Latest News: 2011

Sunday, January 23, 2011

'Shahid refused to do 7 Khoon Maaf'

Shahid Kapoor More Pics

When Priyanka Chopra has seven co-stars in her forthcoming film " 7 Khoon Maaf", the question arises why isn't Shahid Kapoor, who shares an amazing onscreen chemistry with her and is reportedly her offscreen love, one of them? Well because he refused, revealed filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj.

"Shahid refused to do the film. That time he was preparing for the role in his father's film and for that he needed a particular get up, so he didn't have time to get a new get up for this film," Bhardwaj told reporters at an event in the Radio City office here.

"7 Khoon Maaf" is based on Ruskin Bond's short story, "Susanna's Seven Husbands". The seven male leads in the thriller include Naseeruddin Shah as the oldest husband, John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan, Annu Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah's youngest son Vivaan Shah as the youngest husband and Russian actor Aleksandr Dyachenko.

The director also revealed that Priyanka was his original choice for the role.

"Priyanka was my original choice for the role. She is the finest actor of her generation right now. Whe I worked with her in 'Kaminey', I realised how under-utilised she is. She has so much talent in her. As a director I had so much trust on her that I felt that no one else can essay this role as brilliantly as she would do," said Bhardwaj.

Indian govt, firms spent over $1.5 million on US lobbying in 2010

NEW DELHI: With the US holding key to a vast number of issues affecting India and its corporates, the Indian government and companies together spent over $1.5 million last year on lobbying in the American power corridors.

However, the cost incurred by Indian government and companies on lobbying with US lawmakers in 2010 marks a significant drop of about one-third vis-a-vis spending in the previous year, when this figure stood at about $2.2 million.

The issue of lobbying has created a big controversy in recent months in India after leakage of taped conversations between a corporate lobbyist and a number of people from politics, business, the media and other areas.

The controversy led to talk of the Indian government also considering framing regulations for lobbying activities. However, the government and private companies have been officially lobbying in the US for many years to put forward their cases with the American government and lawmakers.

Lobbying is legal in the US and all the lobbyists there are required to file a quarterly report with the Senate, detailing their clients, the departments with whom they were lobbying and the fees charged for the same.

According to the lobbying disclosure reports filed with the Senate for the quarter ended December 31, 2010, the Indian government and companies together paid about $4,00,000 to lobbyists for putting forward their cases before US lawmakers.

This has taken the total lobbying cost incurred by Indian companies and the government for the entire 2010 to $1.57 million, as against $2.2 million in 2009.

Experts said the drop in lobbying expenses partly reflects the state of economy and the resultant cost-cutting exercise undertaken by the government as well as companies.

The Indian government alone paid over $420,000 during 2010 to high-profile lobbyist Barbour Griffith & Rogers (BGR), while the private sector companies together paid more than $11,50,000 to their lobbyists.

The lobbying for the Indian government was done mostly with the US Senate on issues related to the bilateral relationship between the two countries, the disclosure said.

Till last year, the Indo-US nuclear deal used to be the main lobbying issue for the Indian government.

On the other hand, the private sector lobbied on issues related to their respective businesses.

The most prominent among the private sector entities, billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, paid a total of $7,60,000 to its US lobbyist, which also happens to be BGR.

RIL paid $190,000 each in the four quarters of 2010, while the amounts were the same in the previous year.

Others who indulged in lobbying in the US during 2010 include apex software sector body Nasscom, Carpet Export Promotion Council, Flyington Freighters, the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council and Gujarat Fluorochemicals.

In the past, a host of other Indian entities -- including the Tata Group, industry chamber CII, L&T, SAIL, Ranbaxy and Sun Pharma -- have also lobbied in the US, but the latest disclosure filings by lobbyists do not mention their names.

The Indian government's lobbying bill also came down heavily to $420,000 during 2010 from $700,000 in the previous year.

While the maximum lobbying expense incurred by the Indian government was in 2007, at $720,000, India began lobbying with US lawmakers in 2005, when it incurred a total cost of $240,000 for the same. The corresponding figures for the years 2008, 2007 and 2006 were $630,000, $720,000 and $640,000, respectively.

The Indian government has been lobbying with the American lawmakers since 2005 on issues related to nuclear deal and bilateral Indo-US relationships and its total spending has crossed $3 million (around Rs 15 crore).

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then US President George Bush had first announced their intention to enter into a nuclear agreement in July, 2005.

The first instance of a lobbying-related payment was made by the Indian government in the last quarter of 2005. At that time, BGR had said that it "provided guidance and counsel with regard to issues impacting bilateral relations between the US and the Republic of India, including a potential civil nuclear agreement."

