Hrithik Roshan's struggle to overcome stammering, broken marriage with childhood sweetheart Sussanne Khan and his ongoing legal battle with actress Kangana Ranaut has not changed Hrithik Roshan's positive outlook towards life. Reported by India.com Health 19 hours ago.

Dhaka, May 30: Railway Minister of Bangladesh, Mazibul Hoque, has become the father of a baby girl after a year and seven months into marriage. His wife Hanufa Akter Rikta gave birth to the baby girl at Square Hospital in Dhaka Reported by Oneindia 14 hours ago.

*The state-level education rights adalat will be made mandatory soon, promised Krupa Amar Alva, chairperson of the State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.*

Speaking to mediapersons in Chikkamagaluru on Monday, she said that three meetings have been held regarding holding the adalat. "Child marriage, sexual atrocity on children and child labour can be prevented by prevented by providing education to children. The 'Shaale Kade Nanna Nade' programme has been organised to readmit school dropouts. The campaign will be carried out as a mass movement in the days to come. One of the objectives of the Commission is to provide education to every child," Krupa Amar Alva explained.

She further said that 9,468 children have moved out of the schools in the state in the current year. In Ballari, 2,018 children have left schools. Bengaluru South is in the second place, and there are 1,468 school dropouts in the district. In Mysuru district is in the third place, and has 1,002 children who have left schools. In Chikkamagaluru district, 102 children are school dropouts, she listed out.

"The process of identifying the school dropouts in other places has started and there will be a clear picture soon," she said and expressed her concern about the rising number of child labourers in the state.

Anand, Commission member who is in charge of the district, Gertrude Veigas, Commission Secretary, and Basavarajaiah, Women and Child Welfare department deputy director, were present at the meeting. Reported by Deccan Herald 8 hours ago.

Believe it or not but 40 percent of the total number of Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) drivers and conductors issuing tickets inside buses are addicted to tobacco.

This means out of their total strength of 22,000 drivers and conductors; a good 8,800 have a habit of chewing and consuming either by smoking or consuming gutka.

"At least 40 percent of the drivers and conductors are consuming tobacco. We have started treatment and therapy for 100 employees from today," said Dr Anil Singal, Chief Medical Officer, BEST.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/11Devendra-Fadnavis-s.jpg

The RTI was filed by Mumbai-based RTI activist Anil Galgali.

According to Galgali, "The reply to the RTI filed by me with MMRC states that Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis' and Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd MD Ashwini Bhide's salaries are far lesser as compared to 6 officials working with the Corporation."*Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis*

A press release issued by Galgali states that the six officials who are getting the high salaries are Project Director Subodh Gupta, System Director Ajay Kumar Bhat, Executive director R Ramanna, CFO Indraniel Sarkar, Executive Director (Electrical) R K Sharma, GM Civil Charuhas Jadhav.

It should be noted that the RTI activist had sought information about the salaries of officials and staff of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd for the month of March 2016 .

The Deputy Accountant and Public Information officer of the MMRCL Ganesh Ghule provided the Galgali with a list of 119 officials and employees.

"After going through the list, it came forward that 6 officials enjoy higher salaries than even their bosses, CM Devendra Fadnavis and MD Ashwini Bhide. The officials on the top are Project Director Subodh Gupta (Rs 2,08,706), System Director Ajay Kumar Bhat (Rs 2,03,346), Executive Director (Electrical) R K Sharma (Rs 1,92,945), Executive Director R Ramanna (Rs 1,82,688), CFO Indraniel Sarkar (Rs 1,51,936), GM Civil Charuhas Jadhav (Rs 1,51,936)," states the press release

The press release further states that the Maharashtra CM's salary is Rs 57,000 and the MD of the MMRCL, Ashwini Bhide receives a salary of Rs 1,43,051.

"Almost 21 officials who have retired from the MMRDA consist the total 119 officials and staff. Out of the 21 retired officials, 5 have been rehabilitated as advisors and 5 as OSD. CGM (Track) D G Divte and Civil Advisor S R Nandirgirkar received the maximum salary of Rs 1 lakh per month each amongst the retired rehabilitated category.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Byculla-Zoo-s.jpg*The Annabhau Sathe open-air theatre in Byculla Zoo, currently in ruin, will be redeveloped into a closed, air-conditioned space so that animals are not disturbed. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar*

Once complete, the theatre will be a closed structure, unlike its open-air predecessor, to ensure that the zoo’s fauna is not disturbed by performances.

The theatre is located at one end of the zoo and stretches for about an acre. Anecdotes relating to it reveal that it once hosted a vibrant tamasha culture, a Maharashtrian folk song, dance and drama form. However, about two decades ago, the BMC pulled down its shutters, citing that the zoo’s inmates were disturbed by the loud noises from the performances. Since then, the space has remained unutilised and has run into ruin.

The BMC’s civic building maintenance department realised that the structure was beyond repair and passed it on to the engineer department. The latter decided to reconstruct it. “We got the proposal and decided to construct it anew. Tenders have already been invited and work should start after the monsoon,” said city engineer Prakash Kadam.

The theatre will be a single-storey structure and will be fully air-conditioned. It will have basement parking, and a separate entrance from Patanwala Road, which runs near one side of the zoo. Work is expected to be completed in two years.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/30ranveer-gautam-s.jpg*Chefs Ranveer Brar and Gautam Mehrishi*

The show which is scheduled to release on May 30, offers a rare peek into the exquisite lifestyle and culinary indulgences of the erstwhile royal families of Balasinor, Gondal, Bhavnagar, Wadhvan, Chula and Sayla.

Mr. Amit Nair, Business Head of Living Foodz, said, "Food has been an integral part of royal celebrations and this show offers a glimpse of the rich culture and culinary heritage of India. What makes ‘Food Tripping’ even more unique is the camaraderie between Chef Ranveer and Chef Gautam! Their banter and synergy truly brings their experiences to life as they co-host the show. At Living Foodz, our endeavour has been to bring unusual and interesting content to urban Indian audiences, and this show is a prime example of this."

Chef Ranveer and Gautam's memorable journey begins on a luxurious note aboard the Maharaja Express - one of the most expensive luxury trains in the world. Apart from learning recipes from queens and royal chefs, they also spend time with the families, understanding the fascinating position they hold in contemporary India as guardians of a long and rich heritage. For example, they are taken through a guided tour of the third largest dinosaur fossil site in the world by the princess of Balasinor, Aaliya Sultan Babi. Together with palace chefs and Maharani's, they unravel for the first time, some of the most closely guarded gastronomic secrets of the families.

An excited Ranveer Brar says, "I have always longed to experience royal culture first-hand. My journey with ‘Food Tripping’ made this wish come true, and it was nothing short of lavish!"

“We witnessed the remarkable hospitality of that India’s royalty is famous for and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit a bygone era and learn some closely guarded ancestral recipes.” adds Chef Gautam.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/30Hritik-son-s.jpg

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/feb/woman-burn-s.jpg

Satabai Keru Londhe was set ablaze yesterday following a quarrel over Londhe's 17-year-old son allegedly drinking liquor and creating nuisance in the locality, Bhiwandi police station's sub-inspector R V Patil said. Londhe and the accused are all rag pickers residing in the same Padma Nagar locality of Bhiwandi.

The two families had a fight on Saturday over the issue following which the four accused -- Sumabai Chaggan Khalse (55), her two sons Haresh Chaggan Khalse (28) and Bhanudas Chaggan Khalse (30), and daughter Vandana Chaggan Khalse (25) doused Londhe in kerosene and set her ablaze, Patil said.

The two families had a fight on the same issue about 15 days back. The victim's husband and other family members present tried to save her, but she sustained around 60 per cent burns in the incident, he said. She was initially admitted to the IGM Hospital at Bhiwandi but later shifted to Thane Civil Hospital where her condition is stated to be critical, Patil said.

Haresh, Sumabai and Vandana were arrested last night following a complaint by the victim's family while the fourth accused is still at large, he said.

The accused have been charged under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) read with 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), he said.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Alfina-s.jpg*Alfina flanked by RPF cop Pushpa Mehariya and father Habib Shaikh*

Pushpa Mehariya, an RPF constable, who found a wailing Alfina on Borivli station’s platform number 4 around 3.20 pm on Saturday, informed PSI KK Meena. The girl had been separated from her family when her parents were boarding the train to Ajmer.

Earlier, Alfina’s father Habib had reached Borivli with eight of his family members at around 2 pm to board a train to Ajmer. But, when the train arrived, the coach they were supposed to board halted a little away from them. They sped towards it and in the melee, forgot Alfina on the platform.

After the train left the station, her mother realised that Alfina was not around. She told Habib about it and the couple started searching for their daughter. When they did not find her, Habib called the railway police control room.

Meanwhile, Mehariya was on the way to the police station after rescuing a crying Alfiya. She narrated the incident to senior inspector RS Salaria. He said, “After finding the girl, we immediately informed the railway control room.
Later, they told the girl’s father, that his daughter has been found. He got down from the train at Vapi and returned to Borivli.”

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/30-Tanmay-Raj-s.jpg*Raj Thackeray and Tanmay Bhat*

*Also read: Anupam Kher, Riteish Deshmukh slam AIB's video for insulting Sachin, Lata*

Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has decided to file complaint to Mumbai police and demand Tanmay's arrest.

Ameya Khopkar, Vice President of MNS said, "Our party will submit a official complaint to the Shivaji Park police on Monday at 10:30am and we will also demand for his arrest. There will also be a complaint made to the cyber cell of the Mumbai police to pull down the video."

Our calls to Tanmay Bhat went unanswered.

*Also read: Twitterati 'roast' Tanmay Bhat for 'mocking' Sachin, Lata Mangeshkar*

The comedian posted the video on May 26 on Facebook titled "Sachin vs Lata Civil War" and cracked apparently not-so-funny jokes about both these legends.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/30Tamannaah-Bhatia-s.jpg

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Tara-barrel-s.jpg

Despite booming tourism in the region, authorities put the fragile ecosystem above everything else. That will be the day when similar strict controls are implemented by desi lawmakers if they prioritise the environment over tourism and commercial interests. Let’s start by leaving Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey Colony alone.

*Next time, I’ll write a storybook for kids**Pic/Satej Shinde*

Author-poet Gulzar watches a young reader at a Bandra bookstore where his latest title, Another 100 Lyrics, was released over the weekend. Translator of the book, Sunjoy Shekhar is seen to the left.

*He’s on a seven-million high*
We’re not quite sure if there was a whiff of humility here. But Chetan Bhagat was over the moon a few days back when his Twitter following touched seven million.

An autographed note posted on Twitter admitted that he wasn’t a cricket superstar or a Bollywood actor, and not even the Prime Minister but just a writer. He added: ‘What can I say? Thank you guys. 7 million times over.’ Publicity — just another name for humility? We’re just saying.

*Mohali before Mumbai!*
We were waiting, and looks like there will be some more of it. After wowing Delhi NCR and Bengaluru with their value-friendly, high-street fashion, H&M had Mohali’s shopaholics celebrate the opening of its first outlet, and India’s sixth. If you’re scratching your head in bewilderment about why Mohali pipped Mumbai; well, do a quick memory jog to those shopping trips to malls in that part of India, and the ‘I-am-a-pauper’ feel that hit you. Get the picture? The good news — the chain plans to open two outlets in Mumbai. We hear you.

*We stand for the rainbow*
Celebrities across Mumbai showed up in support for the Kashish Mumbai International queer film fest. Over the weekend, a panel discussion was held at Liberty cinema on Freedom of Expression and Censorship in Indian cinema.

The panelists included film personalities Nandita Das (centre), Onir, Apurva Asrani and Sridhar Rangayan (left), while theatre personality Dolly Thakore (right) was spotted in in the audience. Filmmaker and mid-day columnist Meenakshi Shedde was the moderator for the engaging discussion.

