News Accross India, Month of August, 2010

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...uota-in-just-2-months/articleshow/6242821.cms

Mumbai: 86% rain quota in just 2 months
SUKHADA TATKE, TNN, Aug 1, 2010, 06.30am IST

MUMBAI: Monsoon will be here for two more months but heavy showers in the city over the past few days have ensured that the city has already received 86% of its quota of the season's average rainfall.

In fact, the metereological department says if it pours like this, the city will receive its entire share of the season's total rainfall early next week, two months too early. "If it continues like now, the city will meet the season's total rainfall target in two to three days. Usually, it takes all the four monsoon months to fill in the annual quota, this year it is likely to take two months and a week only," said R V Sharma, deputy director-general of meteorology, Mumbai. The bureau has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next couple of days.

Rainfall figures released by the Met department show that Colaba has received 98% of the season's total rainfall, while the figure is 77% in Santa Cruz. While the total average rainfall in the city is usually 2,300 mm, Colaba, since June, has received 2,041 mm and Santa Cruz 1,918 mm. Last year, this time, the season had brought the city only 51% of the season's total rainfall, prompting weather officials to declare it a "deficit monsoon".

The BMC's automatic weather stations located in 35 places across the city, however, have given a lower figure, which is pegged at 76% of the season's total, with the island city and the suburbs recording 82% and 72%. The island city, according to the civic disaster management cell, has received 1,698.8 mm of rainfall and the eastern and western suburbs 1,976.6 mm and 1,622 mm.

"Low pressure has developed over central Maharashtra adjoining Madhya Pradesh as a result of which, it has been raining so heavily in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. Even as Mumbai will continue to get good rain in the next two days, Nashik and Dhule are likely to receive very heavy rainfall," said Sharma.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ound-in-Goregaon-flat/articleshow/6242817.cms

800 depression pills found in Goregaon flat
Nitasha Natu, TNN, Aug 1, 2010, 06.28am IST

MUMBAI: The police have recovered 800 pills for depression from the Goregaon flat of senior citizens Rajan and Chandralekha Nair whose decomposed bodies were discovered in their house on Friday. Their only son, Sujit (42), who suffers from a mental ailment, had been "guarding" the bodies for nearly four to five days.

"We found the pills stashed away in several boxes in the house; we are trying to find out if the couple were suffering from depression. Neighbours have told us that Rajan and Chandralekha used to be very worried about Sujit's condition," an investigating official said. The Nairs stayed at Nandbhuvan building in Goregaon.

After the neighbours called in the police who discovered the corpses, Sujit initially refused to let the cops take away the couples' bodies. "He could not comprehend that his parents had died. He had to be escorted to another room, where he suddenly burst into a song. When he was brought to the police station later, he started muttering in English and pacing up and down. However, never once did he cry," the official said.

From what they have gathered from Sujit, the police said Chandralekha most probably had a bad fall in the bathroom. According to the officials, she had died before her husband, as her body was more decomposed than his. "It looks like there was a gap of five to six hours between the two deaths," a forensic expert from the Cooper post-mortem centre said. Sujit has told relatives that he had applied a skin ointment on his mother, after she fell in the bathroom. In fact, he continued applying it even after she died, the police said. Sujit is now under the care of doctors at J J Hospital.

The couple's relatives claimed their bodies on Saturday, but refused to talk to the media. "The cause of death will be kown only after the results of chemical analysis and histopathological reports come in. The bodies have been sent to the forensic science laboratory at Kalina," a forensic expert said.

The neighbours said the Nairs had been staying there for nearly 40 years, but they rarely stepped out of their house.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...of-gold-for-mechanics/articleshow/6242298.cms

Potholes of gold for mechanics
Chittaranjan Tembhekar, TNN, Aug 1, 2010, 06.22am IST

MUMBAI: The city's commute just got more bumpy. Potholes have added hours to travel time and car owners are flocking to garages. Suspension failures, water in brake-liners, axle damages and other repairs relating to engines and carburettors are primary hurdles. Slow movement of vehicles on the roads has also increased fuel consumption and thus expenses.

Garages and mechanics all over the city are making a killing with almost all surpassing their capacity every day. Kamal Singh of Friends Garage in Wadala gets a minimum of 12 to 15 cars every day as against three to four cars during seasons other than the monsoon.

"The minimum fees,'' Bandra resident Vrunda Joshi says, "is Rs 2,000 for suspension or brake failures.'' According to her, repair work is being delayed as a result of the heavy rush in garages. There are over 1,600 potholes on 25 stretches of arterial roads, virtually forcing the traffic to go slow, causing jams during peak hours.

"This time around, car owners are coming in with problems related to brakes and suspension (shock-absorbers) besides engine-related damages. Even the number of cars coming in for dent repair and painting has increased,'' added Singh.

Sanjeev Kothari of City Automobiles in Kandivili says his garage is always full of cars with a minimum of 10 being brought for repair everyday. "Suspensions and brake-liners fail most often. We are making an extra effort to repair these cars on time and deliver them to customers,'' added Kothari.

According to Amit Nirmale of Shiv Automobiles in Dadar, besides owners of four-wheelers, bikers are approaching them for `shock-up' problems as well as for cleaning of the silencer and carburettor. Waterlogging and potholes are taking a toll on them.