Mishra chops Chitrangada's item number

Chitrangda Singh More Pics

Last week, Chitrangada Singh was sulking. To her horror, she discovered that director Sudhir Mishrahad lopped off an entire item number she had done in Yeh Saali Zindagi.

A source says, "Mishra cut out the song at the final edit. Chitrangada spoke to him about it. His explanation did not go down well with her. It wasn't easy to shoot that item number and she had worked very hard on it."

Apparently, Mishra had to cajole the actress into understanding his perspective. Chitrangada took a lot of time to understand his point of view but to Mishra's credit, he stuck to his argument.

Persistence did win at the end of it. Mishra confirmed that he had deleted a song from Yeh Saali Zindagi, which was picturised on Chitrangada. He said, "To me, it wasn't an item number. It was simply a performance."

And why did he cut it out? Replied Mishra "I edited it only because I felt it was not in sync with the narrative of the film." Mishra also admitted that Chitrangada was upset over his decision. "But it's okay. She is fine now.

Anybody in her place would have felt the same."

We still felt the need to ask the actress for her opinion on this, but she remained unavailable for comment.

Signs to know he's avoiding you

Know if he's not that into you (Getty Images)

Here are some tell-tale signs to look out for....

If you've gone out with a guy/girl a couple of times, you are probably wondering if he/she likes you and wants to take it forward. While going outright and asking your date is not always an option, you may be looking for signs to know how he/she feels.

If you are one of those who keeps wondering why your partner hasn't called back or is too busy for you, maybe you need to realise that he/she is not that into you.

- A lack of physical contact is one of the most obvious signs. If it's a man you're wondering about, know that they love to show their affection in the form of holding hands or putting their arm around your waist. If he is keeping a distance, constantly has his hands folded over his chest and avoids eye contact it's a sign.

-While men may not be fond of phone conversations, if he likes you he will call you back. The same applies for women. If she spends half of your time together chatting with her best friend on the phone, something's wrong. Further, if you find that your date keeps changing plans, it may show disinterest.

-While it's good to have your own space in a relationship if your partner disappears for days or weeks altogether, you need to think twice. There is no excuse for a person not being in touch for that long. With the internet, mobile phones and other methods of communication, even if your partner is out of the country he/she should call in every now and again.

-It's always nice to run errands or do favours for your date, but not all the time. If your date only calls you when he/she needs you to buy some groceries or pick him/her up, it's time to say no. A good partner will ask for help once in a while.

-A partner who criticises you all the time for small things like the way you are dressed and seems to be starting fights all the time, could be looking for a break-up. If he/she is constantly with a member of the opposite sex, it could mean he/she is looking for options.

-Finally if your date is keeping you away from his/her friends circle or avoiding meeting his/her family, it could mean that he/she is not in it long term. Ask your partner about this and then decide if you want to continue the relationship.

Watch out while sharing secrets with spouse

To know, or not to

Being privy to every little quirk of your partner might not prove beneficial to your relationship...

Lovelorn couples; here's a red alert! Sitting in a coffee shop, sipping on endless mugs of coffee and having a conversation to know 'absolutely everything' about each other might really get you nowhere. A recent study claims that not knowing your partner could be the key to a long-lasting relationship.

The study, conducted by two psychologists from a renowned Swiss university, found that couples married for an average of 40 years know less about one another's preferences than do partners who have been married or in committed relationships for a year or two. For many, the only explanation to the outcome of this study is that not knowing and liking is a better option than knowing and not liking. Simply put, ignorance is bliss.

Art dealer Vedhika Choudhurry completely agrees with this theory. She says, "If I come to know my husband smokes, flirts with his PA at work and is a closet misogynist, would I want to stay with him? Never. I find it better not to know what his faults are and accept him at face value rather than find out what he really is and go knocking on the doors of the family court!"

Psychologist Namitha says this study can be perceived in two ways. "One, people find denial more comforting than the hard truth," she says, "Another way to look at it is that rather than getting to know everything about a person in a short span, getting to know them over a number of years, discovering something new about them every day as you grow older, could be the secret magic ingredient. The best way to go about it is to achieve a balance in how much you disclose because as bad as it may sound, sometimes complete honesty really does kill."

This study might come as an irony of sorts in this age — a time that hails and celebrates the virtues of live-in relationships. An increasing number of young couples are opting for this marriage-without-being-married concept so they can get to know their partner inside out before saying the sealing 'I Dos'. Software engineer Kamal Krishnan says, "On one hand, it gives me jitters when I think of marrying someone I don't know entirely. On the other, there's got to be a darned good reason why couples who get married after a live-in period still split. It might have to do with raised expectations. For example, when you're courting, you find out everything about your partner, you remember that they don't like onions in their food. After marriage, if you happen to forget this little detail, all hell breaks loose. Might as well maintain some ambiguity from the word go, then."