*Humans of Kashmir*
Kashmiris pundits have become the subject of political slugfests. The grief of leaving home under the fear of the gun, however, lives on with them. The effect of speech wars between zealous patriots and secessionists on ending tension is anybody’s guess.*A scene from the video clip*

In contrast, a heartwarming tale from the valley stole the show recently. The person who uploaded the video calls it Kashmiriyat. He writes, “I shot this video clip today at Kokernag, the native place of my wife (sic) Ek pehloo yeh bhi hai Kashmir ki Tasveer ka. The man in the video is Kokernag’s Abdul Razzak Wagay. He told my wife that he had borrowed Rs 80 from her father, late Soom Nath Kaul before migration, and could not return that money. Now he wanted to return Rs 80. After hearing this, my wife got emotional.”

*Seeing will be believing*
Contemporary, Breaking, Ballet and Kathak will come together for a performance at the Veer Sawarkar Auditorium in Shivaji Park on June 10. Dhrut, the latest dance production by the Sumeet Nagdev Dance Arts will synchronise dance forms with live music.

Visually impaired keyboard player Jayant Pawar’s performance where he will give the impression that he can see dancers and blend in with their movement is expected to be a surprise. The 50-minute piece will present the concept of time transition through space.

The production featuring two women and two male dancers along with three musicians has been selected for the Erasing Borders Dance Festival in New York scheduled for August, to represent India at an international stage. We can’t wait to see this gig bring the dancefloor alive.

*A green and white pitch*
This one should intrigue the cricket buff, irrespective of which side of the border s/he hails from. Following Peter Oborne’s award-winning global success with Wounded Tiger: A History of Cricket in Pakistan comes a new volume, White on Green (Simon & Schuster India) written with Richard Heller, to celebrate the extraordinary story of Pakistan cricket.

For one, we’re sure to discover fascinating stories about the mind-boggling talent that continues to emerge from a country in turmoil — be it due to government policy, administrative interventions and player conflicts and terror threats.

The book, we’re told will celebrate players of Dera Ismail Khan, who appeared when their side lost by a world-record margin of an innings and 851 runs; and from the Khan sisters, who helped develop the women’s game in Pakistan, despite threats from those who believed their actions to be immoral.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/30srk-s.jpghttp://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/kiran-Rajkummar-s.jpg*Kiran Rao**Rajkummar Rao**Sayani Gupta*

The film, a dramatic comedy, revolves around three conflicting generations who are forced to come together in the wake of the death of the oldest member of their clan, Century Gowda.*Nandita Das**Shriya Pilgaonkar*

*Adil Hussain*

*

Raam Reddy *

*

Hansal Mehta
*

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Monsoon-clouds-s.jpg

*Monsoon clouds hover over the Arabian Sea in Kochi yesterday. Pic/PTI*

SEBI has decided to reduce the number of listed companies in both exchanges. They are looking at almost 1,200 listed companies which have been suspended for more than seven years. SEBI plans easy exit options for shareholders of these companies. SEBI also targeted the companies which are listed in the regional exchanges. The regulator is also planning to distribute mutual fund products by 2016-17 through Amazon and Flipkart.

The US Federal Reserve is planning a rate hike in June, which is a strong indication for the growth of the US economy, when other countries are planning to reduce interest rates.

Nifty, on Wednesday, moved above its 50 DMA and strongly rallied above the 8000 mark with huge short covering ahead of the Futures and Options expiry. Markets are already entered in the over bought zone and it is likely to consolidate in the near term, before a move to the North. Nifty has resistance at 8200 and 8250. Nifty has support at 8059 and 8005 (200 day moving average). If Nifty moved down below 8005 then one should consider 7956 as next major support. All price corrections can be utilised to create long term portfolios.

Banking Nifty recovered during the expiry day and it is also entered in the over bought zone. It has strong support at 16979 and 16728. Banking Nifty has resistance at 17650.

Last week, L&T appreciated after its quarterly earnings, whereas Cipla disappointed the street and the stock came under the attack of bears.

Going forward Auto, OMC, IT and agricultural sectors stocks will be in focus. Metal counters are likely to remain subdued and profit booking can be expected in banking stocks after sharp recovery.

This week, macro datas like NIKKI manufacturing PMI for April Y-O-Y, GDP Growth Rate, Current account and NIKKI Service PMI will come out from India. From China, NBS Manufacturing PMI, Non Manufacturing PMI; and from EURO Zone Consumer Confidence, Retail Sales Y-O-Y, GDP Growth Rate and the Inflation rate.

There is a strong warning from various economists on the Japanese Yen. If the Japanese are not considering stimulus programs then their currency can fall very steeply, which will have a deep negative impact on its economy.

*Disclaimer: No financial information whatsoever published anywhere in this newspaper should be construed as an offer to buy or sell securities, or as advice to do so in any way whatsoever. All matter published here is for educational and information purposes only and under no circumstances should be used for actual trading or making investment decisions. *

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Monish-Bhandarkar-s.jpg

*Also read - QNet case: Three more company representatives arrested**Monish Bhandarkar, Suvija Pai and Haresh Bhadra*

With these arrests, the number of people held in this multi-crore scam from 2013, has now reached 22. The three accused, who belong to the age group of 31-37 years, were independent representatives associated with the Hong Kong-based company.

Identified as Haresh Bhadra, Suvija Pai and Monish Bhandarkar, the trio was arrested from the seminar, which was attended by around 40 people. “We raided the seminar following reliable information and found them propagating ponzi schemes,” said deputy commissioner of police (EOW) Pravin Padwal, adding that preliminary probe revealed that they had conducted similar seminars in recent past, as they were getting high commissions.

Badara, a resident of Ghatkopar and Mandarkar, a resident of Thane, were promised R20 lakh commission and Pai, also a resident of Thane, had got R10 lakh for propagating ponzi schemes.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Matunga-flyover-s.jpg

*Also read - Mumbai: Cong-Sena clash over garden leaves development in limbo**The garden is nearly ready and both the Sena and Congress said they intend to launch it by next week. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar*

mid-day had reported on May 10 last year that a 700-metre-long garden with jogging track was going to be built under the Tulpule flyover on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road (between the King’s Circle and Ruia College traffic signals). Work had stalled in the past 3-4 months, and tiles, heaps of mud and plants were scattered there. However, the garden is finally complete and ready to be launched — all that remains to be done is connecting the lights and other electrical fixtures.

But now, the park is locked in a battle between Sena and Congress, as both intend to claim credit for its completion. The issue began a few days ago, when the BMC house leader, Trushna Vishwasrao (Sena) visited the park to check on its progress. She told mid-day that she had been asked to do so by MP Rahul Shewale, who was chairman of the standing committee when the project proposal was passed in 2013-14.

*Back-and-forth*
However, this visit was not appreciated by the local Congress corporator Nayna Seth, who saw it as an attempt by Sena to hijack the project and steal all the credit.

“I have been following the development of this garden since 2012. What Trushna did was wrong; she had no business inspecting the garden,” she told mid-day.

*Under dispute*
Trushna admitted that the two of them had spoken about this dispute, and added, “I went there after a request made by MP Shewale. Besides, I am the leader of the house. Earlier, they had named the flyover without even letting the Mayor know about it. This time, we will ensure that the Mayor inaugurates the park. We will print proper invitation cards and Nayna Seth will be welcome. We are looking at inaugurating it by the first week of June.”

On the other hand, Nayna said that she would be the one to inaugurate the park. She added that she will also invite the Mayor, but only to watch. “It is the local corporator who has the right to inaugurate projects and I shall do that by the first week of June and then hand it over to the BMC, for which I will also invite the Mayor. The Shiv Sena should not hijack the project, or we will protest,” she said.

*As the two*
corporators row over the garden, locals complain that the Rs 5-crore garden was supposed to open for children during the summer vacation, which is now almost over. Moreover, they have pointed out a couple of flaws with the garden’s design as well.

*Jogging track*
The jogging track in the garden was designed with a meandering path to make it look like the Narmada river.

Locals said that this winding path will make it difficult for joggers. They also pointed out that the track was at a lower level than the surrounding flowerbeds, so every time the plants are watered, soil and water will trickle onto the path.

“The track should have been on higher ground. The water could make the tiles slippery and people might fall,” said a local resident.

Trushna passed on these complaints to the contractor, as well as locals’ demand for an additional gate to be installed at the garden.

Local residents pointed out that the garden currently has two gates — on either side, so people can cross to the other side of the flyover — but these are not enough for a garden of this size.

“I have also asked the contractor to finish off the pending electrical work so that the garden can be opened soon,” said Trushna.*Features*
>> The garden was built at a cost of over Rs 5 crore

>> It houses several ornamental and flowering plants, as well palm plantations to resemble the coastline

>> The park will have granite seats with a capacity for 500 visitors, as well as sandstone steps for additional seating

>> Apart from the jogging track, a walking path has also been made, along with wooden bridges

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Sahil-Jadhav-s.jpg

*A broken wall that provided easy access to the tracks. Pics/Rajesh Gupta*

The boy, identified as Sahil Jadhav, hailed from Pune and was visiting his grandparents in Ghatkopar during summer vacations. It was Sahil’s fellow player who had hit the ball near the tracks and Sahil had volunteered to go fetch it.

When he didn’t return for over 15 minutes, the kids he was playing with informed building residents, who found Sahil lying unconscious near the tracks.*Sahil Jadhav*

Sahil Jadhav, a Std VI student, had moved to Pune with his six-year-old brother and parents two years ago, since then he used to visit his grand parents each year during summer vacations. Sahil’s father Arvind Jadhav said, “He loved playing so much that most of the time he was out of the house playing some or the other game. He always said he wanted to become a sportsman.”

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Mulund-landfill-a-s.jpg

*

Just last month, a major fire broke out at the Mulund landfill, casting a blanket of smoke over the suburb. The dumping ground was supposed to be shut down a long time ago, but continues to operate over its maximum capacity. File pic/Sameer Markande*

*Main Issues*

*Dumpyard Disaster:* The Mulund dumping ground has left citizens gasping for breath, not just because of the horrid stench, but also because of frequent fires breaking out over there, enveloping large swathes of the city in thick smoke. While the Deonar dump yard has been in the news because of disastrous fires that lasted for days, the situation is no better at the Mulund dumping ground, especially for the residents of Hariom Nagar, who live barely 100 metres from there.

The Mulund landfill was supposed to be shut down, but continues to operate over its maximum capacity. As recently as last month, there was a major fire at the dumpsite, but it wasn’t just local residents who suffered - there was a blanket of smoke all the way up to Airoli, leading to complaints of shortness of breath, asthma, itchy skin and other ailments.

*Footpath Fail:* Not a single footpath is left for pedestrians in either East or West Mulund. Most have been encroached upon by hawkers and shops with illegal extensions, while other pavements are blocked with construction material or other debris. Residents are forced to walk on the roads instead, navigating the heavy traffic and the haphazardly parked vehicles.

*Playground Problem:* While there are quite a few playgrounds in Mulund, they are not maintained properly. More often than not, they are encroached upon and used to park vehicles. Other parks and recreational grounds have become a haven for anti-social elements like drug addicts and vandals. The few parks that are being maintained still lack basic facilities like toilets, making them inconvenient for kids and senior citizens.*Residents speak*

*

Ravindra Naik*
*President of the Mulund*
*MHADA society association*
The MHADA playground in Mulund East is full of vehicles that have been parked there. This is a security risk; how can we be sure someone hasn’t left a vehicle there with explosives? Even the dumping ground has caused various health problems to residents but the authorities have turned a blind eye to this.

*

Anmol Bhushan*
*President of NGO People’s*
*Power of Nation*
The dumping ground issue has been under discussion for years, but the authorities are yet to come up with a solution. They claim they will set up another dump yard near Airoli with a proper waste recycling plant. But we fear the same thing will happen again and we will be the ones to suffer as Airoli is not too far from here.

