Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Child welfare minister misled by officials
District Women and Child Department officials told Varsha Gaikwad that they were the ones who filed a complaint in the case, when in reality a police officer is the complainantIt turns out that the State Minister for Child and Women Welfare has been kept in the dark by her own department over the developments in the child-selling racket exposed by MiD DAY's sting operation. Officials of the District Women and Child Department (DWCD) have been misguiding Minister Varsha Gaikwad
Bandh-o-bust!
Trade unions' nationwide strike yesterday to protest against price rise and 'anti-labour' policies of the government did not have major impact on the cityThe 24-hour nationwide strike called by 11 major trade unions -- supported by about 5,000 smaller unions across the country and across political affiliation -- had minimal influence on Maximum City. The bandh, involving around 8,00,000 public sector employees, was to demand an end to contract labour, amendment of the Minimum Wages Act, an increase in gratuity payout and compulsory registration of trade unions within 45 days. Unmoved: Cops on
'Plead guilty, avoid long court battle'
This is what a head constable allegedly told father of Kuber Sarup, who has been booked for indecency after he kissed a friend on the cheekFive days after 25-year-old Kuber Sarup was booked by the Khar police at Carter Road for hugging and pecking a friend on the cheek, his father Jyoti Sarup alleged that he was approached by a head constable from the same police station, who asked him to coax his son to admit to the charges in court and be bailed out, instead of
School vs landlord battle makes, kids climb 100 Stairs every day
This is not an extreme exercise regimen by Dunne's institute, Colaba, but a cheap alternative to fixing a lift.Over 120 pre-nursery and kindergarten pupils at Dunne's Institute in Colaba, many as young as three years of age, have been inadvertently exerting themselves to an unwieldy feat of physical exercise every morning. Bulky bags on their small backs, they trudge up five floors to attend class every day. The lift in the school's building has been out of order for a month. Long way
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
New Image (no caption) - 28 February 2012
New Image (no caption) - 28 February 2012Rashmi Desai and Nandish
New Image (no caption) - 28 February 2012
New Image (no caption) - 28 February 2012Chandana Sharma and Rucha
New Image (no caption) - 28 February 2012
New Image (no caption) - 28 February 2012Vikas Kalantri, Priyanka Chibber and Neil Nitin
Several prominent personas from the field of cinema, politics, business were present at the wedding of TV actors Vikas Kalantri and Priyanka Chibber. Pics/ Yogen Shah - 28 February 2012
Several prominent personas from the field of cinema, politics, business were present at the wedding of TV actors Vikas Kalantri and Priyanka Chibber. Pics/ Yogen Shah - 28 February 2012Vikas Kalantri and Priyanka
Monday, 27 February 2012
Pimp kills pimp over spoils of flesh trade
A fight between two pimps over prostitution money ended in the murder of one them. The police got a whiff of the murder and arrested the accused with the help of an ambulance driver three days after the murder. When the Versova police called an ambulance at Siddharth Nagar on Saturday for ferrying the unidentified body of a woman wrapped in a gunny bag, little did they know they would soon reach the perpetrator through it.Flesh-and-blood trade:
Drunk woman TC abuses commuters
Commuters said 34-yr-old ticket checker Radha Tomar started shouting at them while she checked their tickets even though she was off duty; RPF had to be called in to restrain herA sloshed female ticket checker (TC) in the Central Railway (CR) has been accused of misbehaving with commuters at Ambernath railway station on Friday night. The primary medical report confirmed that she had consumed liquor. Radha Tomar (34) created a ruckus in a local train and at platform three at Ambernath, commuters said.Drunken frenzy: Primary medical
'Wanted' man loiters in court, cops don't see him!
Pydhonie policemen fail to arrest main accused in a case of assault on BMC election day even as MiD DAY captures him roaming in Esplanade court on camera, while the cops were there to get remand for his sonA main accused in an assault case on the BMC polling day was found roaming at the Esplanade Court at CST, even though cops say they haven't been able to find and arrest him after an FIR was lodged against him. MiD DAY recorded a
Cops to appeal against bail order of 4 accused
Hill Line police will approach Thane Sessions Court after the 4 accused exposed by MiD DAY's sting were let off following payment of Rs 1,500 each as bailAfter the four accused involved in the baby-selling racket were let off by a district court on bail, the Hill Line police have geared up to appeal in the Thane Sessions Court today. "All the certified copies related to the case have been gathered. We have also been discussing the case with the public prosecutor to
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade was a cancer victim
As a 16-year-old, when most youngsters worry about what they are going to do in life, Australian cricketer Matthew Wade went through chemotherapy to overcome testicular cancer.The Australian 'keeper found out about his condition by accident. He was hit in the groin during a state football game. "I was pretty lucky I got hit and got it checked," Wade was quoted as saying by The Saturday Age. "It was just a surreal sort of thing. It didn't hit
Australia win the toss in do-or-die encounter
Australia, being led by stand-in captain Shane Watson, won the toss and decided to bat against India in the 10th match of the tri-series at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday. Watson, who is playing his first game after returning for an injury lay-off is captainingt he team becauase Australia's regular skipper Michael Clarke hasn't recovered from the hamstring injury he picked up during Friday's defeat to Sri Lanka. India's playing XI includes Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir for the first time
SA crush NZ in opener
Chasing New Zealand's 253-run target, South African captain AB de Villiers unbeaten 106 helped his side to six wicket win over in the opening ODI at Westpac Stadium on
Debutant Shoaib Shaikh shines as Mumbai beat Saurashtra