However, happily married for 30 years, bank manager Saraswati Ramachandran rubbishes this study. "I think it's absolutely necessary to know what kind of a person your partner is. To know his likes and dislikes, his personality traits, his attitude and aptitude is a must. After all, you have to spend forever with him — he's not a roommate, he's your soul mate."

Are you going to be dumped?

Pyaar impossible: Don’t try to ignore the issue nagging your relationship

Being in a love can be a heady feeling. Add to it the fact that you feel you've found your soul mate, and you are on cloud nine.

But people often fail to take into consideration the fact that their partner may not be thinking likewise. When in love, people either don't see that there is trouble in their relationship or they prefer to ignore it hoping that everything will sort itself out. However, it's best to acknowledge the issues that are nagging you and address them rather than sweep them under the carpet. Ignoring the issues won't help. So, here are some pointers to check out the steadiness factor in your relationship:

Doesn't want to socialise with you
Do you remember that time when you were left standing at the restaurant hungrily eyeing the people who walked in, but you never got to go in because your boyfriend/girlfriend didn't turn up? There's the working overtime excuse that come handy at times such as these. We don't mean to say that every time your partner breaks a date you suspect his/her actions, but anything that happens too often indicates something. And breaking a date is an indication of the fact that there are things, other than you, that are important to your partner.

Goes out on his/her own
There's always some reason why you can't come to a party. 'It's just the office people' or 'It's a boy's night out' or 'You won't enjoy it' or 'We'll be discussing work, honey' are the lines that are guaranteed to keep you away. There's got to some reason why your boyfriend/girlfriend doesn't want you around.

His/her friends seem distant
Aren't your friends the ones you confide in when anything bothers you? Similarly, if his/her friends suddenly seem to be a little hesitant to talk to you or approach you it could be because he/she has confided something in them.

Love is gone
If your boyfriend/girlfriend stops acknowledging important days like your birthday, it's time to talk to him/her. Also he/she may not want to hold your hand or be affectionate in public.

Asks you to change
When your partner keeps pointing to how your appearance needs to change, it could indicate that he/she is not happy with you anymore. If suddenly everything you do seems to be imperfect or wrong then you need to take a long, hard look at your relationship. Don't blame yourself for all the issues that he has.

You avoid serious talks
Whenever your partner tries to have a serious talk, you want to run away. You probably have a feeling that you are going to be dumped. Avoiding it won't help as your relationship will suffer more. So, be brave and face it.

Make friends, live longer!

Ever wondered what keeps some people happy all the time? An underlining factor in every happy person's life is that they tend to have supportive relationships. American author Lois Wyse said, "A good friend is a connection to life — a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world."

Social networking sites are one of the best ways to stay connected with friends and family. They have changed the way people socialise. Rahul Kulkarni, product manager, Google India says, "Being socially connected has a definite positive effect on your well-being." Namrata Aswani, PR consultant, says, "I feel connected to the world — it's so far, yet so near. You can share photos and videos with a click. Chat with your old friends and the happiness just flows. It is a relief from a boring day."

A recent study shows that social media is now our favourite online pastime, beating e-mail by a wide margin. According to research, if you have a supportive social network, you may add years to your life. Says Dr Harish Shetty, Mumbai-based psychiatrist, "Friends provide emotional nourishment and tangible social support. The feeling of having access to someone during those dark hours accelerates hope. Hopelessness leads to loss of confidence."

Many who blame the world for not having friends are those who don't trust anyone with their feelings or confidences. Good emotional contact causes networks to be built. Even studies suggest that we need close relationships that involve understanding and caring.

Prahasitha, senior faculty at One World Academy, Chennai, feels, "Our work and the way we live is so structured that it isolates people from each other. Social networking sites fulfil a primal need in all of us."

Social networks seem to be the same as conventional networks but bigger and more casual. They may not match up to the physical presence of a friend, but are reliable during those dark, depressing times.

I was considered a flop director: Madhur

Madhur Bhandarkar More Pics

Film maker Madhur Bhandarkar speaks to TOI on taking a different cinematic route, his brand of cinema and industry economics.

Your last film, " Jail" didn't quite work at the BO. Were you disappointed?
Well, it's part of life. I was considered a flop director before " Chandini Bar". But then things changed, so now, it doesn't bother me so much. The fact is I made "Jail" with all sincerity. The critics loved it and a section of the audience appreciated it. Though the film managed to break even, it wasn't considered a hit. Hits and flops are part of life and who better than me to know that.