*

Mahabir Urs*
*Resident of Swapnanagri*
People have now started grabbing land on the footpath also. The authorities keep neglecting the problem until it turns into a crisis — only then do they take action. Now that the monsoon is approaching, pedestrians will find it even harder to walk.

*Expert speak*

*

Prakash Padikkal President of the Hillside Resident Welfare Association*
Mulund is changing every day, with new development projects across the suburb, but the infrastructure is lagging behind, according to Prakash Padikkal, president of the Hillside Resident Welfare Association, who said, “The authorities are giving permission to various new constructions, but are least bothered about the infrastructure. With each new construction, the roads are getting narrower. Footpaths are encroached and roads are blocked with parked vehicles. If they are increasing the construction, they should also take care of parking and other spaces. The playgrounds are in such a condition that we can’t even go there. The BMC gets hundreds of crores from taxpayers, why can’t they use this money to develop the infrastructure?”

*Ahead of the 2017 BMC polls, mid-day presents a 48-week initiative for citizens to raise their neighbourhood concerns. You and your corporator are now face-to-face in the Big Civic Battle*

*If you wish to highlight an issue troubling your ward, write to us at bmcpolls@mid-day.com*

*T Ward*
Mulund colony, Tulsi Lake, Mulund check naka, ESIS hospital, Topiwala college, Gavan pada, MHADA building, Nane pada, Palm Acres, Johnson and Johnson, Sarvoday Nagar and Nahur village

Ward numbers and corporators: 98 Samita Vinod Kamble, 99 Bhavna Bhavin Jobanputra, 100 Nandakumar Atmaram Vaity, 101 Sujata Rajesh Pathak, 102 Prakash Kashinath Gangadhare, 103 Manoj Kotak

*Population:* 5,10,472

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/30Wrestler-Sushil-Kumar-s.jpg

When international designers think of Indian menswear, the Nehru jacket and the Indian maharajas comes to mind. So, for men, I have picked a bandhgala in ivory, with the colours of the Tricolour across the chest, paired with Jodhpurs that are sporty and comfortable.

The second option is a fitted short jacket in a light shade with green piping on the sleeves and on the ankle. For women, it’s a sari in crepe or chiffon, again in subtle version of the colours of our flag with an achkan-style blouse and an orange bindi. All women can wear either sleek ponytails or buns to look uniform and stylish. The Tricolour or the logo will be on the left hand side of the chest, where our heart is.
*— Pria Kataaria Puri*

*The blue brigade*
The Shivan & Narresh Indian Olympic uniform draws strong colour inspiration from the rich blues of the city of Jodhpur. We propose a formal Indian and Western aesthetic for men and women athletes representing the country at the prestigious platform.*Wrestler Sushil Kumar leads the Indian delegation at the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony. Who can forget the gatecrasher in the red jacket and turquoise pants. Pic/AFP*

The women’s wear blends a colour-blocked sari featuring saffron and emerald trail and a print with flying Ashoka Chakras — a motif designed to symbolise a spirited, young nation flying with ambition, dreams and determination.*Shivan and Narresh*

The western look features a modern classic, fitted dress in the same print in Bhagalpur silk.

For men, the formal Indian silhouette looks at a short fine Khadi bandhgala suit in rich Jodhpur blue while the western silhouette features a sharp suit in the same colour and fabric, paired with a crisp white shirt and silk tie featuring motifs of the flying Ashoka Chakra.
*— Shivan and Narresh*

*Go dressy*
We have designed  a look that is fun yet wearable for India’s women athletes at the Rio Olympics. It is a feminine slit dress, which is created keeping the Tricolour in mind.

The patriotic colours have been aesthetically used on this contemporary uniform. The royal blue colour on the Ashoka Chakra has been used on this dress with a fitted tri-colour belt.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Shobha-Gawale-s.jpg

*Also read: "Record second statement," plead brothers of Bhiwandi burn victim**Shobha Gawale*

Initially, her husband, Vijay, was charged only for attempt to murder. However, he could now be charged under Section 498A (dowry harassment) of the IPC. This paper had highlighted Shobha’s plight on May 23, who was set on fire by her husband for not bearing him a child. Her brothers, Dhyneshwar and Kailash Gaikwad, demanded that the police record her full statement so she could tell them about the domestic violence she suffered in the 7 years of her marriage.

“Why should he be charged only for attempt to murder? He has been abusing my sister for years. We want him to be punished for all the torture,” said Dhyneshwar.

*Also read - Dowry harassment: Thane woman torched by husband, mum-in-law*

API Arun Kshir Sagar from Narpoli police station said, “The second statement was recorded on Friday. We will take necessary steps against the accused after taking statements from the family members.”

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2015/apr/19handcuffs-s.jpg

*Also read: Man hacked to death while trying to save phone from robbers**Vikas Isave was also attacked when he came forward to rescue his friend*

Neeraj Singh was hacked with a chopper and his friend wounded allegedly while resisting a robbery on Thursday night.

After the friend, Vikas Isave (32), identified the attacker as Kamran Siddique, whom he had seen in the locality before, the local police and crime branch officials launched a manhunt for him (mid-day had reported the incident, 23-year-old killed while trying to save phone from robbers on May 28).

Crime branch officials nabbed him near JJ Hospital in Nagpada on Saturday and handed him over to the Ghatkopar police.

*Looking for a fix*
Siddique told the police that he was a drug addict and needed money on Thursday to get himself another fix.

When he spotted a mobile phone in Singh’s hand, he snatched it, hoping to sell it and buy more drugs.

When Singh put up a fight, an armed Siddique attacked him and Isave with a chopper, and fled the spot.

*Police says*
Yukub Mulla, police inspector of Ghatkopar police station, said Siddique is a resident of Kamani in Kurla.

“He was produced before a magistrate court and has been sent to police custody till June 4. We are also checking police and narcotics records to find out if he has any previous record.”

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Arpan-Thakur-s.jpg*The child, Arpan Thakur and Neil Pais*

At 7.30 pm on Friday, when Neil Pais — a manager and flight purser with Air India — stepped out of the swimming pool and was handing his towel to an attendant, he noticed others looking in the pool’s direction. That’s when he saw the child, Arpan Thakur, under water. Before he could dive in, an attendant dove in and got the kid out.

*Taking charge*
Arpan had stopped breathing by then. Pais immediately took charge of the situation. He knew that the emergency skills he had acquired while training for his job would come in handy there. Pais told mid-day, “Since the boy was deep in the pool, it wasn’t clear if it was an adult or a child, or whether the person was swimming or had drowned. However, when the child was pulled out, he wasn’t breathing at all. After realising that there were no doctors or trained people around, I took over and asked the crowd, which included his parents, who are from Kandivli, to step away and provide breathing space.”

He performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the child, which failed to revive him in the first two attempts. “Since we are trained to handle passengers in emergency situations on a flight, I started performing CPR on him. But it was only in the third set that the child responded. It was when he started breathing on his own that I took him to a nearby room under a fan. I found then that his pulse was feeble,” Pais said, adding that the ambulance service the resort authorities had called said it would at least take 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

They even called for doctors. Arpan’s relatives, who are doctors, weren’t present at the resort at the time.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/craft-beers-s.jpg

*

Potato Scoops. Pics/Atul Kamble
*

Thankfully, we didn't feel a sense of déjà vu when we stepped into Déjà Brew that has replaced The Pint Room on Bandra's Linking Road, recently. The bright red-and-yellow interiors have made way for stark grey sofas and wooden, high bar chairs, with rustic chandeliers and a bookshelf added to the overhaul. The new owners, who also run the adjoining The Great Punjab, have revamped the menu too, re-stocking the bar (which previously featured other spirits as well) with domestic and international varieties of beer, including craft beer from The White Owl Brewery and Gateway Brewing Co. The only constant is the petite, ever-smiling bar manager Serena, who took care of the space in its previous avatar too.*The bar includes craft beers on tap from local breweries*

*Cider tales*
Soaking in a neighbourhood pub vibe —with soft music playing in the background, perfect for an uninterrupted conversation — we pored over the bar menu, featuring everything from Corona and Stella to Hoegaarden and Double Stout Ale. When we told Serena that we were keen to try the craft brews, she promptly presented us with four tasters — White Zen, A-1 India Pale Ale, Doppelganger and Apple Cider — along with ongoing deals (500 ml of a Gateway brew for the price of 330 ml; buy-two-get-one-free for The White Owl brews). Brownie points for the service, which is the best way to introduce one to the world of craft beers. What's more, the bar doesn't burden you with a service charge, making it a sweeter deal. We picked Gateway's Doppelganger (Rs 190) and The White Owl's Apple Cider (Rs 190). While the German-style dark wheat Doppelganger was refreshing, we loved the smooth Apple Cider, with a strong, fruity aftertaste, much better than the ones we've tried at a few other breweries.*Chicken Meatballs*

*Bacon in my scoop*
Restricted to bar bites and pizzas, the food menu covers varieties like Sloppy Joes, Bangers & Mash, shishtouks and bacon-wrapped prawns. We began with Potato Scoops (Rs 230), made from two portions with customised toppings. While the spicy jalapeno-and-cheese stuffed one was melt-in-your-mouth, the bacon-and-cheese variety, with tiny bits of smoked meat, packed a punch with its flavours. Baked to perfection, the dish made for a perfect appetiser and complemented the brews.

Next, we called for Chicken Meatballs (Rs 290), drizzled with a Chinese-style sauce that tasted like Manchurian gravy. While the crispy meatballs were tasty, we'd have preferred them doused in a zesty red sauce instead. From 10-inch, thin crust, stone-fired pizza section, we picked Veggie Surprise (Rs 300). Loaded with bell peppers, broccoli and corn on a bed of tomato sauce, the pizza was cheesy, and crispy — just the way we like it.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Aviva-Hospital-s.jpg

*Also read - Arthur road jail: Jail Superintendent may get the boot for 'loose administration'**Aviva Hospital at Lokhandwala in Andheri (W). Pics/Prabhanjan Dhanu*

Vimal Barot (36), the vice-president of Mumbai-based events and hospitality service provider Showman Group who was arrested in 2014 and subsequently lodged in Arthur Road Jail for defrauding Dena Bank of Rs 220 crore, has reportedly been living a cushy life since December 2015 at a super-speciality hospital, barely 10 minutes from his Lokhandwala residence.*Vimal Barot has been staying, under the protection of eight cops*

Barot was admitted to the 50-bed Aviva Multispeciality Hospital, opposite Laxmi Industrial Estate in Lokhandwala, Andheri West, for a skin infection allegedly on the basis of a forged document. He allegedly pays Rs 5 lakh a month to the jail authorities to stay in the hospital.*Vimal Barot, vice-president of Showman Group, has been in Aviva Multispeciality Hospital in Lokhandwala since December last year*

Barot and co-accused - Devendra Bhogle and Rahul Gohil — were arrested, along with Pritam V Nagarkar, former chief manager of Dena Bank’s Malabar Hill branch in Mumbai, for defrauding the bank by mobilising term deposits of Rs 256.49 crore from various organisations. On the basis of forged requests for overdraft facilities against term deposits of at least seven companies, loans were sanctioned to these organisations.

According to the CBI, Nagarkar and Barot allegedly conspired to siphon off R220 crore, causing losses to Dena Bank. In June this year, the CBI filed a chargesheet against all accused in the case.

*Cops relaxing*
When mid-day visited the Aviva Multispeciality Hospital yesterday, we found that Barot had been admitted to room 13 on the fourth floor. Four police personnel, including an SI, posted for his security, were found inside room 12. Sub-Inspector Bharat Kadam and other two constables were engrossed in watching television.

Sources said police personnel deputed to security are often found lolling around in the hospital.

*‘Forged’ certificate*
Bhonsale admitted that Barot is in Aviva Hospital, but claimed that he had been shifted to the facility as per the sessions court’s order.