Debutant Shoaib's splendid 83 helps Mumbai earn one-wkt win over SaurashtraThree wins in as many matches and Mumbai are atop the leader board of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (West Zone) with 12 points. Thanks to debutant Shoaib Shaikh's fantastic 83 off 105 balls, Mumbai beat Saurashtra by a slender one-wicket margin at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.Mumbai's Shoaib Shaikh plays through the off-side against Saurashtra at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. Pic/Atul KamblePut into bat, Saurashtra finished on 251. In reply, Mumbai just managed to achieve the target with one wicket
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Fined for goodbye kiss, man wants cops cross-examined
25-yr-old penalised and produced in court by Khar police for a goodbye kiss to a friend says he will request the judge for a cross-questioning of the copsThe 25-year-old who was booked by the police on Thursday afternoon for engaging in 'indecent behaviour' in public " he gave a hug and a peck to a friend -- has pleaded not guilty when he was produced in court last morning. In fact, Kuber Sarup wants to ask the court to cross-examine the Khar police officers who fined and
Maid killed woman for refusing Rs 40,000 loan
Barely 24 hours after a 68-year-old woman was found murdered in her Breach Candy flat on Thursday evening, the Gamdevi police claim to have solved the case with the arrest of the victim's maid. According to the police, Punita Sukhwani was attacked in a fit of rage and strangulated by Shaila Kamble, one of the two maids who used to work at her seventh floor flat in Sarnath Building. Maid-en crime: Shaila Kamble, a resident of Worli, allegedly needed the money to pay her rent and clear
After killing BJP worker, accused donated Rs 5,000 to Mahim dargah
The perpetrators claim to have killed Vasant Jotha as he sexually exploited minor girls in the area and had his eye on the sister of one of the accusedThey donated Rs 5,000 hoping for some divine intervention to save them. It didn't come. On Thursday, Crime Branch arrested Mohammad Khaleel Abdul Rasul Shaikh (37) and Poonam Sahani (19) for the murder of BJP worker and Dharavi Grain Dealers Association manager Vasant Dhirajlal Jotha (52). Blood on their handsa: Mohammad Khaleel Abdul Rasul Shaikh and Mohammad Talah were arrested for the murder of (below) Vasant
Miscarriage of justice? Baby sellers let off on Rs 1,500 bail
Outrage as 4 culprits nailed by MiD DAY's sting operation walk out paying a meagre fine. Lawyers say sections of law applied by police were weak to begin with. On a cash bail of Rs 1,500 each, a local court in Ulhasnagar yesterday released all the accused arrested after MiD DAY's expos � on the baby-selling racket in the far suburb. Walking free: The mastermind Vijaya Sonawne Even as police officials said that they would appeal in the Sessions court soon, the release has drawn outrage from legal experts and commoners. Some lawyers argue that the sections under
Friday, 24 February 2012
Nine months after fall from flyover, no aid for paralysed worker
22-year-old fell from flyover last May; relative alleges constructor hasn't extended any help despite making him do rigorous work he wasn't hired to doFor the past nine months, 22-year-old labourer Sushil Mishra, who fell from an under-construction flyover last May, has not moved from his hospital bed. He was permanently disabled after falling 30 feet from an under-construction flyover being built by the MMRDA in Wadala. He cannot even extend his arms to reach out to the medicines lying on the bedside. Still life: Ram Mishra has
Vampires and cannibals prey on fear in the Mumbai
Over the past week, the fertile imagination of Mumbai's collective consciousness has been in the feverish grip of some dreaded creatures. Vampires, cannibals and monkey men all appear to have chosen the city as the site for their spring rendezvous. While Mumbai cowers under the covers, cops are having a hard time laying their fears to rest. In Bhandup-Mulund, rumours swirl that a tribal group is on the prowl to snatch kids. Imaginations run wild in Ghatkopar-Sakinaka-Marol-Andheri, where residents claim
Police arrest 4 in baby-selling racket
After MiD DAY exposed a child-selling racket in Ulhasnagar, the police have arrested the masterminds and the parents of the baby that was soldThree days after MiD DAY's sting operation to uncover the baby-selling racket flourishing in Ulhasnagar, the police arrested the kingpins of the racket along with the parents of the child that was 'sold' to our undercover reporters on Thursday night.In the dock: Cops arrested (seated L-R) Vijaya Sonawne (44), Ratna Ubale (35), the child's father Pradhan Kanujiya (35) and
Price of a kiss goodbye: Rs 1,200 and police harassment
Kuber Swaroop hugged, pecked a girl on the cheek while saying bye. Outraged by his 'indecent act', cops dragged him to police station, forced him to pay up (a lecture on Indian values was free)The next time a wave of affection overcomes you, think twice before you reach out to give your friend a warm hug -- you may have to pay for it, in cash. This is what happened to Kuber Swaroop (25) yesterday, who was subjected to a harrowing ordeal by cops, whose moral sensibilities he outraged by hugging a girl goodbye, along
Thursday, 23 February 2012
India must win next two games to reach tri-series final
India have to win their next two games if they are to reach the finals of the tri-series involving Australia and Sri Lanka. India play Australia in Sydney Sunday while they meet Sri Lanka in Hobart Tuesday. India are at the bottom of the table with 10 points, one point behind Sri Lanka, who are three points behind Australia. India have failed to register a victory after they beat Australia in the fourth match at Adelaide by four wickets. They tied
Abu Azmi seeks explanation on quashing of FIR against Raj Thackeray
Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi today sought explanation from Maharashtra government about the Bombay High Court's quashing of a case against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, and asked whether Congress-NCP government was hand in glove with MNS and Shiv Sena. Police had filed a case against Raj in 2008 for making a speech against north Indians which led to incidents of violence in the city. But the HC, earlier this week, set aside the FIR, as police had not obtained mandatory sanction of the state government before initiating action. In
Look before she leaps