Your next film to hit the marquee is a comedy. Why the change in genre?
You know, I hadn't planned it. But one thing's for sure Madhur Bhandarkar and realism will always go hand-in-hand. I've made a lot of realistic cinema and this time around I wanted a change in premise. " Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji" is a comedy, true, but its slice of life, feel-good cinema. I always thought I had a flair for comedy ,and I wanted to explore. So, when the time came, "DTBHJ" was born. But even though I'm doing comedy, I haven't left my brand of cinema ---- which is realism.

Since you are known for making realistic cinema, did you have moments of apprehension before starting this project?
More than me the media and a few people were apprehensive. I got so many texts asking why I was attempting something like this. As a creative person there are times when you need to move from the typical space and try something else. Agar main sirf realistic cinema banata, then people would have said why doesn't he try something else? Film making is a process. There are times when you have to get yourself into unknown territory and test the waters. That's what I'm doing.

Tell us about your choice of actors?
It took me less than three days to finalize the subject. Ajay Devgn has great comic timing and I wanted him on board. I met him and within 20 minutes of narrating the subject , he agreed. As far as Emraan is concerned, I've seen only a few of his films. I knew he was perfect for the part. When he came into my office he asked me, "Sir, kisska band bajaana hai?" He thought I was making a hardcore realistic film. When I told him the subject, he was slightly taken aback. But within minutes of narration he was on board too. In fact, his character is like the surprise package in the movie because Emraan hasn't attempted comedy yet. As far as Omi is concerned, we have seen what a great job he's done in "3 Idiots", plus he suits the role perfectly.

What about your leading ladies?
All my leading ladies in the film - Shruti Haasan, Shazahn Padamsee and Shraddha Das - have had flops to their names. Lot of people asked why I was working with them. But the thing is I already had the heroes in place who are popular, so I needed fresh faces opposite them--- - someone who wasn't established. Plus, all the girls wanted to work with me. I got their dates easily and the film got done in 60 days!

Has production been tough for you?
I'm a director who makes films on moderate budget. Although some didn't work at the BO, they managed to break even. So with my film, I have kept my budget under control. Look at movies that flopped last year. They were made on lavish budgets and when they flopped, the industry was in crisis, and is still trying to recover. Problem is, actors charge too much , and the next chunk is taken by the director. Jo baaki hai, usse toh film nahi ban sakti na. Hence, more money is pumped it. But when a big actor and director can't guarantee a hit, then why charge so much? Plus over-trading a film is also a bad idea. I think with the current situation, profit sharing is the best way to go.

Will Aamir Khan host Bigg Boss 5?

Aamir Khan More Pics

While Salman Khan has openly expressed his desire to host the next season of the reality show Bigg Boss as well, the production house seems to be aiming for someone else as the host of the fifth season.

If sources are to be believed, Endemol which produces Bigg Boss wants a fresh host for the new season which in most likelihood could be Aamir Khan. If they are successful in getting Aamir Khan on board, this would be the first time that the actor would be hosting any reality game show.

We just wonder how would Salman Khan, who is very good friends with Aamir, take this news considering he got upset with Sony TV when they chose Amitabh Bachchan over him as the host of Kaun Banega Crorepati 4 .

Hollywood comes home

2010 was a golden year for Hollywood in India. Perhaps for the first time, Hollywood films took a bigger start than domestic films with such regularity. The year saw the pie of Hollywood films increasing from 5 to 11 per cent of total Indian theatrical business. In December 2010, James Cameron's Avatar completed one year of theatrical run in India, grossing Rs 140 crore in the process, an unprecedented feat for a foreign film. Christopher Nolan's Inception surprised everyone by taking a much bigger opening than any Hindi film released during that month and went on to become a big hit. Harry Potter took a sizably bigger opening than simultaneously-released Guzaarish, a film which boasted of names like Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. And The Chronicles of Narnia took a start that was almost double of Ashutosh Gowariker's Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se.

TCS becomes country's 2nd largest firm in terms of M-cap

MUMBAI: Driven by smart December quarter earnings, IT major Tata Consultancy Services has become the country's second largest firm in terms of market valuation, lagging behind corporate leader Reliance Industries .

TCS, which was the top gainer among the country's 10 most valuable companies in the last week, saw its valuation surging by Rs 18,378.11 crore to Rs 2,37,330 crore in the week.

State-run ONGC slipped to the third position after its valuation dipped by Rs 15,763.47 crore -- the most among top 10 companies -- to Rs 2,36,355.83 crore during the week.

Mukesh Ambani-led RIL , the country's most valuable firm, lost Rs 4,794.78 crore in mcap in the week. Its valuation was Rs 3,22,870.6 crore as on Friday last week.

The country's largest software firm, TCS, last week posted 29.93 per cent growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 2,369.83 crore for the October-December quarter.

