*Patna:* As clamour about the ‘jungle raj’ returning to Bihar grow louder, the abduction of a student in broad daylight in the state’s capital is sure to add to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s headache, who is currently fighting to salvage his government’s reputation.A CCTV camera installed in a nearby building recorded the entire act of Tuesday’s kidnapping. In the video, a few people are seen coming out of a white sedan that intercepted a trio travelling on a motorcycle and bashed one of the pillion riders before shoving him into the four-wheeler. It later turned out that the trio travelling on the two-wheeler were students.
Not wasting the opportunity, the Opposition went straight for the CM’s jugular and accused him of failing miserably to curb crime across Bihar despite reclaiming power last November. Rubbishing the allegations levelled by the Opposition, Nitish countered saying that all was well within the state.*4-year-old raped*
*Faridkot:* A four-year-old girl was raped by an unidentified person in Malwal Jadid village, leaving her with severe injuries, the police said yesterday. The victim’s father said the child went missing around 9.30 pm
on Monday.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jun/10-Pm_s.jpg*Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US Attorney General Lorett Lynch during the ceremony for handing over of the idols in Washington DC on Monday. Pic/PTI*
Senior bureaucrats from the MEA told mid-day that it was the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai, which built a strong case seeking return of the stolen artefacts. In 2007, the DRI provided specific information to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US, through the Indian Consul in New York about a particular shipment of seven crates containing ‘marble garden table sets’. The consignment was supposed to reach Nimbus Import Export Inc, 2 Cross Field Avenue, Suite 205, West Nyack, NY.
Upon confiscation and scrutiny of the consignment, ICE recovered rare Indian art and artefacts. It later came to the fore that a person named Subhash Kapoor had abandoned the consignment. At present, the shipment is in ICE’s custody as evidence of smuggling against Kapoor.
*Digging deeper*
Later, the then Consul (Trade) lodged the claim of Indian ownership of the antiques with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Upon discovering the artefact smuggling racket run by Kapoor, the ICE searched various art galleries and warehouses either owned or controlled by him on January 5, 2011. The raids led to the discovery of countless illegally acquired artefacts that were displayed across these establishments. One such establishment operated by Kapoor was Art of the Past, an art gallery at 1242 Madison Avenue in NY.
“Kapoor Galleries, located at 1015 Madison Avenue, owned and operated by Ramesh Kapoor and his son Suneet Kapoor. Ramesh and Subhash are sons of Parshotam Ram Kapoor, who was an antique dealer. The brothers moved to New York in the mid-70s and have been dealing in Indian antiques since then,” revealed a top source.
Kapoor, considered by many as the greatest artefact smuggler of all-time, is currently cooling his heels in a Chennai prison following his extradition from Germany in the second half of 2011. The Interpol had issued a red corner notice against him. The entire expedition to nab Kapoor was called the ‘Operation Hidden idol’ by the Homeland Security Investigations.
A senior bureaucrat said, “Subash is in Chennai because an FIR related to the missing idols was filed there. Once the idols are back, they will be returned by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to the temples and museums they were stolen from.”
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jun/10-earthquake_s.jpg*Anita Pinto (left), Magdalene Lobo (centre) and Sakira Patel (third from right) with other residents. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi*
Steven Pinto from the area says that it is a bid to scare people and get them to sign the redevelopment of the area proposal. Spread over 922 sq metres, the plot is also known as St Anthony Co-operative Housing Society. Residents claim it is worth Rs 300 crores.*The broken cross has been reinstated after an outcry *
Sakira Patel, whose school going children have lost their books and uniforms in the demolition said, “School is starting next week, when our house was demolished we were restrained by 300 police, my children’s books and uniforms are all buried here,” she said pointing to the rubble. “My daughter was out in the sun while our homes were being demolished; today she is suffering from high fever. Many other children from the area are in a similar state.”*Only debris remains now of the 150 year-old chawl*
Magdalene Lobo who has lived in the gaothan for 37 years since marriage said, “We had Rosary every day near the cross which they demolished. After Ashish Shelar, MLA arrived yesterday, they reinstated it. On May 31, there was a nice fellowship dinner that we all shared. We are united; we will not let them get away with this. This is our home, our village and we live here as a family. Playing housie, chatting outside our homes, cooking and sharing meals that was our every day life, now this has destroyed all that.”
“Many of us are keeping Roza for Ramadan. It has been tough amidst the heat and this demolition drama. Our air conditions, cupboards and furniture were broken and many have lost valuables in this demolition. A neighbour delivered a few days ago, she and her small child have been left on the roads by this cruel act,” said Salma Shaikh, another resident.
Resident Gilbert Fernandes who works night shifts at a hotel near the international airport said, “I have been unable to sleep as my house was demolished when I came from work. I am forced to take an off from work. There is no place to have a bath; we are using the public toilet nearby to relieve ourselves. We have been forced to buy water and food from outside. This is a pathetic way to treat the original inhabitants of Mumbai, us East Indians.”
Residents claim seven houses were demolished on April 21 and April 26. They managed to save the rest. On Wednesday though, they were detained by the police, so were unable to do anything.
“In a probe initiated by the Khar police on the request of Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) officials in 2011 revealed there was forgery done by Derisa Developers to obtain Letter of Intent (LOI) and Intimation of Approval (IOA). Our matter is in the Bombay High Court and this demolition came out of the blue. Out of 47, only 20 residents were with the developers, who fraudulently showed our gaothan as a slum to get additional Floor Space Index (FSI) and undertake a redevelopment project under the SRA scheme. This is a heritage site,” added Anita Pinto.
Aftab Siddique, chairman of 33rd Road, Khar Advance Locality Management (ALM) who has been helping the Khar gaothan residents said, “The High Court had in January 2016 ordered them to abide by the terms and conditions of the LOI. As per that the developer has no permission to redevelop after the SRA direction to revalidate the plans of the structure. We will have a protest and take the matter up in court against this demolition.”
E D’mello from Derisa Developers said, “As per the January 22, 2016 High Court orders the residents were given till February 29 to vacate but they did not do that. In addition to this deadline, the deputy collector also issued a number of 24 hours and 48 hours eviction notices but they did not adhere to these.”
Residents are also being supported by a number of organizations like Watchdog Foundation, Save Our Land (SOUL) and Association of Concerned Catholics (AOCC). Dolphy D’souza from SOUL said, “This is a blatant human rights violation. Poor residents have their houses demolished and are on the roads.”
The supporting associations have organised a protest at St Michael’s Hall in Mahim at 7:30 pm, today to express anger over the demolition of the cross at Khar, it was re-installed yesterday, though. Reported by Mid-Day 21 hours ago.