Yesterday, at approximately 12 pm, Mumbai resident Sapna Perreira stopped traffic in the busy Byculla area. She threatened to jump off a hoarding claiming she needed money for treatment of her visually impaired daughter. Satyajit Desai and Vinay Dalvi bring you the picture of the three-hour dramaSerial attention seeker does it againThere is an English phrase: crying wolf. It means threatening to do something all the time, but never making good on your threat. That may apply to Sapna Perreira, resident of Hanuman Nagar, Vile Parle who became a traffic stopper yesterday,
Court directive on Kripa deepens Cong crisis
The decree against Mumbai's Congress chief on charges of criminal misconduct and disproportionate assets comes as a major embarrassment for the party that is already neck-deep in scams, and is reeling from the BMC debacleMumbai Congress President Kripashankar Singh resigned from his post yesterday, after the Bombay High Court issued a directive to the city police commissioner to prosecute him on charges of 'criminal misconduct' under the Prevention of Corruption Act. With the severe judgment doled out by the Bombay High Court against him, the erstwhile Mumbai Congress Chief Kripashankar Singh
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
See-through mobile bill casing stuns subscribers
Around hundreds of Airtel customers received their last month's itemised bill in transparent packing, revealing their personal details The recent 2G scam may have stirred telecom companies to express transparency in their dealings. But for leading mobile operator Airtel, transparency has taken a whole new connotation. Airtel mobile subscribers were baffled to find their January bills in open see-through plastic packing in contrast to the covered envelopes they earlier received their bills in. Evident: Airtel subscriber, Lakhani, got his last month's mobile bill in a
Mulling suicide on ledge, servant slips, falls to death
Stood for half an hour on ledge of the 5th-floor terrace, dithering over whether to kill himself for petty crime, fell before he could make up his mind Around 10 pm on Monday, he had set out with half a mind to take the plunge, literally, but it wasn't meant to be a suicide. Accident is what got him. The accidental sacrifice: The Noble House building in Khar, from which domestic help Chhotu Prajapati (20) fell, after being scolded by his employer for selling
Man kidnaps son to torture 'nagging' wife
30-year-old and his first wife arrested by Bandra Crime Branch Unit IX for abducting the three-year-old, who has now been reunited with his mother On December 25 last year, Naresh Janardan Ingale was playing the doting father to the hilt. Though their marriage had turned sour, he went out with wife Swati and their three-year-old son Kalpak to the market at Juhu Tara road, and even escorted the infant to buy some ice cream. He returned half an hour later and asked Swati
Liquor bottle only clue in BJP worker's murder
Cops say the victim shared drinks with the assailant before the latter stabbed him to death on Sunday Alcohol has fomented many a crime, but now cops are hoping a bottle of liquor will help solve a murder case. The batch number on the bottle is the only clue in the killing of BJP worker Vasantlal Jotha in Dharavi on Sunday. Body of evidence: Cops with Vasantlal Jotha's corpse outside his office at Dharavi on Monday"The person who brought the liquor bottle, drank from it with Jotha, later killed him
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Forest officers will face the greenhouse heat soon
Forest department will evaluate the performance of its officials by calculating the extent to which they have controlled the emission of greenhouse gases in areas within their jurisdiction In the environmental data released by the United Nations in 2010, India bears the disgraceful distinction of being the country responsible for the third highest carbon dioxide emission in the world, following close on the heels of China and the US. What you breathe is what you get: The initiative
Devotion vs pollution
While strict vigils to monitor Mahashivaratri crowds at Tungareshwar and Sanjay Gandhi National Park helped prevent forest fires, there was rampant dumping of garbage and erection of stalls in both spots The festival of Mahashivaratri was celebrated amidst much fanfare in Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) and Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) yesterday. While the strict vigil maintained by the Forest Department from the early morning hours prevented forest fires from breaking out, indiscriminate devotees left trails of waste and garbage in their wake. Around 2-3 lakh devotees flocked to
4-yr-old mowed down on tracks, locals stop trains
Agitators claim the motorman didn't sound his horn when he saw the girl crossing the tracks near Mumbra Train services on Central line were affected from 5.35 pm to 6.51 pm yesterday, when a mob staged a protest, refusing to let go of the body of a four-year-old girl, who was run over by a Titwala-bound local train while crossing tracks. Stopped in tracks: The people who had gathered at the accident spot also staged protest at the Thane civil hospital where Asmita's body was taken for post mortem. Pic/Ysuf PuriThe
'Tsunami defence' lets off 3 accused of graft
Cross-examination reflected the complainant, seeking revenge, might have set up the trio -- all railway employees; one of the 3 acquitted said he had accepted 'bribe' assuming it was a contribution towards tsunami relief fund And here's the story of a botched-up sting operation. After six years, a special CBI anti-corruption court has acquitted three railway employees, who were accused of taking Rs 1,000 as bribe to 'regularise' the attendance of the complainant -- a frequently-absent CST booking clerk. Money matters: Ahtesham Khan, the complainant, apparently told
Monday, 20 February 2012
Health department to challenge acquittals for sex determination
Claiming that many offenders who have violated the anti-sex determination act are not convicted owing to lack of evidence or improper observance of legal procedures; the department is now planning to re-examine and challenge verdicts meted out in 45 cases The shockingly skewed sex ratio in Maharashtra has made the state government jump to a more stringent implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. Representation picIn an attempt to improve the poor conviction rate of cases related to violation of
Mahajan factor returns to BJP