Boosted by the smart earnings, shares of the company advanced by 8.39 per cent during the week to Rs 1,212.60 on the Bombay Stock Exchange as on last Friday.

Analysts said that improvement in operating margins was a pleasant surprise for the market from TCS.

"With the kind of growth TCS has displayed in its quarterly earnings, the company is better positioned than its peers. Becoming the country's second largest firm is a remarkable achievement. TCS has benefited from the laggardness of ONGC," SMC Global Securities Strategist and Head of Research Jagannadham Thunuguntla said.

During the period, six firms, including TCS, SBI and ICICI Bank posted gains. The market capitalisation of six of these firms grew by Rs 38,210.98 crore.

Two of the top lenders, SBI and ICICI Bank, together added Rs 12,437 crore to their combined market capitalisation. The m-cap of SBI stood at Rs 1,64,967.23 crore, while that of ICICI was at Rs 1,22,429.93 crore.

IT bellwether Infosys Technologies also added Rs 2,686.89 crore to take its valuation to Rs 1,86,517.24 crore.

State-run Coal India's m-cap also swelled by Rs 2,400.21 crore to Rs 1,98,302.12 crore.

Similarly, NTPC's market worth too surged by Rs 2,308.73 crore to Rs 1,56,333.92 crore.

FMCG giant ITC also saw an erosion of Rs 910.54 crore from its m-cap which was at Rs 1,30,282.41 crore, while telecom player Bharti Airtel's m-cap eroded by Rs 2,316.49 crore to Rs 1,27,824.52 crore.

Postgrads turn robbers for quick money, kicks

NEW DELHI: As postgraduates in economics and management, they could have landed well-paid jobs in top companies. But Mohammed Sawez (21), Naved Khan (30) and Kuldeep Tomar (28) — all belonging to well-to-do families — turned to robbery and car-snatching for "immediate profits" and a life on the edge.

Police arrested a biker gang of seven, led by the trio, on Friday when they were disposing of stolen SUVs in Sheikh Sarai in south Delhi.

Ringleader Sawez, an MBA from Amity University and son of a British High Commission official, wanted to follow his girlfriend in Virginia and settle in the US. His right-hand man Khan, a post-graduate in economics from Rohilkhand University, had lost his job to recession and needed the money to keep a live-in relationship going. Tomar, a post-graduate in economics, said he was a regional manager in an MNC and apparently had no need for the money.

The gang was inspired by Bunty, the daredevil thief who inspired a Bollywood film. Most members lived in south Delhi and stuck to familiar haunts to identify their targets, police said. DCP (south) H G S Dhaliwal said they had carried out two major dacoities in Amar Colony and Malviya Nagar in the past nine months. Khan usually planned the dacoities and was behind the car snatchings in Jamia Nagar and Sangam Vihar. "Khan had worked in the past 10 years at various MNCs.

But the recession led to a pay cut and later he was terminated from the job. However, he had developed a relationship with his colleague and by the time he was shown the door, he was in a live-in relationship. He took to crime to sponsor the relationship," Dhaliwal said.

Khan was earlier arrested in a robbery case in which he and the others looted Rs 1 lakh from an executive of Oxygen Company. Tomar, police said, apparently worked a regular job alongside his life of crime. "It's amazing he committed crimes even as he claims he goes to office and even attends lectures on retail management in Meerut," said a senior police officer.

Tomar's father owns two public schools in Baraut in UP and his wife is a government school teacher. Tomar told cops he was a regional sales manager with the ESSAR group. Others in the gang were Ravi Kumar whose father runs a store at Sangam Vihar, Rahul Pawar (20), Gagandeep (24) and Neeraj (22). Most accused are residents of East of Kailash, Jamia Nagar, Sarita Vihar and Jasola.

Cops say the gang had bought foreign-made revolvers and pistols. "At the time they were nabbed on Friday evening, riding two black Pulsars, the accused were carrying a Chinese-made revolver and a US-made pistol," said Dhaliwal. "The gang believed foreign weapons created fear among victims." The gang's most recent exploit was on January 19, at the residence of NRI Gurmukh Singh in Sant Nagar.

"They robbed Singh of his cash, Blackberry phone, laptop, wrist watch and gold rings. In the most blatant of strikes, they took him hostage and forcibly took his signature on his cheque book. They stayed back even as Singh's worker went to the bank and encashed the money," said Dhaliwal. The gang had earlier struck at a computer software firm in Malviya Nagar. "They snatched a Scorpio on December 27 from Sangam Vihar and another from Jamia Nagar on January 11," Dhaliwal said. Two cars and weapons were recovered.

