseverance eventually took him to a 11-9 lead halfway into the game, which eventually widened to 18-9. Sen won the second game by 21-9 to set up an exciting decider.

The decider game also started on an exciting note, with both players toiling hard for points. Sen was better this time. Halfway through the game, he had an 11-7 lead, which widened to 15-11. Sen eventually swung his racket to a win by 21-16 in the third game, which helped him seal the match and clinch the gold.

Dalai Lama congratulates newly elected Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar

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ANI

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August 8, 2022

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday extended his congratulatory wishes to newly-elected Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

The 14th Dalai Lama in his letter to Dhankhar wrote, “Today, the international community is becoming ever more aware of the leadership role that India can play in contributing to the peace and development of all humanity. With your long and rich experience of public service, I am sure you will be able to serve this great nation and its people with success.”

The Tibetan spiritual leader said that India is the land of ‘ahimsa’ and ‘karuna’, ideas that can contribute much to the flourishing of humanity.

He expressed his commitment to moving forward to create awareness of this treasure. “Over the years, India has taken great strides in many fields, especially in science and technology. As someone who has lived here for most of my life, I consider myself very much part of Indian society. It is auspicious that you are taking up this position on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.”

“Mahatma Gandhi made the principle of non-violence spread across the world, and leaders from Dr Martin Luther King to Nelson Mandela turned to ‘ahimsa’ to try to address long-standing differences and social problems. For my part, in addition to applying this principle wherever possible, I am deeply committed to trying to create greater awareness of this treasure, together with the power of compassion, among my Indian brothers and sisters and across the world,” he added.

Dalai Lama praised the traditional techniques of mental training in India, which include Yoga and meditation and said that they can benefit all human beings now and in future.

“I am proud to say that ancient India is the source of an understanding of the mind and emotions – as well as of its traditional techniques of mental training, such as meditation and yoga – that can be of benefit to all human beings, both now and in the future.’’

“I believe that it is most important to incorporate the study of India’s ancient knowledge into modern educational systems, purely from a secular and academic perspective.”

“India is uniquely well-positioned to combine these two essential bodies of knowledge. I am aware that such initiatives have begun in several states, and I very much hope that they will grow across the nation,” he added.

Dhankhar won the election by 346 votes after defeating Opposition candidate Margaret Alva. He got 528 votes against opposition candidate Margaret Alva who secured 182 votes.

The next Vice-President of the country will take the oath of office on August 11, a day after the term of the incumbent Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu ends.

England bowler Sophie Ecclestone was reprimanded for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct

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ANI

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August 8, 2022

England bowler Sophie Ecclestone has been given an official reprimand for breaching the Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the Commonwealth Games Women’s T20I bronze medal match against New Zealand in Birmingham on Sunday.

Ecclestone was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match.”

In addition, one demerit point has been added to Ecclestone’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period. The incident occurred following Ecclestone’s dismissal in the 18th over of England’s innings when she knocked a chair over with her bat on return to the pavilion.

Ecclestone admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by GS Lakshmi of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Lauren Agenbag and Eloise Sheridan, third umpire Claire Polosak and fourth umpire Vrinda Rathi levelled the charge. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Coming to the match, England lost the game by eight wickets. New Zealand won the bronze medal. Batting first, England posted 110/9 in their first innings. Only Nat Sciver, the captain (27), and Amy Jones (26) could post some decent contributions for the hosts. Hayley Jensen (3/24) was the best bowler for NZ. NZ chased down the target with ease in 11.5 overs. Sophie Devine (51) and Amelia Kerr (21) took their team to victory.

In a heart-wrenching news, a minor girl raped by an official of ashram school in Chandrapur

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Web Team

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August 8, 2022

Minor girl, raped, arrested — Image: Representative

A superintendent of an ashram school has been arrested for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl student at the institution in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district, police said on Monday.

A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to probe the incident that took place at Ghamabai ashram school in Baranj Tanda village of Bhadravati tehsil, around 30 km from the district headquarters, an official said.

The police on Sunday arrested the accused under section 376 (rape) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said.

A first information report (FIR) was registered at Hinganghat police station in Wardha district as the victim girl’s parents reside there and the case was later transferred to Bhadravati police station, the official said.

The victim was a student at the residential school, where the accused was employed as a superintendent, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) AyushNopani said.

On August 4, the school authorities asked the girl’s parents to take her away and issued a transfer certificate, citing that she was suffering from health problems, he said.