While Rekha Mahajan felicitated winning candidates from BMC on Saturday, insiders say daughter Poonam has been vociferous in party meetings about issues affecting the common man Since the untimely death of Pramod Mahajan in 2006, his family had largely stayed away from active politics. The one aberration was daughter Poonam contesting and losing the 2009 assembly elections from Ghatkopar.Taking centre stage: (From left) Poonam Mahajan, Kiron Kher and Rekha Mahajan during the felicitation ceremony of newly elected BMC corporators of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party office in Dadar on Saturday. Pic Shadab KhanHowever,
Wife of murder-accused corporator sits on dharna against rising crime
Ulhasnagar's NCP president Jyoti Kalani is married to Pappu Kalani, who, apart from having 8 murder charges against him, was accused of threatening BJP leader Kamal Bhatija during polls Her husband is currently on bail in 19 cases including eight for murder. Her son has been named in several extortion and assault cases and is currently absconding after being accused of attempt to murder. Yet, Jyoti Kalani is determined to fight crime. Taking a stand: Jyoti Kalani (n white) at the dharna in Ulhasnagar with NCP workers.On Sunday, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president of
Sting busts shocking baby selling racket
MiD DAY's Bhupen Patel and Shubha Shetty-Saha posed as a childless couple looking to buy a baby. Within a week, this woman (a cook at an orphanage) sold them a 6-day-old boy In an explosive sting operation that lasted for about a week, MiD DAY blows the lid off a thriving baby-selling racket in the city, in which infants are sold like commodities for Rs 2-3 lakh. Baby bazaar: Vijaya Sonawne, who cooks food for the orphans in the ashrams at Ulhasnagar, runs the syndicate. Here she poses with the baby, just before
Sunday, 19 February 2012
HC rejects last-minute bid to include protest vote
It felt the measure would disrupt election schedule and confuse voters On the eve of the elections, the Bombay High Court heard a high-stakes PIL urging the inclusion of a button on Electronic Voting Machines to cast a 'none of the above' vote. Though the hearing and deliberations lasted till 7 pm, the court did not think it fit to 'disrupt the election schedule' and 'confuse voters' at the 11th hour. However, it accepted that there was no specific legal provision for being able to register
Whoever said anything about dry days?
Mumbai might have officially had three dry days, but if seizures of liquor are any indication, this didn't stop anyone from enjoying their drink While a sizeable section of the city seems to have slept through the elections, keeping in mind the lower voter turnout, it seems to have been a busy few days for some.Policemen with the seized bottles of liquorThe state excise department on Friday arrested a bootlegger with large amounts of imported wine and liquor,
How you flush money down the drain
Of the Rs 40 crore that the BMC spent this elections, Rs 1 crore was used for advertising the need to vote When only 44.64 per cent Mumbaikars turned up to vote on Friday, they did not just serve the idea of a democracy poorly, they also ensured that as much as Rs 1 crore from the state coffers were sent down the drain.From the nearly Rs 40 crore that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation spent overall in conducting
SoBo's dark secret
South Mumbai's tony A Ward might be the most posh locality in the city, where the rich and famous live, but as many as 2,699 children between three and 16 years do not have access to schools. Many of these kids also work to support their families South Mumbai's tony A Ward is probably the most posh neighbourhood in the city, but scratch a little and its dark underbelly will come spilling out. Shazada who
Saturday, 18 February 2012
Mr Thackeray, this is what Mumbai wants
Poor voter turnout or no, Mumbaikars expect the Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to turn the dismal state of affairs around, and fulfil their aspirations of making Mumbai, if not Shanghai, at least, more liveable. MiD DAY speaks with them to find out what they expect of the new BMC house Infrastructure, of course, features at the top of the Mumbaikar's wish-list, along with basic amenities of health, clean water, sanitation. While the demands of some citizens were generic
Thandavam Tamil Movie Stills
Vikarm Anushka starring Thandavam Movie Stills Vikram, Jagapati Babu, Anushka Shetty, Amy Jackson in lead roles. Directed by AL Vijay and Produced by Ronnie Screwvala under UTV Motion Pictures banner.Music acored by GV Prakash KumarThandavam Tamil Movie Stills
Shriya Saran at Maxim Cover Launch Stills
South Indian Actress Shriya Saran launches Maxim Magazine Cover at Artic Maxim Style Night at Kismet, The Park Hotel, Hyderabad on 16th Feb 2012.Shriya Saran launches Maxim Magazine.Shriya Saran launches Maxim Magazine Cover at Artic Maxim Style Night at Kismet, The Park Hotel, HyderabadShriya Saran at Maxim Cover Launch Stills
MUPPOZHUDUM UN KARPANAIGAL MOVIE REVIEW
MUPPOZHUDHUM UN KARPANAIGAL Starring: Atharva, Amala Paul, Santhanam, Jayaprakash, Anupama Kumar Direction: Elred KumarMusic: G. V. Prakash KumarProduction: RS InfotainmentThe grand Valentine season offering has hit the screens. Marketed as a colourful romantic saga, Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal (MUK) is the perfect Valentine release if it fulfils all the promises that it holds; especially with the music already being popular. So, does it fulfil the promises?MUK talks about the love of a couple and as the trailers might have told you, the lengths to which a lover
Friday, 17 February 2012
If you do not approve of the candidates, cast a protest vote
The refrain was heard often enough in the last few days. MiD DAY's Samarth Moray went to do just that, but returned home disappointedIn the run-up to the BMC election, I was well aware of the options of aspirants contesting in my ward. And I had decided whom my vote would go to -- nobody. Mine was going to be a protest vote. With this resolve, I went to cast my ballot. A little before noon, I reached my designated
Navi Mumbai perks up city's spirits on Election Day
Sellers in the satellite city enjoy a 20-30% hike in alcohol sales, with citizens from Mumbai making trips to its alcohol shops on their dry day Although the sale of alcohol was banned in Mumbai and Thane on account of the civic polls yesterday, a significant amount of alcohol was sold -- not from the city -- but reportedly supplied from Navi Mumbai. According to figures, liquor shops in Navi Mumbai saw a rise in sales by 20 to 30 per cent yesterday. "I experienced an increase in sales today. I cannot tell you to whom I
Now you see it, now you don't!