“He reported a skin infection, following which we shifted him to JJ Hospital. From there, Barot was admitted to Aviva Hospital based on a certificate he produced from JJ Hospital, recommending that he be shifted there. We have already written to JJ Hospital authorities to form a committee and find out whether Barot is actually in need of the said treatment.”

Asked why Barot was admitted to Aviva in particular, he disconnected the call and did not respond to further calls. Sources, however, claimed that Barot was admitted to Aviva on December 3, 2015, with the help of a fake certificate from JJ Hospital.

*Liposuction or cancer?*
The certificate was allegedly signed by a resident medical doctor of JJ Hospital, Dr Amol. This certificate was produced in the sessions court to obtain the transfer to Aviva.

The sources alleged Barot underwent a liposuction surgery after his admission to Aviva as proof of medical treatment on papers.

Patients from Arthur Road Jail are usually treated at JJ Hospital, which is fully equipped to handle all sorts of cases. A family friend of Barot, however, claimed that he had been admitted for skin cancer and was under therapy.

Dr TP Lahane, dean of JJ Hospital, said the facility had not issued any certificate recommending treatment elsewhere. “Undertrials/criminals are not recommended for admission to private hospitals. I will check how it was possible in this case.”

*No restrictions*
Sources from Aviva Hospital said Barot has been in the facility for around six months.

“Around 10 days ago, there was an issue with the management because the patient was allowed to bring in home-cooked food and was enjoying a lavish life. His family members visit the hospital daily and spend hours chatting with him. Most of the time, his wife, Monika Vimal Maluka (producer of film Rahasya) visits the hospital,” said a source.

Nitesh Gupta, the resident medical officer of Aviva refused to divulge information on Barot, saying he was not authorised to do so.

Dr Jahanzeb Khan, head of administration and marketing of Aviva, too, refused to speak on the issue, saying she had a throat infection and could not talk properly.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/28bmc-open-spaces-s.jpg*BMC needs to acquire 19.17 million sq m for open spaces and cemeteries*

The estimate is based on the cost of acquisition of land for various reservations, road widening, road construction and building construction. The creation of open spaces alone is going to cost R6,000 crore.

The civic body aims at generating the large sum of money through premiums, public-private partnerships and budgetary allocations.

A DP is the most important planning document for a city and is a blueprint that governs the development of real estate. The BMC is in the process of finalising the revised draft, which will be made available on its website this week.
Citizens will be given two months to offer suggestions on the draft DP.

DPs have been a sore point with the BMC. Previous DPs were not fully implemented due to several constraints, one of them being money. The DPs reserved large plots of land for amenities and open spaces, but since the BMC had neither the money nor a sound TDR policy, many of these plots were never acquired. Just 36% of the 1967 DP and 33% of the 1991 DP were implemented.

The BMC benefits from a DP through ‘DP receipts’. These include development charges, premium charges and fungible FSI. In 2014-15, the civic body earned Rs 5,000 crore through DP receipts, while it earned R4,732 crore in 2015-16. The revenue generated through a DP is second only to octroi.*BMC says*
“Although the figure sounds gigantic, we need to understand that it is the estimated cost were the DP to be implemented monetarily. But in this case, our entire thrust is on accommodation reservation (AR), which is the only way to make the DP sustainable. Otherwise, even this DP will not be thoroughly implemented. We are encouraging participatory regulation,” said municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta.

Elaborating on this concept, Officer on Special Duty (DP revision) Ramnath Jha said, “The idea is to give the land owner more than what he would have otherwise got had his land not come under reservation. The BMC does not have to make up for these costs from its budget estimates. AR will take care of upto 80% of the total estimate. The civic body will only have to take care of those plots where the developer has not stepped forward or there is municipal/government land.”

According to Jha, the figure includes the development rights the civic body will give away in lieu of open spaces and amenity plots.

*How will BMC pay for it?*
The BMC has devised a golden concept of ‘accommodation reservation’ (AR). Through this, it will actually have to pay for only 5% of reserved land, 15% of building construction and 20% of open space and cemetery development.

In AR, private land owners will be given incentive FSI to hand their land over for public use. They will get full development rights to the size of their original plots. Besides, if they agree to build that amenity for the BMC, they will get 0.5 times the TDR (transfer of development rights). This concept will allow the BMC to pay in terms of ‘development rights’, instead of money.

Money will only have to be paid if the plot owner does not agree to construct the amenity. The same goes for road construction and widening.

*‘Wasteful’ space of octroi nakas may go*
Soon, you may be able to build your office or store on top of an octroi naka. The DP 2014-2034 will allow utilisation of the full potential of the land where such octroi collection centres are situated. This means the land can be developed as per the zonal FSI. The collection centre will be located on the ground floor and offices, shops or other commercial structures can be located on the upper floors.

“It is, hence, proposed to mark them as octroi-cum-commercial spaces. They could then use their full potential, combining functions of octroi collection and transportation as well as provision of commercial and office space for revenue generation,” says the DP document.

Officer on Special Duty (DP revision) Ramnath Jha said, “The idea is to allow offices, stores and other commercial structures on top, much like the airport. This will add to the BMC’s revenue.”

*Drawing up the estimate*
The high expenditure estimate comes from the draft DP 2014-2034 itself. According to a chapter in it — titled ‘Financing the DP’ — the expenditure on physical and social infrastructure was poor in the previous two DPs, which brought down the overall implementation.

The BMC needs to acquire 59.43 million sq m of land for public use by 2034. Of this, 19.17 million sq m is for open spaces and cemeteries. The BMC has arrived at the figure of R14.15 lakh-crore based on the prices of 2013-14. This is the total volume of money required to implement the DP in terms of hard cash.

*Did you know?*
The city has octroi nakas in various locations, mainly Chembur, Dahisar and Mulund.

--------------------

*Also read*

*BMC says it won't budge on open spaces and SRA*

*Mumbai: NCP leader's school gobbles up open space, and claims it is protecting it*

*BMC's new rule will rob Mumbai of a third of its open spaces*

*Open and shut spaces: Gates open at this South Mumbai garden after 15 years*

*Mumbai: BMC takes back 34 open plots from private players*

*Mumbai: BMC may call the cops to take back open spaces*

*Mumbai's open space warriors win! CM asks BMC to take back open plots*

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Zaheen-Shah-s.jpg

Set in the home of an upper middle-class couple living just outside of Vadodara, the play takes the audience to a rainy night in 2013.

An eerie knock on the door ushers in a stranger, who soon becomes a guest in their home and revisits a memory from 11 years ago. As the stormy night develops, old wounds are reopened and the couple’s faith in society crumbles.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/30Dandia-s.jpg*Dancers during Navratri seen playing dandiya at the Raas Garba event where Phalguni Pathak performed for Rs 50 lakh lower than her usual fee. (Ghatkopar, 2015)*

*Q.Tell us about your team and how the idea was conceived.*
*A.* Honest Indian Histories was conceived in early 2016. This is an ethnographic project where we attempt to display Indian history through a narrative of satire using pictures and captions accompanying them. Our satire ranges from dark humour to slapstick — we experiment with all sub genres. Our intention is to appreciate the absurdity of politics and current affairs and to make people laugh. This page is where we unleash our imagination and show others how simple photos can be interpreted in hilarious ways — it is therapeutic. Some who follow the page also add captioned interpretations in the comments. My co-founder Anshul Sharma and I are both 23-year-old Dilliwallahs. Anshul is a banker and I am a lawyer.*Indian National Congress after the Election verdict in Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. **(May 2016)*

*Q.What is its guiding principle?*
*A.* Our guiding principle is to not spare anyone. We mock whoever we feel is deserving of mockery. However, we are sensitive to homophobia, racism, sexism, misogyny, anti-religious sentiments, and casteism. We neither want to be bullies nor position our punchlines on someone else’s suffering.

*Q. Do you have any political positions or are all sides open for your captions?*
*A.* We humour everyone, including ourselves. We do not intend to project our personal political bias on the content of the page. We also post about pop culture and non-political current affairs.

*Q. Will the page move to other platforms?*
*A.* Initially, when people read my posts, they assumed it had been made by a man. So, I began posting my photos and introducing myself as the admin. Our page should encourage women to pursue comedy and satire. I hope it breaks gender stereotypes through example — that women can be witty and sharp. Anshul is an excellent comic and we entertain each other with our posts. So far, we are on Facebook but if people suggest other platforms — we’re game.

*LOG ON TO:* www.facebook.com/RealHistoryPics/ Reported by Mid-Day 21 hours ago.

*India has the dubious distinction of having the highest number of people in the world trapped in modern slavery with 18.35 million victims of forced labour, ranging from prostitution and begging, according to a new report, which estimated that nearly 46 million people are enslaved globally.*

According to the 2016 Global Slavery Index released by Australia-based human rights group Walk Free Foundation today, an estimated 45.8 million people, including women and children, are subject to some form of modern slavery in the world, compared to 35.8 million in 2014.

The report said India has the highest absolute numbers of people trapped in slavery with 18.35 million slaves among its 1.3 billion population while North Korea has the highest incidence (4.37 per cent of the population) and the weakest government response to deal with it.

In the last report in 2014, India had nearly 14.3 million people enslaved.
Incidences of slavery were found in all 167 countries in the index, with Asian countries occupy the top five for people trapped in slavery.

Behind India was China (3.39 million), Pakistan (2.13 million), Bangladesh (1.53 million) and Uzbekistan (1.23 million).

The index said that these five countries combined accounted for almost 58 per cent of the world's enslaved, or 26.6 million people.

The Index presents a ranking of 167 countries based on the proportion of the population that is estimated to be in modern slavery.

Modern slavery refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot leave because of threats, violence, coercion, abuse of power or deception.

The research included over 42,000 interviews conducted in 53 languages across 25 countries, including 15 state-level surveys in India. These representative surveys covered 44 per cent of the global population.

The countries with the highest estimated prevalence of modern slavery by the proportion of their population are North Korea, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Cambodia, India, and Qatar.

The countries with the lowest estimated prevalence of modern slavery by the proportion of their population are Luxembourg, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden and Belgium, the United States and Canada, and Australia and New Zealand.

The study also tracked the government actions and responses to the modern slavery and of the 161 assessed, 124 nations had criminalised human trafficking in line with the UN trafficking Protocol and 96 nations had developed national action plans to coordinate government response.

It noted that while India had more people enslaved than any other country, it had made significant progress in introducing measures to tackle the problem.

"It has criminalised trafficking, slavery, forced labour, child prostitution and forced marriage. The Indian government is currently tightening legislation against human trafficking, with tougher punishment for repeat offenders. It will offer victims protection and recovery support," it said.

It said that in addition to economic growth in India, ambitious programmes of legal and social reform are being undertaken right across the board, from regulation of labour relations to systems of social insurance for the most vulnerable.

Those governments taking the least action to combat modern slavery are North Korea, Iran, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Hong Kong, Central African Republic, Papua New Guinea, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.

The governments that have the strongest response to modern slavery are The Netherlands, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, Portugal, Croatia, Spain, Belgium and Norway.

Seeking strong laws to abolish slavery, Andrew Forrest, Chairman and Founder of Walk Free Foundation, said eradicating slavery makes sense, morally, politically, logically and economically, and called on the governments of the worlds leading economies to provide an example to others by enacting and implementing robust anti-slavery measures.

"We call on governments of the top 10 economies of the world to enact laws, at least as strong as the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, with a budget and capability to ensure organisations are held to account for modern slavery in their supply chains, and to empower independent oversight."

Forrest said leaders of the worlds major economies must bring the power of business to this issue, by requiring a focus on supply chain transparency.

"I believe in the critical role of leaders in government, business and civil society. Through our responsible use of power, strength of conviction, determination and collective will, we all can lead the world to end slavery," he said.