Sukna scam: Lt Gen Rath's kin to fight for justice

SHILLONG: The family members of Lt Gen PK Rath, found guilty in a land scam, vowed to fight against the court martial verdict which stripped him of his rank and forfeited 15 years of his service.

"As his family, we stand firmly behind him. He has served the nation. We have nothing to feel bad about. We will definitely not rest the till justice is done," Rath's brother Pratap Kumar Rath said late Saturday.

On Saturday, the General Court Martial (GCM) against Rath, the first serving lieutenant general (Lt Gen) to be found guilty, recommended taking "off the rank and the precedence of appointment" with substantive effect from May 24, 2010. In effect, his promotion in 2008 may now be considered effective from 2010.

In his verdict, the GCM, headed by presiding officer Lt Gen IJ Singh, recommended forfeiture of 15 years service of Rath for pensionary benefits, besides severely reprimanding him.

The GCM will hand over their verdict against Rath to the ministry of defence for its final confirmation.

"Let us first see the verdict in detail and we will decide on it," Rath's counsel Major SS Pandey said when asked if he would challenge it in the Armed Forces Tribunal, the apex appellate authority of the armed forces.

However, prosecution counsel Raghavendra Jha said the punishment given by the court was "too lenient".

"He should have been given exemplary punishment considering that the court found him guilty on three charges. He could have been dismissed after he was found guilty of moral turpitude," Jha said on Sunday.

"As per the Army Act, Rath's punishment should have been severe considering his service condition and his status as Corps Commander," he said

Anyway, he said, "since the verdict is yet to be confirmed, there is a possibility that the court may be asked to review its decision. If they (Rath) approach the AFT (Armed Forces Tribunal), the AFT may enhance its punishment if the evidences are on the record."

The AFT Oct 20 last year had rejected Rath's plea seeking the quashing of charges levelled against him in the Sukna land scam.

The eight-month-long court martial convened at the 58 Gorkha Training Centre here found Rath to be guilty on three counts but dropped four other charges against him.

Rath was found guilty of facilitating a deal with realtor Dilip Agarwal's Geetanjali Educational Trust to build an educational institute on a 70-acre plot adjacent to the Sukna military station in West Bengal.

Rath was also found guilty of issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) and illegally signing a memorandum of understanding with the educational trust by not informing the general officer in command of the Eastern Command.

Rath Saturday pleaded to the GCM to reduce the quantum of punishment, saying the proposed educational institute was aimed to benefit the army.

"I wanted to benefit the posterity and the larger interests of the organization (army). Me and my family have suffered for the last one and half years, facing humiliation and harassment for a matter that was of no personal gain to me," Rath said.

He, however, expressed his gratitude to the GCM for dropping the defraud charges.

"This has removed the stigma which has been haunting me ever since the charge sheet was filed," Rath said in his plea before the GCM which announced the landmark verdict against a serving high-ranking army official.

Another Tamil Nadu fisherman brutally killed by Lankan Navy

NAGAPATTINAM: Another Tamil Nadu fisherman was killed in a brutal manner on Saturday night by the Sri Lankan Navy off Vedaranyam coast in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu.

This time though, a young fisherman was dragged into the sea with a rope tied around his neck by the Lankan naval personnel. Only 10 days ago, another young fisherman had been killed mid-sea by Lankan naval personnel.

State fisheries department officials said N Jayakumar (27), his brother A Senthil (25) and A Rajendran (55), all from Pushpavanam village had ventured into the sea on Saturday morning in a fibre boat.

They had cast their net in the evening and were fishing south east of Kodiakkarai coast when a Sri Lankan naval vessel approached them around 11 pm. The Lankan naval personnel ordered the fishermen to jump into the sea. Rajendran and Senthil jumped immediately. But Jayakumar hesitated as he had lost two fingers in his right arm during the 2004 tsunami making it difficult for him to swim in the sea. Even as he was pleading with the Sri Lankan naval personnel, they entered his boat, tied a rope around his neck and pushed him into the sea. "Holding the other end of the rope in their boat, the Lankan naval personnel had dragged him for a while in the sea. Later they had asked the other two fishermen to take Jayakumar into the boat and left the place," a fisheries official told TOI.

By the time Rajendran and Senthil pulled Jayakumar into the boat, he was found dead. S Vivekandanthan, assistant director (marine), department of fisheries said they were waiting for the postmortem examination report.

"According to the fishermen, Jayakumar was thrown into the sea with a rope tied around his neck and was drowned to death," he said.

Meanwhile, in Chennai, Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who called on chief minister M Karunanidhi on Sunday morning, told reporters that he would take up the matter with the external affairs ministry.