After returning to her house in Hinganghat, the girl informed her family that the school superintendent had raped her, following which the parents lodged a complaint, the official said. The victim has been sent to Nagpur for a medical check-up and further probe is underway in the matter, he added.

No proposal under consideration to constitute 8th Pay Commission, says MoS Finance

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ANI

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August 8, 2022

8th Pay Commission representative image — Image for representative purpose

Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary on Monday informed Loka Sabha that the government has no proposal under consideration to constitute the 8th Central Pay Commission for the central government employees.

The minister replied to a question on whether the government proposes to ensure a timely constitution of the 8th Central Pay Commission for central government employees so that it could be implemented on January 1, 2026.

At least seven pay commissions have been constituted since 1947. After every ten years, the central government forms a pay commission to revise the salary structure of the government employees.

The 7th Central Pay Commission was reportedly set up by the government of India on February 28, 2014.

The first Pay Commission in India was established in January 1946. The constitutional framework of the Pay Commission comes under the Department of Expenditure (Ministry of Finance).

About other measures being taken by the government to increase salaries in view of rising inflation, the minister replied in order to compensate for erosion in the real value of their salaries on account of inflation, dearness allowances (DA) are paid to them and the rate of DA is revised periodically every 6 months on the basis of the rate of inflation gauged under All India Consumer Price lndex for Industrial Workers.

Mike Hankey assumed the post of Consul General of the United States in Mumbai on August 7, succeeding former Consul General David J Ranz.

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Web Team

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August 8, 2022

Immediately prior to coming to Mumbai, Consul General Hankey served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Amman; prior to that he headed the Palestinian Affairs Unit at the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

A career diplomat since 2001, Consul General Hankey’s previous assignments include postings in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, and Nigeria.

“I am honoured to represent the United States of America in Western India at a time when the US-India relationship is stronger than ever. As we celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties, we will continue to work to build a more prosperous, free, connected, and secure world. Our shared commitment to democratic values, economic partnership, and people-to-people ties is the foundation which ensures greater cooperation into the future. I look forward to exploring all that Mumbai and Western India have to offer artistically and culturally over the next three years,” said Hankey.

Consul General Hankey is accompanied by his wife and their two sons in Mumbai.

Top TTP commander, with USD 3 mn bounty, reportedly killed in Afghanistan

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ANI

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August 8, 2022

A top Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander, with a USD 3 million American bounties on his head, has been reportedly killed in an explosion in eastern Afghanistan.

Omar Khalid Khorasani, a former journalist and poet, who studied at several madrasas in Pakistan’s Karachi was killed in a vehicle carrying senior TTP commanders, with a mysterious explosive device.

A vehicle with Khalid Khorasani, aka Abdul Wali Mohmand, and other TTP leaders, was targeted in Bermal district of Paktika province, The Express Tribune newspaper reported, citing Afghan officials and local sources.

Citing anonymous sources, the Pakistani publication said the TTP leaders were travelling in the Birmal district of Paktika “for consultation” when their vehicle hit a roadside mine on August 7.

The US government has a reward of up to USD 3 million for information on Abdul Wali Mohmand. “Wali is the leader of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA), a militant faction affiliated with Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Under Wali’s leadership, JuA has been one of the most operationally active TTP networks in Punjab Province, Pakistan and has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks throughout Pakistan,” said Rewards for Justice (RFJ), US Department of State’s premier national security rewards programme.

“Wali reportedly operates from Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Kunar Provinces. Wali was born in Mohmand Agency, Pakistan. He is a former journalist and poet and studied at several madrasas in Karachi, Pakistan,” RFJ added.

Earlier today, another top TTP leader Abdul Rashid, who belonged to Bajaur tribal district, was also killed in a landmine blast in Kunar province.

The ongoing peace talks between the TTP and Pakistan government reached a stalemate as the outlawed group refused to give in on its demand for the reversal of the merger of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Despite a series of meetings between the two sides in recent weeks to break the impasse, there has also been a stalemate over the issue of TTP laying down arms in case of a peace deal, The Express Tribune reported.

Talks between the two sides began in October 2021 to seek a political solution to the issue. The talks that were held at the request of the Afghan Taliban led to a one-month ceasefire in November.

However, the truce could not last long as differences emerged soon. The report said that TTP has yet to confirm the targeted killings of its top commanders. This would reportedly undermine the Afghan Taliban-brokered peace talks between the Pakistan government and the outlawed group.