Forrest emphasised the key role that business needs to play in eradicating slavery.
"Businesses that dont actively look for forced labour within their supply chains are standing on a burning platform. Business leaders who refuse to look into the realities of their own supply chains are misguided and irresponsible," he said. Reported by Deccan Herald 19 hours ago.

The decomposed body of a 35-year-old man was found in an open drain beside the railway tracks at Sandhurst Road last morning.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased was a teacher from Haryana and had died 3-4 days ago, after falling off a running train. He was identified as Aman Ramachandra Jitendra Singh.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Lodha-developers-s.jpg*One of the posters installed by Lodha developers along the under-construction Trump Tower in Worli. Pic/Datta Kumbhar*

Posters installed by the developer along the project to attract prospective buyers read: ‘Trump is back’. With the smallest housing unit — 3 BHK — priced over R9 crore, bookings for the designer homes will start from June 4. Lodha’s website quotes Trump saying, “This project will be a jewel in the crown of Trump Projects.” The website also states that every house owner shall enjoy access to a private jet and a 7-acre private park.

*‘Zero truth’*
Refuting the claims that the developer was trying to cash in on Trump’s popularity in the US to turn around the lukewarm response the Worli project had received during the previous sale, a Lodha spokesperson said, “Our current campaign for Trump Tower is in alignment with the group’s business calendar for the current financial year, and not related to Donald Trump’s nomination in any way. An iconic real estate brand such as Trump demands a unique approach in everything we do: right from planning to selling. Since the inception of our partnership with Trump in 2013, we have made conscious and careful choices in our go-to-market strategy, including offering limited inventory during a particular sale window.” The spokesperson added that the last inventory was offered in 2014, where the group successfully sold over 50 per cent of the residences, and the rest will be available for sale in June.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/kabir-Nagesh-s.jpg*Kabir Khan**Nagesh Kukunoor**Jaaved Jaaferi*

Many film and television folk came together  for a sneak peek. Director Kabir Khan turned up along with wife Mini Mathur.*Mini Mathur*

*

Shruti Seth
**Parmeet Sethi and Archana Puran Singh*

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Cowspiracy1-s.jpg*A still from the documentary*

*What’s it about?*
Released in 2014, the 90-minute environment documentary, available on Netflix, investigates the devastating, global impact of large-scale animal farming, and offers sustainable solutions. Co-directed by San Francisco-based filmmakers Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, the film follows the Andersen, as he approaches leaders in the environmental movement and increasingly uncovers what appears to be an intentional refusal to discuss the issue of animal agriculture. The film involves expert comments from authors, animal advocators, attorneys and professors. In fact, a new cut of the docu, executive-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, premiered on Netflix last year.
According to the research undertaken by the filmmakers, animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution. It is also responsible for rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion and other evils. For instance, livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32,000 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, leading to global warming. Moreover, three-fourth of the world’s fisheries are exploited, where for every kilo of fish caught, five kilos of unintended marine species are caught and discarded as by-kill.*Bhavna Kapoor**Keegan Kuhn**Kip Andersen*

*V for vegan*
The main solution offered by the docu is veganism, a dietary preference that avoids use of meat, fish, poultry and dairy products. “A vegan leaves the lowest carbon footprint on the planet,” informs Kapoor, a fact that’s corroborated in the documentary with statistics: A person who follows vegan diet produces 50 per cent less carbon dioxide, and uses 1/11th oil, 1/13th water and 1/18th land as compared to a meat eater. The event is open to both, vegans and non-vegans, who can also sample and pick up healthy vegan food. “Meat eaters often feel that vegan food is depriving but that’s not true,” adds Kapoor.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Aditi-Parikh-s.jpg*(Seated, left-right) Aditi Parikh, Tshering Bhutia and Madison Rose of Salaam Bombay with kids in the backdrop. Pic/Sayed Sameer Abedi*

The NGO had conducted a survey towards the tail end of 2015 where areas near 40 Mumbai schools came under the scanner. Numbers reflected gross violations; for example, 54 per cent shops around schools were found to have tobacco advertisements and 56 per cent of the shops surveyed were within 100 yards of a school.

Figures aside, the Foundation is moving full steam to create anti-tobacco awareness among Mumbaikars. Today, commuters on the trains will hear messages by Bollywood celebrities like Shraddha Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Sharman Joshi and Govinda on its public address system, urging people to stay away from tobacco. So, if you’re on a local, you might just have a starry twist to chaotic proceedings.

*And now, the tennis style awards*
The official website of the ongoing French Open now wants you to play fashion judge too. So, from the (in)famous zebra prints that have got everyone talking to more practical polo dresses, the viewer can pick and choose favourites at Roland Garros.

That’s what we call game, set and match ’em too. We wonder what the prize would be, though. Courtside tickets for next year’s finals, perhaps?

*Heal the world*
This World Environment Day (June 5), step out of your home and pedal for a healthier future. Cycling promotion group, The Smart Commute is inviting enthusiasts to take a ride from eight locations in Mumbai in a bid to reduce carbon footprint.

The starting points of this two-and-a-half hour journey will include Hypercity (Malad), Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Tulip Star (Juhu), Raymond junction (Thane), Everest Cycling Co (Vashi), Skyline (Marol), Hiranandani (Powai), Traffic Police HQ in Worli and the tour will end at at Sofitel Mumbai in BKC. The event is free and open to all.

*Malaika, the camera’s this side*
...We wonder if that was playing on Riteish Deshmukh’s mind, going by his expression towards Malaika Arora Khan.*Pic/Tehmiyat Fatima*

Meanwhile, the rest of the cast of Housefull3, (standing) Karan Johar and Abhishek Bachchan, (seated) Jacqueline Fernandez, Akshay Kumar and Kirron Kher are all eyes for a mega selfie taken by Siddharth Shukla last evening at a studio. Pic/Tehmiyat Fatima

*Designer dekko**Pic/Shadab Khan*

(Left to right) Shane and Falguni Peacock, Nachiket Barve, Narendra Kumar, Nitya Arora and Sanam Sippy at the third edition of Couture Cabana’s party presented at a five-star in Lower Parel over the weekend.

*Superheroes need a break too**Pic/Shadab Khan*

Emraan Hashmi’s son Ayan (centre) appeared visibly tired at the goings-on during the release of Kiss of Life: How A Superhero And My Son Defeated Cancer, co-authored by the actor and Bilal Siddiqi (right) at a Bandra bookstore last evening. 

*Beyond compere*
For exuberant Harish (‘Samay’) Bhimani, it was a bonus bonanza, when one legend, Asha Bhosle, made him wear the National Award medallion while the other, Ameen Sayani read out the citation.*(Left to right) Asha Bhosle, Amin Sayani and Harish Bhimani. Pic/Chaitanya Padukone*

The distinguished compere had recently been honoured for his voice over, for a Deepak Haldankar directed docu-feature, Mala Laj Watat Nahai (I’m Not Ashamed) in the Non-Feature Film category. Guests including singers Anup Jalota, Shailendra Singh, Dilraj Kaur, Chintu Bhosle and ad guru Sam Balsara were treated to anchor Bhosle’s witticisms, even as the beaming Bhimani turned euphoric.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/31-Arthur-Road-Jail-s.jpg*The incident occurred in Circle 7 of the Arthur Road Jail*

However, jail authorities have ruled out the incident being the result of a gangwar, claiming instead that it happened suddenly and probably because of overcrowding in the jail. In connection with the incident, Jail officials lodged cases of rioting against the 13 members at the NM Joshi Marg police station.

A jail official said the incident took place around 8.40 am in circle number 7. “Jail security officials saw people in two groups assaulting each other. The personnel immediately intervened and tried to control the inmates but by then, the undertrials became aggressive and jail officials had to use minimal force to bring the situation under control,” said Swati Sathe deputy inspector general (west region prisons) currently handling the additional charge of south region prisons.

*Kapri-attack*
The inmates used ‘Kapri’, a sharp weapon made from the Aluminium food plates, and pieces of metallic sheets – used to cover windows, doors, etc – with sharpened edges to attack each other. In the clash, four of them sustained serious injuries and have been admitted at the JJ hospital, DIG said.

The injured inmates have been identified as Vishal Aamkar (31) (arrested in a murder case of Wadala TT police), Murugan Mani Nadar (52), (arrested in a theft case of in Khar police), Mohammed Mudassar Ismail Ansari (30) (arrested in a robbery case of Agripada police) and Santosh Bhikaji Parab. Ansari has a head injury and he is alleged to have another self-inflicted injury on his wrist.

*Fight on CCTV*
“We have recorded statements of over 50 people, including under trials who were involved in the clash, few who witnessed the incident and jail security personnel,” said DIG Sathe. Jail officials claim that the entire fight has been recorded as the place where incident took place has CCTV camera. NM Joshi police will access the footage.

Police have registered a cross rioting case against 13 under trials, which includes injured four, and Mohammed Zakir Khan, Sachin Kanse, Raja Rajan Nair, Sunil Nigori, Ashokkumar Kevat, Gopal Shetty, Sarvar Khan, Suleman Patel and Arman Khan.

Sathe said that the exact reason behind the clash is being investigated. Investigators are also probing a possible angle of any heated argument between the inmates during breakfast, which could have triggered the fight. “Overcrowding could also be a reason behind that clash as the Circle 7, where incident took place, alone houses 900 undertrials,” Sathe said.*Filled to the brim*
Housing over 3,000 under trials against the capacity of just 800, Arthur Road jail is considered as one of the most notorious prisons in the country, housing dreaded criminals, underworld dons and terror suspects. Among the high-profile inmates is senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal.

*The injured*
>> Muddasar Ismail Ansari (33) has sustained deep cuts on the parietal region of his head, right wrist and left leg. He has abrasions on his left hand and multiple bruises on the left arm and on the back. He has tenderness in his left wrist, index finger and thumb.

>> Murugan Mani Nadar (52) has sustained deep cuts on his chest, lower lip and right hand.

>> Vishal Amkar (34) has deep cuts on his forehead and on the right side of his face, chest, left arm and the midaxillary region of his body. He has abrasions on his left leg and the nape of neck.

>> Santosh Bhikaji Parab has contusions on his legs and cuts on scalp.

According to cops present at the spot, the injured inmates are receiving treatment in ward 44. Two prisoners were brought to the hospital in the late afternoon and two others, later in the evening.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/31-Train-accident-s.jpg

According to sources in the Western Railway the restoration work is being carried out and slow lines will be opened by 11 am.*Pics/Shashank Rao*

The derailment occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday morning while the train was being shunted to the yard. No injures have been reported. The over head cables were also damaged in the process.

Slow trains have been diverted to fast track from Mumbai Central and Dadar.

Furthermore, slow train services between Matunga Road and Mahalaxmi have been stopped till restoration work is complete. This has affected services on the line for the time being.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Dr-Vikas-Mahatme-s.jpg*Dr Vikas Mahatme receiving Padma Shri from the then President Pratibha Patil*

Dr Vikas Mahatme, a Padma Shri awardee ophthalmologist, was reportedly shortlisted not because of his services in the medical field, but because of his politically influential community, of which he is also a noted and revered leader.

The strong Dhangar community that has 1.23 crore people residing in Maharashtra is second only to the Maratha-Kunbi group in terms of population. They have been demanding for a scheduled tribe (ST) status, which the BJP had promised to give before the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 2014. The status will naturally give them benefits in jobs, education and politics.

Local leaders argue that the community gets benefits from the Centre but they are deprived, because of a typographical error and that the ST status was granted to them by the Constitution. The community holds sway in many constituencies of the state and so the BJP-led government was in limbo about granting the status after the Centre and the court struck down the request, citing lack of valid documents.

Dr Mahatme has led several protests through Dhangar Samaj Action Committee for his community. He has been critical of the BJP for not fulfilling its electoral promise. This move definitely comes as a shocker not just to other political parties but also to BJP’s ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksh leader Mahadev Jankar.