"We have been helping the Sri Lankan government. There is no justification for what they are doing. If our fishermen have done anything wrong, there is a due procedure," he told reporters after the meeting Karunanaidhi at his residence in Chennai. (Read: Pranab asks Lankan navy to desist shooting Indian fishermen)

RMP Rajendran Nattar, district president of Indian National Fishermen Trade Union said that it has been a regular practice of Sri Lankan navy to throw fishermen into the sea if they refuse to part with their fish catch. Only on January 12, a fisherman from Jagathapattinam in Pudukottai was shot dead by the Lankan Navy.

Two-year-old boy dies after being given polio drops in Chennai

CHENNAI: A two-year-old boy died soon after being given oral polio drops at Padappai in suburban Chennai on Sunday morning, the child's mother told TOI.

Doctors at Chromepet General Hospital said the child was brought dead, and the cause of death could be ascertained only after a postmortem analysis.

Joshua, (2), was taken to an anganwadi by his mother Dhanalakshmi at 8.30 am and given oral polio drops. "I gave the child milk after bringing him home. I was doing the daily chores for a while and when I got back to the child, I saw him in distress. I took him to the nearby Sai Hospital. The private hospital advised me to take him to the general hospital. My son died on the way," Dhanalakshmi told TOI.

Tamil Nadu director of public health Dr RT Porkai Pandian said it was highly unlikely that the polio drops could have caused the death. "Several other children were given the polio drops from the same vial, but none of them have any problem," he added.

Many other parents in the neighbourhood panicked and took their children for medical check-up after coming to hear of Joshua's death.

Immunisation programme in the state had come under a cloud after four 10-month-old babies died within minutes of being administered anti-measles vaccine at two medical camps in Tamil Nadu's Thiruvallur district on April 23, 2008. Three girls died at a centre in Pennalurpettai village, about 75 km from Chennai. The fourth, a baby boy, died after getting the shot in Venkatapuram village near Tiruttani, 35 km from Thiruvallur.

Mumbai Police silent on Headley role in 26/11

MUMBAI: If Mumbai Police is to be believed, American-born terrorist David Headley, who has confessed to conducting a recce of all 26/11 targets in the city, may have played no role in the carnage.

The assessment by the Mumbai Police is reflected in its appeal before the Bombay high court in which its elite crime branch is silent on the role of the Pakistan-origin LeT terrorist while contesting the acquittal of Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin in the November 26, 2008 attack that left 166 people dead.

While the home ministry burnt midnight oil over getting access to Headley after his role in the brazen attack emerged, the focus of Mumbai Police through its special public prosecutor Ujjwal D Nikam was that the terrorists intruded into the country's financial capital with the help of hand-written maps drawn by Ansari.

Headley is at present in a jail in Chicago in the US. Headley, who was recruited by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, has confessed to the US authorities and India's National Investigating Agency (NIA) in front of a magistrate about his role in carrying out the survey of the locations attacked by the terrorists on 26/11.

"When they (police) are seized of the issue of 26/11, it was incumbent upon them to bring forward all criminals concerning the crime and their respective roles played therein before the court of trial and appeal so that truth prevails and no scope for misunderstanding occur," defence counsel for Ansari, R B Mokashi, said.

Headley's arrest and subsequent revelations had left Mumbai Police red-faced and punctured their theory of criminal conspiracy involving only Ansari and Sabauddin.

The two had, however, been discharged by the Special Judge M L Tahaliyani saying that better maps were available on Internet.

"As per the judicial confession of Ajmal Kasab, Lashkar had explained the targets with the help of video shootings and map. It is clear from the plea bargain of David Headley that he was entrusted the work of taking video of targets," Nikam said and maintained that the maps were prepared by Ansari and Sabauddin.

"One such map was found in the pocket of deceased terrorist Abu Ismail and the hand writing on it is proved to be of Ansari," Nikam claimed.

A response was also sought from Joint Commissioner of Mumbai's Crime Branch Himanshu Roy to comment on role played by Headley in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. However, there was no immediate response from him.

The claims by Nikam had been rejected by the trial court saying better maps were available on Google and that the hand-written map, recovered from the killed terrorist, was fresh and had no wrinkles on it.

Challenging the judgement of Tahaliyani, the crime branch had contended that the basic approach of the lower court that if through sophisticated ways like Global Positioning System and from Google site maps of fixing topographical points are available, then the rustic method of hand-prepared maps was not likely to be resorted to "is totally unwarranted and hypothetical."

Mumbai Police took the view that the recce was done by Ansari and the maps recovered from one of the killed terrorists were prepared by the accused only, if one go by the 78-page appeal filed in the Bombay high court.

The appeal was filed in August 2010, five months after Headley had pleaded guilty of all charges including his participation in conducting the survey of all targets in Mumbai.

Ansari and Sabauddin had been acquitted by the trial court after dismissing prosecution witness Naruddin Shaikh.