EC replaces indelible stain from dipping bottles by ink from a marker, which comes off after a wash or two There were fewer 'flashers' on Mumbai's streets on Thursday than perhaps on any other polling day. That's because the Election Commission (EC) failed to get under the skin of balloters yesterday with its voters' ink. The age-old indelible stain from dipping bottles that often took months to fully come off had been replaced by a marker. Many voters were surprised
If they could, why couldn't you?
While over half the city chose to stay home and ring in an extended weekend, a league of extraordinary senior citizens braved the odds to honour their commitment to democracy Senior citizens ride to booths in palkisWhile thousands of young citizens gave in to laziness and/or apathy yesterday, grey and wizened senior citizens, some crippled by age and physical incapacitation, didn't allow their advanced years to come in their way to the polling booths yesterday. And lifting their spirits and gnarled forms up to the waiting EVMs
Thursday, 16 February 2012
'Russel's still missing, but we are sure he'll be back'
Over a month after the luxury liner Costa Concordia tipped over near the Tuscan coast, Kevin, brother of the only missing Indian crewmember aboard the ship Russel Rebello, is still camping in Giglio in Italy, confident of his return Three days back, in a local church on the small island of Giglio in Italy, congregated a crowd of people for a prayer service. Exactly a month ago, they had seen the Italian luxury cruise liner Costa Concordia hit a reef and capsize some distance from their land. They were
'Monica Bedi is threatening me'
Misunderstanding over money makes Mira Road-based director of Nepali film starring the actress lodge a complaint against her at Oshiwara police station She may not have had a remarkable movie career so far, but Monica Bedi has certainly led an eventful life, best exemplified by the fact that several films based on her life are either being shot or are in the pipeline. Meanwhile, the actress's attempts to revive her own career have received another setback. In friendlier times: Monica Bedi
Man gets rid of 12-kg tumour a second time
50-yr-old Thane resident went under the knife to cure a rare abdominal tumour, unreported in medical history until last month, which made him 'look pregnant' After two major surgeries, 50-year-old Rajaram Makdum, a Thane resident, has finally got rid of the strange appearance that had made him diffident. Six months ago, he was cured of a rare abdominal tumour, weighing 12 kg, which in the words of this father of two, made him look like a woman six months into pregnancy.Uncommon man: Rajaram Makdum's rare tumour,
'Let me vote for my bahu, then extern me'
Hours away from likely externment, Juhu resident approaches and manages to convince HC to allow him to stay till he votes for his daughter-in-law When it comes to the BMC polls, or any elections for that matter, every vote counts. Realising this, Juhu resident Mariappa Devendra approached the Bombay High Court yesterday, just hours away from possible externment. Holding her ground: Mariappa Devendra is the father-in-law of Kavita (standing), an independent candidate from Ward no 64Mariappa's plea to the court was to allow him to stay in town long
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Rail commuter busts phoney-food-bill racket
Finds workers at Jan Ahar cafeteria at Mumbai Central terminus reissuing same receipts to customers and pocketing railways money If you have a grouse about the quality of food at railway eateries, here's something else to watch out for the next time you visit one. An alert commuter busted a fake-bill racket involving employees of the railways-operated Jan Ahar cafeteria at Mumbai Central terminus on Monday afternoon.Chew on that! The Jan Ahar cafeteria at Mumbai Central rail terminus. Pics/Sunil TiwariThe traveller Bhavesh Patel caught assistant manager Ram Shukla (48) and delivery counter representative
Ready for the Rs 40-crore polls?
That's how much the civic agency is likely to spend on organising polling centres, open pandals for voters If you needed one, here's another reason why your vote matters. The election department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would be spending Rs 40 crore to conduct the elections on Thursday, officials say. The civic agency would incur costs of several lakhs for erecting open pandals at polling centres, which has resulted in an escalation of expenditure.The corporation would be setting up 1,000 pandals at open
Campaigns glossed over scams, delayed projects
Ruling as well as opposition parties at the BMC failed to raise these issues effectively before the electorate The high-pitched campaign for tomorrow's BMC polls came to an end yesterday evening. Political stalwarts like Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, his son Uddhav, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan raised their voices in support of their respective party candidates. But amidst the commotion and cacophony, citizens of Mumbai failed to get the wind of some alleged massive scams, delayed projects of vital importance
Airport cargo caught in clash of the Senas
Months after Sena-led trade union begins charging Rs 500 from every vehicle for entry at airport cargo complex, MNS counterpart does the same; traders allege authorities are aware of the malpractice but haven't taken any action The Shiv Sena-MNS rivalry seems to have spilled out from rallies and election campaigns into the airport complex. Sample this: sometime in the middle of last year, Maharashtra Maal Vahatuk Sena (MMVS), a Shiv Sena offspring, started collecting Rs 500 from traders, for every vehicle that enters the Mumbai Airport Cargo
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Thrice sacked from RPF, officer makes film on graft
What do three sackings from the same job, a scam, a corrupt employer, and a small budget leave you with? An independent filmmaker, if you are former RPF official Dinesh Chandra Pandey. Seeking to capture the corruption infesting the Railway Protection Force (RPF) Mumbai, the former head constable who was terminated from service thrice after he raised his voice against the vice, has decided to expose it all on celluloid. Pandey, now 50, says the film would revolve around his