Jankar’s party has been BJP’s ally since 2014 but now he wants a bigger share in power — a cabinet berth. The BJP is apparently fed up with his shenanigans and this can be considered as a direct tactic to get rid of him. Jankar, who was made a legislature from BJP’s quota, has now boycotted all meetings that are convened by CM Devendra Fadnavis, and talks ill of the government.

*Nomination*
Fadnavis and Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari back Dr Mahatme’s candidature. He will file his papers today, on the birth anniversary of the revered figure of the Dhangar community, Ahalyabai Holkar. The place for filing nomination is also interesting: Chondhi, the birthplace of Holkar. Jankar’s party will not attend this government programme, but instead hold its own event at Azad Maidan on the same day.

*Other names*
Two of three nominations from the state have gone to Union power minister Piyush Goyal and the party’s vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who retires from the upper house, has been given a candidature from Andhra Pradesh.*Who is Dr Mahatme?*
Dr Mahatme is an eye surgeon of repute in the medical fraternity, who operates from his private hospital in Nagpur. He runs an eye bank, which caters to all sections of the society. He was awarded a Padma Shri in 2010 for his medical services and social work. Dr Mahatme has been fighting for his community’s cause for long and even led a massive protest against the BJP govt over the reservation issue.

*Darekar gets MLC ticket*
The BJP has nominated Pravin Darekar for the legislative council, shocking many of its loyalists. Darekar was one of the 13 MLAs of the Raj Thackeray-led party.

In March 2015, Mumbai BJP secretary Vivekanand Gupta had filed an FIR against him accusing him of embezzlement of R123 crore in Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Meena-Sikhre-s.jpg*Besides operating a newspaper stand, Meena Sikhre is now working as a domestic help and a cook to make extra income. Manish poses with a gold medal he won at a recent competition*

Unfortunately, inadequate finances are threatening to crush Manish’s dream. The weeklong trip is going to cost him about R2.65 lakh. While the family has managed to raise Rs 1 lakh after mortgaging his mother’s jewellery, the Sikhres are leaving no stone unturned to amass the rest.

The family of four resides in a small house at MHADA colony, Charkop. While Manish conducts part-time MMA classes, his father is a BEST conductor. In addition, his mother runs a newspaper stall outside their home to support the family.

*Mum to the rescue*
Speaking to mid-day, Manish revealed that he received a letter from All India Mixed Martial Arts Association (AIMMAA) in February, informing him about his selection for the event. However, the thought of managing the expenses bogged him down. “My mother, Meena, sensed my plight. She immediately mortgaged whatever jewellery she had and we managed to raise Rs 1 lakh.”

*Speaking from their modest*
25x30 square feet apartment, Meena, who appears to have aged beyond her years, said she had bought those ornaments by saving R100 per month. But Meena said she is more than happy that the gold purchased then is now helping her son materialise his dream.

“My husband, Arun, just resumed duty after four months of bed rest. He suffers from chest pain and stomachache, which refuse to heal. Moreover, his feet swell due to standing for long hours. Besides running the newspaper stand, I’ve now started working as a domestic help and a cook to make extra income,” said Meena.

*‘Always a champ’*
Narrating her son’s achievements, Meena said that Manish was in Class II when he first took karate lessons. “In the next five years, he earned his first-degree (1st dan) black belt. In 2011, he earned his third-degree (3rd dan) black belt in Sri Lanka and a gold medal at the Mayors Cup Championship. So far, he has won 45 golds at various state and national level championships. Moreover, he has won equal number of silver and bronze medals. Due to space constraints we are unable to display his medals in the house, so we have carefully packed and kept them in a box,” added Meena.

*Pressed for cash*
Over 6 feet tall, Manish is an expert karate, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu (Brazilian/Japanese), Systema (Russian martial arts) and Muay Thai fighter. Elaborating on his routine, Manish said he trains for up to six hours a day following which he conducts MMA and self-defence workshops for women at a school in Malad for free. “I can’t afford to spend on a meat diet or purchase high-protein health supplements. My breakfast consists of four eggs, followed by a simple meal of two chapatis and a vegetable. For dinner, I eat only salad,” he said.

Speaking to mid-day, AIMMAA general secretary and president Shihan Sharif Babu said he recently learned about Manish’s financial woes.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/31-Mika-Singh_s.jpg

*Also read: Are Colors and Zee TV miffed with Mika Singh for appearing on 'The Kapil Sharma Show'?*

Mika Singh was recently thrown out of his 'special guest' seat on Colors' 'Comedy Nights Live' for making a friendly appearance on 'The Kapil Sharma Show' on Sony TV (remember the infamous fall-out between Kapil and Colors earlier this year?). While the singer isn't complaining much about his ouster, we hear he wants his pending dues to be cleared.

*Also read: Mika Singh: Kapil Sharma's show is the best*

If sources are to be believed, Mika has sent a notice to Colors for withholding his payment. "He did 15 of the 26 episodes that he was signed on for. However, the channel has decided to withhold his pending dues because of the breach of contract. So, now, Mika has slapped a notice on them which states that they have to make the payment, failing which he will take recourse to legal action," says a source.

*Also read: Why is Krushna Abhishek miffed with Mika Singh?*

The channel authorities refused to comment on the issue. They have apparently shot for one episode without Mika and his chair.

When we contacted Mika for a clearer picture, he said his publicist would get in touch with us. However, despite repeated attempts, they both did not answer our calls or respond to text messages.

*Also read: 'Six Machine' Chris Gayle rocks on 'The Kapil Sharma Show'*

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Pooja-Harikishan-Lohat-s.jpg*Versova resident Pooja Harikishan Lohat arrived at the Malad police station, claiming that a woman at a fish market asked her to keep an eye over her child as she relieved herself, but never returned. Illustration/Uday Mohite*

On Sunday evening, the woman — Pooja Harikishan Lohat — approached the Malad police station with a one-year-old girl in her arms. Since the toddler was crying, the officers attended to her first. The woman told the police that she was at the fish market near Malad station when a woman — aged 30-35 — asked her to mind the child while she relieved herself in the public toilet. Pooja claimed that she waited outside the toilet for hours, but the woman never came back for the child.*Police Sub-Inspector Manohar Sonawane with the one-year-old girl*

Pooja gave the police a description of the child’s mother and asked them to find her. The police officers took down her statement and began a search of her mother.

*Child gave her away*
As the officers got busy with initiating search operations, Pandey’s attention was drawn to the toddler’s ‘odd’ behaviour.

“When she was with us, the girl started crying. But when she was in the woman’s arms, she immediately stopped crying. That seemed odd considering that the woman and the child were strangers,” says the constable who is n charge of investigations on missing children.

Pandey told his on-duty senior, Sub-Inspector Manohar Sonawane, about it. The police then changed their tack and told Pooja that they would put the child under the care of an orphanage and offered to drop her home.

That’s when the truth came tumbling out. Pooja told the police she was unable to take care of her daughter and hoped that the girl could have a better future elsewhere. “She said she resides in Versova with her husband’s father, elder brother and sister-in-law. She said her husband is a drug addict who often beats her up,” said Sonawane.

Moved by the woman’s plight, the police called her parents to the station and let her off with just a warning.*Pandey to the rescue*
Sunday wasn’t Rajesh Pandey’s first brush with abandoned children. The constable from the 1993-batch of the Maharashtra Police has been part of several rescue operations across the country to trace over 250 missing children and as many adults since 2011.

Since the last two years, he has been posted to the Malad police station.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Tanmay-Bhat-s.jpg

*Also read: All you need to know about the controversy stoked by Tanmay Bhat's video**Tanmay Bhat*

Titled ‘Sachin v/s Lata Civil War’, the video shows a mock argument between Sachin and Lata using the face-swap feature on Snapchat. In the video, Lata appears to say that Virat Kohli is better than Sachin, while he shoots back that she is 5,000 years old and looks like someone kept her underwater for eight days.

*Also read: Bollywood lashes out at AIB's Tanmay Bhat for video 'insulting' Lata, Sachin**The controversial video was initially uploaded on Tanmay Bhat’s Snapchat and shows a ‘face-swapped’ Lata Mangeshkar and Sachin Tendulkar throwing shade at each other*

Actors Anupam Kher, Riteish Deshmukh and Celina Jaitly had yesterday criticised Bhat for roasting Tendulkar and Mangeshkar, calling the video “not funny”.

*Also read: Tanmay Bhat's 'statement' on his controversial video mocking Lata, Sachin is just not funny*

The police stepped in after Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar complained to Commissioner Datta Padsalgikar. The Shiv Sena and MNS also demanded action against both Tanmay and AIB. DCP (Operations) Sangram-singh Nishandar said a complaint has been made by MNS at the Shivaji Park police station, but no FIR has been registered so far. The DCP added that the police had a transcript of the video and would now seek legal opinion before taking further action.

*Tanmay says*
Tanmay later issued a statement, asking viewers who liked the video to email their views to him and state what they liked about it. The comedian also hit back at some of his detractors in tweets that were later deleted. He also tweeted, “Roast wale din yaad aa gaye by god,” harking back to the controversy over the AIB Knockout – a roast comedy show held last January.

*Comedians say*

*Sorabh Pant*
I’m bored of the controversy already. Personally I don’t think the video was funny, but Tanmay has the right to present whatever joke he likes.

*Also read: MNS to file FIR against Tanmay Bhat; demand his arrest for video mocking Lata, Sachin*

People are waiting to get offended these days. Some time ago, EIC had done a video where we tried to present a balanced opinion of the Kanhaiya Kumar case. I saw multiple posts calling me anti-national. Many stand-up comics like Varun Grover and East India Comedy (EIC) have donated to causes like drought relief. This is simply overlooked.

*Anuvab Pal*
Don’t send us to jail. How much time do people have these days? A comic’s personal Snapchat post is national news? It’s his opinion, just like everyone who doesn’t support it has their own opinion. Is this really a criminal offence?

Like stealing or killing? Tomorrow even Shakti Kapoor’s fans will say you can’t make fun of him. Celebrity comedians have to be more careful but you can’t these days. With every video or post you are bound to offend someone.

*Also read: Twitterati 'roast' Tanmay Bhat for 'mocking' Sachin, Lata Mangeshkar*

Every news channel has called today. The producer of one asked me: Are you for Tanmay or for Maharashtra? Is that even a real choice?

*Politicians say*

*Ashish Shelar, BJP Mumbai chief*
For the record, I have filed a complaint to Commissioner of Police Padsalgikar against comedian Tanmay Bhat and asked for an FIR for insulting Sachin Tendulkar and Lataji

*Ameya Khopkar, MNS Chitrapat Sena President*
The video by Tanmay Bhat making fun of Lata Mangeshkar and Sachin Tendulkar is unacceptable to MNS. Hence, we want the police to register a complaint against him. I also submitted a complaint at the Shivaji Park police station.

*Aaditya Thackeray, on twitter Yuva Sena leader*
Happened to watch a part of a desperate and shameful attempt to be funny by a wannabe comedian on Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar. I don’t comment on such issues but ashamed that sometimes we celebrate below-mediocrity of desperate attempts, far from talent and mimicry. Having said that, I obviously love mimicry, cartoons, caricatures, imitations! Only wish script was a little better to suit their persona and stature

*— Inputs from Agencies**Tweet talk*

*@HumorousAngle:* Simple. If you don't like a joke, turn a blind eye to it. Like you do to poverty, patriarchy, child labour, racism and sexism.

*@ShirishKunder:* This should teach #TanmayBhat a lesson. Better to talk to Dawood than crack unfunny jokes.

*@Trendulkar:* Stand-up comedians are getting too much attention in this country. First Rahul Gandhi, then Kanhaiya Kumar, now Tanmay Bhat.

