The Bombay High Court yesterday stayed the trial against actor Sooraj Pancholi, accused of abetting actress Jiah Khan’s suicide, and set aside June 7 as the next date on which it will hear a petition filed by the Jiah’s mother Rabia seeking Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the case. A vacation bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi stayed the trail.On May 20, the special women’s court had adjourned the trial till June 10 after Rabia sought to move Bombay High Court seeking stay in the trial following the pending hearing of her petition.
In her petition before the HC, Rabia sought SIT probe alleging that CBI, which is presently investigating the case, had concurred with the findings of Mumbai police that it was a suicide case and not homicidal death.
According to Rabia, CBI, ‘due to reasons best known to it’, has been vehemently opposing the appointment of special public prosecutor in the case by Maharashtra government.
“The High Court yesterday accepted our arguments that earlier also the trial was stayed in the case by the regular bench of HC, but later refused to extend the stay. Following this, Rabia approached the Supreme Court which on May 17 asked her to once again petition before the high court and asked it to expedite the matter,” said Subhash Jha, Rabia’s advocate.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/24-Peter-Mukerjea-s.jpg*Peter Mukerjea*
The CBI prosecutor, while opposing the bail, told the court that since Peter is influential, he can tamper with evidence. He further added that CBI has enough evidence against him.
In his plea, Peter mentioned that he had no issues with the relationship shared between his son Rahul and Sheena. This refutes what the CBI had alleged in the supplementary charge sheet, which stated that Sheena’s murder took place because Peter was unhappy with the affair and the impending marriage.
The bail plea quotes an e-mail exchange between Peter and his friend on November 25 and 26 2011.
“I wish them both well and hope they are happy and comfortable. i love him dearly and i like sheena very much too,” wrote Peter reportedly in the mail to his friend.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/feb/MHADA-homes-s.jpg*File pic*
Most of these houses are from the chief minister’s quota but were never allotted by the then CM Prithviraj Chavan. “The prices for the CM quota homes haven’t been calculated yet, but it’s a given fact that the rates will be less, as the flats were built earlier,” said T Matkar, from the marketing department of MHADA C Dange, joint chief officer of the Mumbai board of MHADA, said, “We have a formula to decide the prices of the flats and the same formula shall be used for selling the CM quota homes too.”
This formula is based on the cost of land, construction and other factors from the period of construction. “So,in the case of a home from the CM quota in 2010, the price shall also be from that period. Only the taxes shall be applicable at current rates,” said a senior official.
MHADA will be come out with the advertisement for the lottery by the end of the month. It has been holding such lotteries every year since 2009. MHADA, being a non-profit organisation, doesn’t earn profits in most of its projects, except those that are meant for Higher Income Groups, and even then the margin is minimal.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/24-Sandeep-Gadoli-s.jpg
The summons that was issued on May 20 had asked them to come to Mumbai and record their statements. Divya Pahuja, the mole that gave out the location of Sandeep is also in the docks.
A team of Haryana police, led by sub inspector Pradyuman Yadav, murdered Gadoli on February 7 in Andheri’s Hotel Airport Metro around 11 pm.
His family has demanded fair investigation and has refused to take back his body, which is still lying in JJ hospital mortuary. The Bombay High Court in March had rejected Sandeep’s brother Kuldeep’s plea to file a FIR against the cops, after which he approached the Supreme Court. The next hearing is scheduled on May 27 in the apex court.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/24Jayalalithaa-s.jpg*Fulfilling promises: Jayalalithaa at her swearing-in ceremony. Pics/PTI*
*Gold allocation rises*
She also ordered increase in gold allocation for women beneficiaries from 4 to 8 grams under the Thallikku Thangam Scheme (Gold for Mangalsutra). From now on, beneficiaries will get eight grams of gold in addition to monetary assistance of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.
*Waiver of crop loans*
She first signed a file, ordering waiver of crop loans upto March 31, 2016 payable to co-operative banks. The waiver would entail a financial burden of Rs 5,780 crore on her government.
*Free power*
100 units of free power for domestic electricity consumers with effect from yesterday in tune with the present tariff computation. It would entail an additional payout of Rs 1,607 crore as grant by the state government.
*Liquor*
She ordered closure of 500 Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation-run retail liquor outlets and cut short working hours of bars. With effect from today, the retail outlets and bars would function from noon to 10 pm.Historic swearing-inAIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, who defied a 32-year history to return to power for a second consecutive term, yesterday took
oath as Chief Minister for the sixth time. The 68-year-old Jayalalithaa along with 28 others including her trusted lieutenant O Pannerselvam took the oath of office and secrecy in Tamil that was administered by Governor K Rosaiah. The AIADMK supremo retained 15 of her ministers who were in the previous cabinet and 13 new faces including three women.
*MK Stalin made to sit with spectators*
DMK president M Karunanidhi yesterday alleged that his party was ‘insulted’ at the swearing-in ceremony of J Jayalalithaa as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, complaining about the seating arrangement made for his son MK Stalin.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Naik-Pandurang-Gawade-s.jpg*Naik Pandurang Gawade had participated in numerous anti-militancy operations in Kupwara*
On Saturday five Lashkar terrorists were killed in a 9-hour long operation in Drugmulla village. The operation was conducted by the local police and 41 Rashtriya Rifles. Three jawans were injured in the operation in which Gawade sustained bullet injuries on his face.
Hailing from Amboli village in Sindhudurg district, Gawade enrolled in The Maratha Light Infantry on September 21, 2001. For the past one year he was operating in 41 RR and had participated in numerous anti-militancy operations in the treacherous areas of Kupwara district. He is survived by wife Pranjal and two sons, Prajwal (5) and four-months-old Vedant. Naik Gawade had returned from leave and rejoined the unit on February 25.
*Defence family*
Pranjal said, “My husband was a brave soldier who would volunteer for daredevil missions against the militants in the valley, and his friends praised him for his skills. He wanted our two sons to study a lot, join the defence forces, and serve India. We celebrated our elder son, Prajwal’s fifth birthday in February, and this was the first time he was there for his birthday. After two days we arranged the naming ceremony of our other son Vedant, who is just four-months-old.”
Gawade’s elder brother Ganpat has retired from the Army and now assists their father on his farm, while their youngest brother Ashok is also in the Army and has come for a vacation.
Ashok said, “Three of us brothers were in the Army but amongst us, he was the most technically sound person in the field. Our sister had come to spend her holidays when we called him on Saturday and he spoke to every one of us. We are proud of our brother.”
Gawade’s mortal remains will be flown from Srinagar to New Delhi and to Goa today. From Goa by road they will be brought to Amboli village in Sindhudurg district which is around 100 kilometres away.
Reported by Mid-Day 19 hours ago.
West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle has tried to laugh off the uproar over his outrageously sexist remarks to a female journalist, Charlotte Edwards. Gayle sparked a furore after he asked the scribe how many black men she had slept with, whether she has had a threesome, whether her hair is dyed (while flicking his eyes downwards). His words — “I have a big, big bat, the biggest in the wooooorld… you will need two hands to lift it” — have now become the stuff of lewd legend.