Know your candidates (Ward 77-150)
In the second leg of our campaign to educate voters about contenders in the running for BMC this year, MiD DAY brings you details of aspirants fielded by different political parties, in wards 77-150Ward no 77 (Sahar Village- Baman Wada)Shiv SenaRiddhi Budhivan Dhuri CongressD'souza Vinni- MNSBhavkar Darshana Damodar- SPShalini Bharat Singh BBMShinde Sobha Ramesh- Ward no 78 (M.V. College - Vijay Nagar-Coal Dongari)Shiv SenaManisha Manohar Panchal CongressRupali Ramesh Pawaskar MNSSunita Ragunath Parkar IndependentKavita Mahadeo SatardekarBSP Ghone Dhamini DamodarWard no 79 (Tejpal Scheme - Paranjape Scheme - Vile Parle (East)Shiv SenaShubhda Sashikant PatkarCongress Renuka (anju) KaraleMNS Veena Chaitanya Bhagwat LokbharatiYamini
Man with weapons arrested in Mumbai
Three days before the civic polls, Mumbai police Monday arrested a man with seven firearms and 12 live rounds of ammunition from a railway terminus in central Mumbai, police said. "We laid a trap near Kurla Railway Terminus after we were tipped off about this man. The accused, identified as Javed Aalam Mustafa Shabbir, was spotted waiting with the weapons," Additional Police Commissioner (Special Branch) Sunil Paraskar told reporters here. "The suspect was found in possession of six revolvers and a pistol with 'US-made' marks on them. However, the weapons appear to
Defecating in the open proves fatal for tiny tot
The 3-yr-old girl was sitting a few feet away from the front wheel of a parked school bus when the driver of the bus, unaware of her presence, started the bus and mowed her down A three-year-old girl was crushed to death by a private school bus while she was answering nature's call in the vicinity of her home in Ambedkar Nagar, Ghatkopar at around 8 am yesterday. Gone too soon: 3-yr-old Tanuja was answering nature's call on the road close to her hutment when the
Monday, 13 February 2012
BEST wants to recover Rs 300-cr losses from you
Undertaking claims to have incurred heavy losses in the process of buffering consumers from hike in fuel prices for five months; requests permission to restore its depleted treasury by hiking power tariff by 10 per cent 'Tis winter, the season to be jolly. But while citizens are busy with their naive seasonal frolics, the officials at BEST have gone into a huddle, to think of ways to recover their massive losses. And the means they have chosen to bring about their
Election commissioner gets election fever!
Neela Satyanarayan was diagnosed with an infection in her lung, but got herself discharged after a few hours of treatment, citing the urgency of her official duties in the countdown to the civic body elections Keeping tabs on unruly and errant politicians who take childlike pleasure in breaking rules appears to have finally taken its toll on the woman who has been burning the midnight oil to make sure that the elections go off smoothly. The
Desi daru won't woo voters, whisky will
Workers gripe that the money slum dwellers are getting from redevelopment has made their palate more discriminating, and costly; also, women voters can't be courted with just sarees, want accessories as well There is a paradigm shift in the voter market. Bartering votes in city slums for locally made alcohol just won't do any more. For the dweller of the urban shanty, being courted by the corporate-types moving in to 'tap the bottom of the pyramid', has
Only 8% of women candidates are graduates
Of the nearly 1,300 female candidates who will be contesting the BMC elections, most aspirants have not studied beyond the SSC/HSC level; only a handful of contestants have degrees on their resumes. The one distinction that sets apart the BMC Elections 2012, now three days away, from those in the corporation's history is the 50 per cent quota for women corporators. That is, of the 227 civic wards, 114 will be won and run by women candidates, the rationale
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Guptill stars in NZ's seven-wicket win
Martin Guptill's continued domination of the Zimbabwe bowling steered New Zealand to a seven-wicket win with 19 balls to spare in the opening Twenty20 match at the Eden Park on Saturday.Martin Guptill acknowledges the crowd after victory on Friday. Pic/AFPGuptill's imperious 91 not out off 54 deliveries was the backbone of New Zealand's 160 for three, and along with Kane Williamson (48), they overtook Zimbabwe's 159 for eight in the 17th over.The opener has seldom been troubled by the Zimbabweans and his 91
BJP demands Vilasrao's resignation
Coming down hard at former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, BJP's State President Sudhir Mungantiwar in a press conference on Saturday claimed that Deshmukh had helped filmmaker Subhash Ghai acquire large tracts of land to build his film institute Whistling Woods International, so that his actor son Riteish Deshmukh could benefit from the favour.The High Court on Thursday directed Ghai to return the 20-acre land allotted to him.Stating that Deshmukh should resign from the Union cabinet, Mungantiwar said, "To get work for his son, Vilasrao gave the land to Ghai. He
Meet the earphone smugglers
Authorities arrest two passengers at airport for smuggling mobile phone accessories worth Rs 13 lakh Custom officials at the Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport on Saturday detained two passengers for smuggling in hi-end mobile phone accessories to the tune of Rs 13 lakh. The duo, Shabjada Khan (22) and Mohshin Khan (20) were returning from Dubai in an Air India flight. An official on the condition of anonymity said, "We got a tip-off from our source about the duo smuggling in cell phone accessories. Once they entered the green channel with their
Marrying the Sun God is a rite of passage for Nepal's girls
Atithi Shrestha squints at the sun as her mother removes the shawl draped over her head, so the child can gaze up at the Sun God, whom she is about to wed. For the past 12 days, the nine year-old has been locked in a dark room, away from the rays of the sun and from the eyes of men -- even those in the family.The coming-out ritual for pre-pubescent girls is called Barah, and is followed by the ethnic Newars