Karnataka crisis: Yeddyurappa takes fight to Delhi

BANGALORE: Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa left for Delhi on Sunday for further consultations with the BJP central leadership in the wake of governor H R Bhardwaj sanctioning his prosecution over alleged land scams.

Before leaving for the national capital, Yeddyurappa told reporters that he would meet the party's national leaders to discuss the political developments and the "attitude of our governor".

On Monday, the party's Lok Sabha and Rajya members from the state, along with BJP central leaders, are meeting President Pratibha Patil to complain about the governor.

Maintaining an aggressive posture, Yeddyurappa had on Saturday ruled out his resignation, following the Governor's sanction for prosecution and vowed to fight the issue politically and legally.

BJP attacks PM statement on Lal Chowk flag hoisting

NEW DELHI: Attacking Prime MinisterManmohan Singh for opposing its proposed flag hoisting at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, the BJP on Sunday accused the Centre and the state government of "surrendering" to separatists who have declared that they will not let the tricolour be unfurled.

"The government has arrested the members of Bharatiya Yuva Morcha. They have sealed all border points in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent their entry. This is unacceptable and undemocratic," senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley told reporters here.

By doing so "they have surrendered to the separatists," he said and asserted that party activists have already travelled through 11 states and will hoist the Indian flag in Jammu and Kashmir.

Referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement on the issue on Saturday, senior BJP leader L K Advani voiced hope that he would realise that BJP Yuva Morcha activists were "not trying to score a political point" but were instead challenging the separatists.

"And the State is surrendering to them," he said. He slammed the "curbs" against the activists of Bharatiya Yuva Morcha, BJP's youth wing, by the J&K government.

"If the rationale for the prohibitory orders is apprehension of breach of peace, curbs should be targeted towards those who have declared that they will not let the tricolour be put up at the Lal Chowk....

"And certainly not against those who have been repeatedly asserting that they will peacefully, and respectfully, unfurl the tricolour at Lal Chowk," Advani wrote in his latest blog posting titled 'Let not the State surrender to separatists'.

Jaitley said the PM's statement that Republic Day celebrations should not be used as political agenda is regrettable.

"How can the prime minister think that hoisting a flag will divide the nation," the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha asked.

Describing the "crackdown" by the state government as a "panic reaction", he said the actions were "even more shameful as the UPA government took no action against various groups of separatists who had gone to New Delhi a few months back and openly spoke of dividing a particular state and about sedition.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

DPS boy steals car for pocket money

NEW DELHI: A Class XII student of Delhi Public School stole his neighbour`s car at Alaknanda locality of south Delhi and wanted to sell it for pocket money when he was arrested during a routine security check, police said on Friday.

The 18-year-old was picked up on Wednesday from Karol Bagh, where he hoped to sell the stolen Maruti 800. Cops were shocked to find that the boy`s father was a general manager at BHEL and his mother a lecturer at a polytechnic college. His elder brother was studying engineering at a reputed college in Delhi.

"The boy had thought of making quick money by selling off the car at a premium,`` said Vivek Kishore, DCP (central). The teenager was produced in court and send to jail on Thursday.

Sources said the youngster routinely splurged money on his friends and wanted to lead a lavish lifestyle. "When his parents and brother found out about his habits, they cut down on his pocket money. This led the accused to plan the theft," an officer at the Kalkaji police station said.

"Some time ago, he made a duplicate key of his neighbour`s Maruti 800. He chose the car as he had access to his neighbour`s house. He drove off with the car on Wednesday morning," the officer said.

The teenager couldn`t have chosen a worse time to steal the car. When he reached Karol Bagh, he found the police there were on a special checking drive in the run-up to Republic Day.

"The boy was asked to slow down for the security check. He panicked and tried to drive away. Our cops stopped him and asked him to show his papers. Initially, he said he had forgotten to carry the documents. But he soon confessed to stealing the car from his neighbour, Jai Chaudhry," the officer said.

"The boy told us he wanted to sell the car as he needed pocket money,`` he added.

Police said educated youngsters were increasingly getting into crime. Figures released by the National Crime Records Bureau show that while youths aged 18-30 years were behind 46.5% of all crime nationally, in Delhi people in that age group committed 57% of all crime. About 12% of criminals caught in the capital were educated. And 85% to 93% were first-timers, 57% of whom were younger than 25.

The Karol Bagh police have also arrested a 28-year-old MBA student for car theft. "The accused, identified as Vishal Rajput who lives in Noida, had stolen an SUV from Krishna Nagar in east Delhi. The car was stolen in 2007 and we nabbed Rajput on Friday based on a tip-off," an officer said, adding that investigations were on.