*@RoflGandhi:* Bombay- based comedian is getting abused for unfunny jokes, while a Delhi-based comedian pulled off a great concert at India Gate. Delhi

*@over_rated:* “Oh, NOW you object to someone making jokes about old people? Typical.” - LK Advani

*@jhunjhunwala:* To offend someone to prove you are funny and to outrage over that offender to hide your jealousy is a new kind of comedy in itself.

*@atulkasbekar:* So basically #TanmayBhat is world famous in India now...? He can tick that off his list

*@suhelseth:* Most stand-up comics in India believe by insulting people or hurling abuse they are being funny. Sadly they are just being crude.

*@VishalDadlani:* Sachin is a legend and Lata Mangeshkar is a Goddess. Their glory isn’t gonna be lessened by a rude joke. Calm down!

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Divya-Pahuja-a-s.jpg

*Also read: Sandeep Gadoli shootout: Murder charges against five Haryana cops**This picture of Divya Pahuja was uploaded on her Facebook page last week*

Mumbai Police's SIT has already booked the eight Gurgaon cops who stand accused of hunting Gadoli down and killing him in cold blood in an Andheri hotel on February 7. However, Divya has managed to evade arrest on two occasions. She disappeared a month ago. Twice, Mumbai cops went looking for her at her houses in Gurgaon and Delhi, but did not find her there.

*Also read: Did Sandeep Gadoli fire at police? Lack of gunshot residue suggests otherwise**Divya Pahuja was present in the hotel room when Sandeep Gadoli was gunned down, but kept changing her statement, claiming she had not seen anything*

The Gurgaon cops had alleged that they were merely trying to arrest the gangster, but he opened fire on them, forcing them to shoot him in retaliation. However, investigators found several indications that it may have actually been a staged encounter. mid-day has carried a series of articles on Gadoli's death and how it took place.

*Also read: Andheri shootout: Sandeep Gadoli was shot in the back, reveals SIT probe**Divya Pahuja was present in the hotel room when Sandeep Gadoli was gunned down, but kept changing her statement, claiming she had not seen anything*

The one person who can easily confirm what actually happened is Divya, who was in the same hotel room when Gadoli was shot down. However, as mid-day had reported earlier, she changed her statement five times and told the cops that she didn't see what had happened because she was in the bathroom at the time of the incident. However, sources said that the investigation had revealed that not only did Divya see everything, but she also connived with the Gurgaon cops and helped them find Gadoli.

Gadoli was in hiding but was accompanied by Divya on his travels. She was allegedly in constant touch with her mother and the Gurgaon police, and kept feeding them information on their whereabouts. In fact, just a day before Gadoli was murdered at the Airport Metro Hotel in Andheri West, she put up a post on Facebook announcing that she was in Mumbai, so the Gurgaon cops could narrow in on the couple.

Initially, the accused cops and Divya were all detained by the SIT for the investigation. However, after a month, the police let them go without any security arrangements whatsoever. It was only after more information turned up, pointing to Divya's alleged involvement in Gadoli's death that the cops began to pursue her again. On Friday, the SIT named the eight cops from Gurgaon, as well as Divya, in an FIR with murder and conspiracy charges. Yesterday, the investigators approached the court seeking an arrest warrant against the accused.

Gadoli's family members stated that Divya's life may be in danger, since she is the sole witness. Gadoli's brother, Kuldeep said, "She is the main eyewitness in the case and can nail the Gurgaon cops, but she has been untraceable for over a month now. The cops should find her soon."

Sources from the Crime Branch said Divya will likely be arrested soon or might even turn herself in.*Cop speak*
A police officer part of SIT said, "Our team went twice to trace her in Delhi and Gurgaon but we could not find her. We had a few of her addresses in Delhi and Gurgaon, but she was not present there and the houses were locked. Later, we got information that she was moving from Goa to Kashmir and other places. We have some leads on her location. We will nab her very soon."

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Krishna-Kidding-s.jpg*Krishna Kidding makes the story of little Krishna fun and irreverent. When, for instance, the episode with the serpent Kaliya is converted into a dance number with snakes, it makes kids giggle with amusement*

So it is heart-warming to find so many new children’s plays coming out every summer, and some old ones returning. There is something to be said in favour of parents — mothers mostly, sometimes fathers, often grandparents — who bring their children to the theatre to watch plays, thus inculcating in them a love for the performing arts early in life. The thought would strike most theatre folk that they are preparing an audience for the future, though that must be a small part of the thrill of performing for children, who come into the theatre leaving behind more sophisticated forms of entertainment. A stage version of The Jungle Book enthrals them in a different way, with the experience of a live performance.

Today’s children are easily bored. However, it is always wonderful to discover afresh, how easy to please they are, how open to the idea of enjoyment, quick to laugh, uninhibited in their response. At least the little ones are; as they grow older they tend to get caught up in peer groups, trends and tween sulkiness.

There’s one thing theatre groups have, by and large, left behind — the idea that plays (or films) for children must have a message. Some of them still manage to ‘teach’ the kids something, but that is no longer an essential factor. A play like Dhara Ki Kahani, for instance, talks of conserving resources, like water and electricity, using the clever premise of making household goods protest against their misuse, by going on strike. When the fan, light, and tap don’t work, an urban kid is thrown off balance, because they take these things for granted.

But then, there’s a play like Krishna Kidding, that makes the story of little Krishna fun and irreverent. What’s more, kids who have seen animation films and TV serials about Krishna, still enjoy the play, which has infectious energy, music and wit going for it. When, for instance, the episode with the serpent Kaliya is converted into a dance number with snakes, it makes kids giggle with amusement.

Sometimes familiar material works with kids too — you’d imagine Enid Blyton, with her quaint books about kids in the English countryside, would no longer appeal to Indian kids, but Vikash Khurana of Nagpur-based group Stagecraft, did a production of Five On A Treasure Island, and many children discovered the writer loved by generations of young readers the world over, even though they were set in a time and place not familiar to them. It is possible that parents came to watch the play out of nostalgia for their own childhood spent reading Blyton, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and such innocent delights. Today, of course, Harry Potter and copycat books rule, absorbing kids in their tales of magic and sorcery; the films and games that follow leaving nothing for the child’s imagination to conjure up.

In the fun and games department, there’s nothing to beat our own Ruskin Bond, whose tales of adventure set in the mountains have entranced children for years and, quite possibly, their parents too. Akarsh Khurana directed A Special Bond 3, the third in his series of plays based on the works of the genial Mussourie-based writer, who gave him permission to turn his words to plays. The third part is a deft blending of Ruskin Bond’s own life (a sort of unhappy childhood) and his charming stories. Who wouldn’t like a crazy friend like Koki or Daljit, always ready for adventure — the kind that would be alien to an urban child, some of whom may never have been to a town in the Himalayas?

Surprisingly, the old fairy tales still work and Vishal Asrani and Jiji Subi have almost captured this market with their polished and colourful productions of stories like A Magical Tale Of Cinderella, A Tale Of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs and An Enchanted Tale Of Jack And The Beanstalk, with Rashmi Sharma’s Progressive Theatre Group tackling Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Pinocchio & The Blue Fairy, Ali Baba & The Forty Thieves, with a little less finesse.

Sinbad The Sailor remains a perennial favourite, as does Alice in Wonderland. Somehow, Roald Dahl has slipped through the net, with only James Aur Ek Giant Peach being produced out of his many marvellous stories. This happens to be the centenary year of Dahl, and one can only hope a production worthy of his wild creativity will make it to the stage.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Nisha-JamVal-s.jpg

“I often wonder why beautiful women have such low self esteem that they are willing to try everything in the world from fillers to Botox to even plastic surgery to supposedly “enhance” their looks,” she wrote, advocating instead the cultivation of inner beauty and a healthy lifestyle.*(Left) Nisha JamVal and Farah Khan Ali*

Many women of a certain ilk (we didn't say age) who didn't look a day over 18 chimed in affirmative response, except one – the attractive blogger and interior designer Nisha JamVal, “While personally I agree that plastic-stiff unsmiling faces without natural beautiful markings of growing beautifully wise and wonderful are unnatural, I intrinsically still believe life is about individual choice a person makes for his or HER personal life, not anyone else's vision.”

This counter view brought forth its own strident clarification from Khan Ali amidst much going on chatter from a rapidly dilating girl gang, with many of those who dissed cosmetic rocedures being said to be its most ardent seekers.

“I just hate all this hypocrisy,” said JamVal about the whole kerfuffle, when asked about the jugalbandi. “Most of the women who took up an anti-procedure tone are the ones who've had the most of them. Why can't people live and let live.” And last heard of, the conversation had gone off on a completely new tangent with Khan Ali calling out a Bollywood producer of nicking her post without giving her credit for it. In the room the women come and go...

*Birthday boys*
Two men, two birthdays. The weekend saw Delhi's movers and shakers neatly divided between two birthday celebrations, of two of their own. That of Sanjaya Baru, former editor and media advisor to Manmohan Singh, the best selling author of 'The Reluctant Prime Minsiter' and marketing wiz, prime time sound byter and man about the planet- Suhel Seth.*Suhel Seth, Ranjan Bhattacharya, Amar Singh and Arun Jaitley*

So, whereas Baru's is said to have been dinner on his terrace with mood lighting, a gentle drizzle and some of the country's leading intellects in attendance (the names are a mystery as the shy Baru declined to share them) Seth's was a spiffy brunch in a sleek apartment with the likes of Amar Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Arun Jaitley in attendance. And the best part is that both men are known for parties which generate the spiciest gossip in town...

*The Challengers have a challenge?*
Word comes in that the IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore is in serious talks with a buyer. As is known, the franchise lost the IPL final to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday night (their third loss in an IPL final).*Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and Shane Watson. File pics*

Notwithstanding this, the team, which is captained by Virat Kohli and features star players like Chris Gayle and Shane Watson, is one of the most valuable franchises in the IPL and, ever since Vijay Mallya had relinquished his control of it to Diageo, there were talks of the team being approached by various entities (the JSW group, for instance) for an outright sale.

Now, word comes in that there is a new buyer – a Dallas-based Indian group with an interest in restaurants, which is trying to strike a deal. “The sale is said to be predicated on the understanding that Diageo will own the brand name Royal Challengers,” says a source.

*Nice ring to it*
The only reason we are compelled to mention Masaba Gupta again, after recently featuring her, is because we just can't help loving the sentence 'Masaba met Nadella.' The designer met Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella yesterday.*Masaba Gupta and Satya Nadella*

When the statuesque young designer married producer Madhu Mantena, we remarked how well the words 'Masaba Mantena' rolled off the tongue. But of course, like most modern young women, Gupta had not changed her surname post marriage. If she had we'd be able to say: 'Masaba Mantena met Satya Nadella, last evening, at an event for young achievers in Delhi.' There, we just did.

*No. More. Candy. Crush. Please!*
He is something of the ultimate alpha male what with his string of prize winning race horses, offshore casinos, pedigreed dogs and pride of beautiful wife and daughters around him.*Jaydev Mody*

So you can imagine the extent of Lion King and husband of ace lawyer Zia Mody, Jaydev Mody's anguish when he exclaimed on social media “FB guys who keep on inviting you on the Candy Crush game not once or twice, but several times. Please note that I AM NOT INTERESTED !!!!”

Why would someone send Jaydev Mody a Candy Crush invite?

*Unfounded scrutiny?*
This will impact the highest echelons of finance and business if proven to be true. One of the top bankers in the country is said to be under investigation launched by the highest in the land regarding financial impropriety, a term which is supposed to allude to improper links with two leading (and coincidentally debt-strapped) industrial groups.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/29-Tanmay-s.jpg

Now, the Mumbai police has initiated a probe on a complaint against Bhat's video The video that has a mock conversation between Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar has sparked a massive outrage with the Shiv Sena, BJP and MNS on Monday demanding action against him and AIB.