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Political scions' pow wow lands Mumbaikars in traffic jam
Yuva Sena workers organised a bike rally to prevent Swabhiman Sanghatana from performing an anti-Sena street skit outside Sena Bhawan; in the melee commuters had to twiddle their thumbs in a 2-hr traffic jam Election fervour was at its farcical best yesterday, with two political scions taking their mutual rivalry to the heart of the city, battling it out on the streets, and sacrificing order and traffic in their parries and blows. Yuva Sena workers, all on two-wheelers, held up traffic as hapless motorists waited
Samantha at Woman World Show Room Launch
Samantha In Saree @ Woman World Show Room Launch Samantha cute looking photos in Saree Sensious Actress Samantha in pattu saree at World Show RoomSamantha images saree pics
Rajni's Kochadaiyaan First Look Posters
Rajinikanth, Katrina Kaif, Sarathkumar, Sneha, Aadhi, Shobana, Jackie Shroff, Nassar in lead roles. Directed by Soundarya R. Ashwin, Produced by Sunil Lulla under Eros Entertainment, Media One Global banner. Story Written by K.S.Ravikumar and Music scored by A.R.Rahman. Cinematography by Rajiv Menon. The film, which is expected to be shot with motion capture in 3D.Rajni's Kochadaiyaan First Look Posters
Priyanka Chopra & Farhan Akhtar at Don 2 photocall in Berlin
Priyanka Chopra & Farhan Akhtar at Don 2 photocall in Berlin
Friday, 10 February 2012
As mercury dips, Rum sales rise
Consumption of the potent intoxicant has gone up by 85 per cent; brandy and whisky are also finding favour The anomalous chill in the air has warmed the hearts of the state's wine shop owners. They claim there has been an overwhelming upsurge in sales of hard liquor such as rum and whisky in the past few weeks. Not only this. Maharashtra, which has always been considered a dull market for brandy, has witnessed much-improved business -- with an increase
20-kg slab falls off building, kills man
A 40-year-old salesman lost his life when the slab broke off from the second floor of the New Empire building in Fort and came crashing down on his head You may have often heard of life insurance claims, but instances of insurance claiming a life are harder to come by. Last Tuesday, a 40-year-old salesman walking past the New Empire building in Fort pitifully lost his life when a 20-kg concrete block dislodged itself from the part of the building that houses the LIC offices, plunged towards the ground, and fell
ST buses to have 'visible-in-the-dark' destination boards
Move comes after one of the MSRTC top bosses faced hardship while travelling across rural areas due to poorly visible boards While the commoners had been suffering and complaining about it for ages, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) recently woke up to fact that unclear destination boards, placed atop windshields of its 17,000-odd state transport (ST) buses are unreadable and were adding to commuting woes. It has now decided to give these boards a facelift. Face lift: The fluorescent display boards that
Blind girl runs pillar to post to reclaim Rs 1-cr property from father
21-yr-old discovers a power of attorney with her thumb impression that authorised the transfer of her property to her brother; accuses her estranged father of cheating and fraud The sin of greed can blind even a father. No one will testify to this hard-learnt truth more fiercely than Neha Agarwal (21), third-year BA student from St Xavier's College. While her friends devote their energies to studies or the pursuit of revelry, the blind girl has been stumbling from pillar to
Thursday, 9 February 2012
How BMC marshals make a killing
On Monday, a day before the Bombay High Court restrained clean-up marshals from slapping fines on citizens, Rane Ashish captured some glaring instances of their rampant misuse of authorityBMC's clean-up marshals chose an obscure spot in Goregaon, smack bang in the middle of the Western Express Highway stretch between Bandra and Dahisar. There isn't a single public toilet in the entire expanse, which is lined by the Aarey wilderness, so they are usually confident that a few motorists will make pit stops to answer nature's call. Here's
Yesterday was city's coldest Feb day in 4 years
Riding on the cold wave, minimum temp crested on Wednesday; weathermen warn of a further dip in coming 48 hours Lapping up the flames: Those who were too late to catch the sunshine lit up their own fire to work up the heat If February made you shiver yesterday, it wasn't only because Don McLean crooned so in the folksy American Pie, but because the temperature had dipped to 14.2 degrees Celsius - the lowest the city has endured in the last three
Yesterday was city's coldest Feb day in 4 years
Riding on the cold wave, minimum temp crested on Wednesday; weathermen warn of a further dip in coming 48 hours Lapping up the flames: Those who were too late to catch the sunshine lit up their own fire to work up the heat If February made you shiver yesterday, it wasn't only because Don McLean crooned so in the folksy American Pie, but because the temperature had dipped to 14.2 degrees Celsius - the lowest the city has endured in the last three
Fishermen hit hard by deep-sea journeys
Fishermen are also hard hit by the seasonal migration of the fish, as fishing expeditions are becoming so costly that they are unable to recover the expenses incurred, even after selling the haul. Whereas earlier they would net fish at eight nautical miles from the shore, fish are elusive even at 15 nautical miles from the coast nowadays. "Climate change has compelled fish to go deep into the sea, making us lose out on our
Fishermen hit hard by deep-sea journeys
Fishermen are also hard hit by the seasonal migration of the fish, as fishing expeditions are becoming so costly that they are unable to recover the expenses incurred, even after selling the haul. Whereas earlier they would net fish at eight nautical miles from the shore, fish are elusive even at 15 nautical miles from the coast nowadays. "Climate change has compelled fish to go deep into the sea, making us lose out on our
Oh fish!
The dipping temperatures have caused fish to migrate to the warmer deep-sea waters, and the resultant crisis in fish supply has forced restaurateurs to increase prices, or scrap dishes on their menu altogether The sudden nip in the air and the freezing winter winds have taken the fish population lining the city's coast miles into the warmer heart of the sea. And these winds of change have brought about quite an unfortunate reversal of fortune for restaurateurs and fish-lovers across
Wife spells trouble for BJP leader Tawde
The state opposition leader's spouse allegedly campaigned for the wife of a recently-expelled leader, who is contesting against the party's candidate; insiders want action on Tawde Taking strong action to quell any dissidence within the party ahead of civic polls, BJP recently expelled six of its existing and former corporators, because they all rebelled in some form. However, now the party is in a major predicament. A senior leader's wife went ahead and allegedly campaigned for a contestant in the fray against the party's official candidate. Now,
Wife spells trouble for BJP leader Tawde
The state opposition leader's spouse allegedly campaigned for the wife of a recently-expelled leader, who is contesting against the party's candidate; insiders want action on Tawde Taking strong action to quell any dissidence within the party ahead of civic polls, BJP recently expelled six of its existing and former corporators, because they all rebelled in some form. However, now the party is in a major predicament. A senior leader's wife went ahead and allegedly campaigned for a contestant in the fray against the party's official candidate. Now,
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
It's Pawar v/s Pawar over Raj Thackeray
While Sharad Pawar recently lashed out at the MNS chief for objecting to Shiv Sena's annual Dussehra rally, his nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar endorses Thackeray's views This is the first such instance when they have differed in their views publicly. On the issue of making Shivaji Park available for political rallies, while NCP chief Sharad Pawar had lashed out at Raj Thackeray, Pawar's nephew, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar raised several eyebrows in political circles by taking a contradictory stand and the
WR to insulate wires, commuters from glitches
Reeling from the slew of overhead wire failures on the first day after the conversion to AC power supply, officials have identified 170 spots where insulation will have to be reinforced A day after Western Railway (WR) services with the newly inaugurated 25,000-volt AC power system got off to an unpromising start with three troublesome wire failures, the WR officials have been jolted out of complacency, and have set
It's blood, sweat and tears for 500 Kashmiri refugees
Artisans who came to the city last December are returning home after trading their weaving skills for hard labour and their blood for money They say Mumbai is the city of dreams, the city that will make you or break you and for 500-odd Kashmiris, the latter proved to be true. Still homeless: The refugee camp for Kashmiris at Bandra has provided them with dismal living conditions, ultimately forcing many to return to the strife-torn Valley.
Post vasectomy, men want their cut
Despite being paid Rs 200 by the BMC for convincing others to undergo sterilisation, motivators have been found trying to pocket a share of the Rs 1,451 awarded to the men they bring in at the Family Welfare Units As if struggling to control the city's burgeoning population and luring men with cash to undergo vasectomy wasn't enough, the civic body's Family Welfare Unit now has it's hands full, fighting a racket in which 'motivators' who convince candidates to opt for sterilisation
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
GPO has 100 reasons to mourn historian's demise
Sharada Dwivedi, who passed away yesterday, was to chronicle the history and legacy of the General Post Office to mark its centennial in 2013 The passing away of acclaimed historian and researcher Sharada Dwivedi (69) on Monday has bereaved, among many mourners, the General Post Office (GPO) as well. Dwivedi was to consolidate the history of the GPO through her research and compile it to commemorate its centenary year in 2013, and her demise has left senior postal officials in a lurch. Down memory lane: Sharada Dwivedi, MiD DAY reporter Vinod
Assailants paid Rs 40,000 to throw acid on girl
Perpetrators, who had been contracted by a mother-son duo to disfigure a 22-year-old woman, arrested With two more arrests, Crime Branch claims to have cracked the recent acid attack case in which a 22-year-old woman was injured at Goregaon station. Toxic tale: The victim Aarti Thakur in hospital after the acid attack. Cops say Pintu (below) was in love with Aarti, but she wasn't interested in himPolice had earlier nabbed Nasir Shaikh alias Pintu and his mother Manju Anwar Ali Shaikh, on whose orders the offence had been carried out. Yesterday, Unit X
Air traveller loses luggage, crooks find his debit cards
After his baggage went missing following a Kolkata-Mumbai flight, the Malad resident was looted of about Rs 18,000 by the accused who made several transactions in Lokhandwala with his debit cards If Malad resident Kamrup Saha thought the airline losing his baggage was an annoyance then what happened next was a mini catastrophe. The 32-year-old boarded the evening Kingfisher flight IT 514 from Kolkata on Thursday and landed at Mumbai airport about 11.30 pm. Lost, not found: Kamrup Saha, with a copy of the FIRLike
Western Railway's Rs 500-cr upgrade gets a jolt on Day 1
Grand conversion to 25,000-volt AC power supply was marred by 3 overhead wire failures -- one caused by a crow -- wasting the valuable time of lakhs of commuters. After spending a staggering Rs 500 crore to upgrade its power system from 1,500-volt Direct Current (DC) to 25,000-volt Alternating Current (AC), officials at Western Railway (WR) were left red in the face yesterday, when the very first day under the new system got off to an ominous start with overhead failures at
Monday, 6 February 2012
Servant stabs employers for splurging on pet dogs
The domestic help was frustrated at not having enough money, as his employers, aware that he was a druggie and an alcoholic, sent his pay directly to his family The next time you hire a domestic help, ensure that he isn't addicted to any kind of substance or else you might end up in a hospital battling for your life, just like the Basaks, a Goregaon-based couple.Cruel intentions: Narendra Kajal, who is a drug addict, stabbed his employers Ashok and Parmeshwari Basak with
Servant stabs employers for splurging on pet dogs
The domestic help was frustrated at not having enough money, as his employers, aware that he was a druggie and an alcoholic, sent his pay directly to his family The next time you hire a domestic help, ensure that he isn't addicted to any kind of substance or else you might end up in a hospital battling for your life, just like the Basaks, a Goregaon-based couple.Cruel intentions: Narendra Kajal, who is a drug addict, stabbed his employers Ashok and Parmeshwari Basak with
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