*
*

*Tanmay Bhat*

The inquiry is underway against Bhat on a complaint by Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which has also threatened to beat him up. *(Read more)*

The video sees the comedian superimposing the faces of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and musical legend Lata Mangeshkar using Snapchat's unique face-swap feature. The 'face-swapped’ Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar are seen arguing oveer whether Virat Kohli is better than the Master Blaster. Tanmay mimics both jibes the 86-year-old melody queen and the 43-year-old cricketing legend and also throws Vinod Kambli into the mix for good measure. 

*Also Read: Twitterati 'roast' Tanmay Bhat for 'mocking' Sachin, Lata Mangeshkar*

Bollywood has also reacted sharply to the comedian's portrayal of the music and cricket icons with many actors slamming the video made by a member of online comedy group AIB, saying it is in poor taste. Titled 'Sachin v/s Lata Civil War', Tanmay, in a video posted on Facebook on May 26, took jibes at the 86-year-old melody queen and the 43-year-old cricketing legend.

Taking strong exception to the video, the Shiv Sena asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take stringent action against AIB and Bhat for allegedly seeking to vitiate social harmony by mocking the national legends.

Sena leader Neelam Gorhe wrote to Fadnavis seeking action against those behind the video which she said was made by people with 'deranged mentality'. "Such people try to misuse the popularity of icons like Sachin and Lata tai for their own publicity," said Gorhe. "I have also written to Mumbai Police Commissioner seeking action against Tanmay Bhat and AIB," she said.

*Also Read: Bollywood lashes out at AIB's Tanmay Bhat for video 'insulting' Lata, Sachin*

Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said he has spoken to the Police Commissioner and sought action against Bhat and AIB.

In its complaint, MNS demanded that the video uploaded by him be removed immediately. DCP (Operations) Sangramsingh Nishandar said the inquiry is being conducted by special branch of the city police.

*Also Read: Tanmay Bhat's 'statement' on his controversial video mocking Lata, Sachin is just not funny*

The inquiry was initiated after Shelar complained about the issue to city Police Chief Datta Padsalgikar.

Seeing nothing wrong with the comedy video, Bhat in a statement asked those viewers who liked it to email their views to him at a particular ID, stating what they liked.

In a couple of tweets, which he deleted later, the comedian even reached out to his detractors. "Roast wale din yaad aa gaye by god" (It reminds me of our AIB roast days). "Bharat mata ki jai", he said.

Bhat started trending on Twitter with the social media slamming the comedian for his 'tasteless' jokes.



Happened to watch a part of a desperate and shameful attempt to be funny by a wannabe comedian on @sachin_rt ji and @mangeshkarlata ji. ðŸ‘ÂÂÂÂÂŽ

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) May 28, 2016



Police case should be filed against #AIB for insulting @sachin_rt & @mangeshkarlata @MumbaiPolice #AIBInsultsBharatRatans

— Rahul Mahajan (@TheRahulMahajan) May 30, 2016



I am 9 times winner of #BestComicActor. Have a great sense of humor. But This's NOT humor. #Disgusting&Disrespectful https://t.co/sTuTfbAOrU

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) May 29, 2016

Censor Board member Ashoke Pandit tweeted...



The video by @thetanmay is a classic example of #CulturalTerrorism in the name of humour & FOE. #TanmayRoasted

— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) May 30, 2016



It's nt only abt @mangeshkarlata &@sachin_rt but dignity of every common man which shld b prtctd by these so called #Jokers like @thetanmay

— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) May 30, 2016

Author Chetan Bhagat wrote...



You cannot arrest people for making jokes. Even if the jokes are bad. Really.

— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) May 30, 2016



To speak about any woman wth such indignity, is a sin. & this is Lata Mangeshkar. Hope Karma doesn't do d same to their own Mothers. Prayers

— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) May 29, 2016

Music composer Vishal Dadlani, of Vishal-Shekhar fame, said the 'glory' of both, Tendulkar and Mangeshkar, will not be 'lessened' by a 'rude' joke. "It's OK, it's all good. Sachin is a legend and Lata Mangeshkar is a Goddess. Their glory isn't gonna be lessened by a rude joke. Calm down!," he tweeted.

AIB is known for its irreverent comedy and was caught in a massive controversy over an expletive-laden roast of actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor and filmmaker Karan Johar in December, 2014.

*-With agency inputs**This is the video which has sparked a major controversy* Reported by Mid-Day 21 hours ago.

Melbourne, May 31: Amber Heard is likely to get away with at least 20-million-dollars from her short-lived marriage with Johnny Depp. Reported by newKerala.com 18 hours ago.

*WashingtonD.C., May 31 (ANI): The gap, that was significant in the latter half of 20th century, between the more and less educated with respect to marriage and fertility, has not significantly altered the genetic makeup of subsequent generations.* Reported by ANI News 17 hours ago.

NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - India has the most slaves in the world with over 18 million people trapped in debt bondage, forced into marriage, sold to brothels or born into servitude, according to a global slavery index, which noted an improved government response to the issue. Reported by Reuters India 14 hours ago.

New Delhi, May 31 : With an estimated 18.35 million men, women and children trapped in modern slavery through human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, forced or servile marriage or commercial sexual exploitation, India is home to the largest enslaved population in the world, reveal results of a global survey released on Tuesday. Reported by newKerala.com 15 hours ago.

The death of a teenage girl during an operation to illegally perform female genital mutilation (FGM) on her in Egypt raises questions about the north African nation's efforts to end the practice, anti-FGM campaigners said on Tuesday.

Mayar Mohamed Mousa, 17, died of heavy bleeding in a hospital in Suez province on Sunday while under anaesthesia, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), Cairo-based rights group.

The private El Canal Hospital, where Mousa's twin sister also underwent the procedure but survived, was on Monday shut down and Egyptian prosecutors are investigating the death, said Sedkhi Sidhom, an official from Egypt's health ministry.

"Not all cases of female circumcision are reported across Egypt. There are cases of circumcision where the women die and are then buried without a word being mentioned," Sidhom said.

More than nine in 10 women and girls aged between 15 and 49 in Egypt have undergone FGM, and around 80 percent of these procedures are carried out by medical professionals, despite the practice being banned in 2008, according to U.N. estimates.

The teenager's death comes more than a year after doctor Raslan Fadl was convicted of manslaughter in Egypt's first FGM trial after a 13-year-old girl died in a botched procedure.

While Fadl was sentenced to more than two years in prison, he has not yet been imprisoned, said Suad Abu-Dayyeh, Middle East and North Africa consultant at rights group Equality Now. "It is incredible that the Egyptian police are not taking a tough line on ending FGM in a country where over 27 million have been affected," she said in a statement. "The death of the 17-year-old should be yet another shocking wake up call for Egypt."

*ENFORCING THE LAW*

FGM affects an estimated 140 million girls and women across a swathe of Africa and parts of the Middle East and Asia, and is seen as a gateway to marriage and a way of preserving a girl's purity. It causes numerous health problems that can be fatal.

The practice is punishable in Egypt by up to two years in prison under a 2008 law, which was enacted after an 11-year-old girl died following an FGM procedure in Minya province.

Yet rights groups say the law has not been enforced and that Egyptian society is permissive of FGM, which is widely practised among Muslims as well as Christians in the mostly Muslim nation.

"It's a catastrophe that these cases are still happening. The doctors are actually not performing operations, but crimes," said Dalia Abd El-Hameed, gender and women's rights officer at the EIPR.

"Criminalisation alone is not enough," she said. "The state must focus on changing individuals' beliefs ... that cannot be done using only medical and religious discourse," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by email from Cairo.

Magdy Khaled, head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said she was deeply saddened by Mousa's death in light of the progress Egypt had made in combating FGM in recent years.
Around six in 10 girls aged 15 to 17 had been cut in Egypt in 2014, down from three quarters of girls in 2008, the UNFPA said.

ReportWorldReuters

· teenage girl
· FGM
· Egypt
· Female Genital Mutilation
· Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
· United Nations

Tue, 31 May 2016-10:42pm
Date updated: 
Tuesday, 31 May 2016 - 10:42pm
Article Images: 
Representational Graphic
Short URL: 
dnai.in/dovP
Embargo: 
Syndicate: 
Hide lead image: 
Page views: 
3
From Print Edition:  Reported by DNA 7 hours ago.

Actress Amber Heard's lawyer is slamming an accusation that she is blackmailing her estranged husband Johnny Depp. Attorney Peter Sample said the allegations are completely false, reported The Wrap.

"The allegations against Ms Heard are absolutely and unequivocally false. The claim that she is blackmailing Johnny "has no basis in reality and is nothing but the typical celebrity muckraking for profit," Sample said.

The lawyer also said that the claims against Heard, 30, are defamatory and "outrageous."

While Depp has not directly addressed the accusations made by Heard, his representative released a statement shortly after the couple filed for divorce. "Given the brevity of this marriage and the most recent and tragic loss of his mother, Johnny will not respond to any of the salacious false stories, gossip, misinformation and lies about his personal life. Hopefully the dissolution of this short marriage will be resolved quickly," the statement read.

Depp's family has come to his defense against Heard, with daughter Lily-Rose Depp, calling him the "sweetest, most loving person I know" on Instagram. Her mother, actor's ex-partner of 14 years Vanessa Paradis, also reportedly wrote a letter supporting him. 

ReportEntertainmentPTILos Angeles

· Johnny Depp
· Amber Heard
· Divorce
· Hollywood
· domestic abuse
· Lily-Rose Depp
· Vanessa Paradis

Tue, 31 May 2016-11:45pm
Date updated: 
Tuesday, 31 May 2016 - 11:45pm
Article Images: 
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp
Reuters
Short URL: 
dnai.in/dox8
Embargo: 
Syndicate: 
Hide lead image: 
Page views: 
1
From Print Edition:  Reported by DNA 8 hours ago.

A day after the wedding on May 22, the caste panchayat - all such bodies are outlawed in the state- allegedly offered the groom a white bedsheet and asked him to return it soon after the marriage had been consummated. Reported by IndiaTimes 2 hours ago.

Los Angeles, June 1 : Actress Salma Hayek says marrying businessman Francois-Henri Pinault is her "biggest accomplishment". Reported by newKerala.com 6 hours ago.

The prestige of having studied at a well-known university counts. Not just on a work CV or in the marriage market - it also has a huge psychological impact on a student's confidence level. Reported by MailOnline India 52 minutes ago.

New Delhi, May 22 (ANI): Ever since the relationship between Iulia Vantur and Salman Khan has come out in the open, the media has been going crazy seeking first hand information on it. An annoyed superstar Khan lashed out at the media for interrupting family time, calling their intervention ridiculous. He added that his marriage affair is between him and his fans, and if he is getting married, then he will announce the news on either Facebook or Twitter. Salman further spoke about Sohail Khan incident and said that he didn't misbehave with journalist but was protecting his father Salim Khan. According to reports, Salman has also increased the security for Iulia as he doesn't want her to face any hassles while stepping out. If sources are to be believed then Salman might tie the knot on his birthday this year.On the work front, Salman Khan will be seen in Ali Abbas Zafar's Sultan. Reported by ANI News 9 minutes ago.

Washington D.C., June 1 : Salma Hayek, who married billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault in 2009, has doled out a major piece of advice for a happy marriage. Reported by newKerala.com 19 hours ago.

New Delhi, June 1 : At a time when several tinsel town celebrities have called time on their relationships, actress Sunny Leone, who is happily married to Daniel Weber since January 2009, says the key to a happy and successful marriage is "compromise". Reported by newKerala.com 19 hours ago.

Sunny Leone stressed that compromise is important to maintain a good, long-running marriage. Reported by Zee News 18 hours ago.

Sunny Leone talks about marriage, Shah Rukh Khan and more

The post Key to happy and successful marriage? Compromise, says Sunny Leone appeared first on Firstpost. Reported by Firstpost 18 hours ago.