"Hiring mechanics has become a problem because of so many complaints. So, there is a shortage in the market,'' adds Nikane. Aniket Mehta, a resident of Belapur, said he and four other colleagues working at an office in Cotton Green, have stopped car-pooling for the past week as a result of suspension and brake system failures. This has cost them over Rs 5,000 each.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...tice-in-Lilavati-case/articleshow/6242299.cms

Court: No arrest without notice in Lilavati case
Swati Deshpande, TNN, Aug 1, 2010, 06.08am IST

MUMBAI: The sessions court ordered the Bandra police not to arrest Chetan Mehta in connection with the attack on his cousin, Niket Mehta, a trustee of Lilavati Hospital, without giving him a 72-hour notice in writing.

Niket, son of former CEO Vijay Mehta, was attacked last week by a group of men. He alleged that the attack was planned by Chetan Mehta. The incident took place a day after Niket had asked Prabodh Mehta, Chetan's father, to discontinue as a trustee as he had been convicted in a money laundering case by a Belgian court.

Police said they had "been unable to collect evidence against Chetan so far''.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...due-to-inflated-rates/articleshow/6245927.cms

In Mumbai, flat sales drop 30-50% in 4 mths due to inflated rates
Nauzer K Bharucha, TNN, Aug 2, 2010, 01.17am IST

MUMBAI: Mumbai's builders seem to have priced themselves out of the market. Sales of apartments, on an average, have dropped between 30% to 50% over the past four months as end-users, discouraged by the high rates, are staying away or postponing their decision to buy their dream house.

But developers are not perturbed. Except in 2008, at the height of the global economic meltdown, they have been riding high on the real estate boom that started seven years ago.

According to sources, most builders have a good staying capacity and can afford to hold on to their prices despite the drop in sales.

A property expert said sales in the suburbs had fallen by more than 40%. "Investors from certain financially rich communities have formed a cartel and are driving up prices. They are trading in real estate by buying flats in bulk and selling in retail. On the other hand, the genuine purchasers are not buying flats at these inflated rates."

It is learned that many developers artificially jack up their rates by, say, more than Rs 1,000 a sq ft, and then play out the charade of giving a discount of Rs 1,000 a sq ft to a potential buyer. Moreover, in many residential projects, the difference between the built-up area and the carpet area is now almost 50%.

"Prices have reached their peak levels. Any further increase from here onwards will seriously affect the demand," said Anuj Puri, chairman and country head of Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, a global property consultancy firm. "Inquiries are slowing down, although commercial sales have been picking up."

Developer Sunil Mantri, also president of the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI), admitted that sales had dropped 10% to 20%, depending on the project and location. "Prices have shot up beyond the reach of the common man. The average rates have shot up by 20% to 30% since the past one year," he said.

However, Mantri claimed that sales were generally slow during the monsoon season. "We are working to boost sales in this slack period up to Navratri by way of promotions," he said.

Another developer from the eastern suburbs, who did not wish to be named, said sales had been down by as much as 50% below compared to last year. "The reason is the high prices, and the last three months have been pretty bad," he said.

Knight Frank (India) chairman Pranay Vakil said there had been a drop in volumes of outright sales. "There is resistance to high prices. In central Mumbai, a residential project which was quoting Rs 21,000 per sq ft and doing brisk sales last year, has now shot up to Rs 30,000 per sq ft with barely any transaction," Vakil said.

However, developer Nayan Shah of Mayfair Housing said he foresaw a severe rise in prices in the coming months. "The cost of TDR (transfer of development rights) has shot up and in places like JVPD, the BMC has restricted the floor-space index (FSI) to just 1 till the time housing societies surrender land reserved for public amenities. This will have a cascading effect on property rates," he said.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...sts-builder-Rs-5-lakh/articleshow/6245735.cms

Failure to get OC costs builder Rs 5 lakh
Rebecca Samervel, TNN, Aug 2, 2010, 01.16am IST

MUMBAI: In an order passed this week, a district consumer forum directed a builder to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to a housing society in Malad for the inconvenience they had faced in the absence of the mandatory Occupation Certificate (OC).

According to the Sai Sankalp Housing Society, from 1993 to 2001, they had to pay double the water charges and higher property taxes as the builder failed to get an OC due to the breach of FSI norms and construction of an illegal floor.

Agreeing that there was deficiency in service by the builder, the forum ordered him to pay an additional Rs 5,000 to the society and to take appropriate steps with the authorities and obtain the OC as well as the execution of conveyance within four months.

Residents of the Malad building had taken possession of their flats and formed the society in 1993-94. According to them, despite repeated requests, the builder, Narendra Jadhav, has failed to obtained the OC as well as the completion certificate and also did not furnish the copy of the approved plans to them. As a result, the society allegedly had to suffer a loss of more than Rs 5 lakh for having to pay higher water charges and property tax from 1993 to 2002: they paid higher property tax, which added up to around Rs 7 lakh per year, and double the water charges, which came to around Rs 3.10 lakh over nine years.

Denying the charges, Jadhav, however, claimed that the housing society neither had to make any extra payment nor did they suffer any loss due to the absence of the OC. Jadhav also alleged that the buyers took "possession of the flats before schedule'' as a result of which, he could not obtain the Occupation Certificate. He claimed that he then had to lodge a police complaint of criminal trespass against the flat-owners.

The Mumbai Suburban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, presided by J L Deshpande and members V G Joshi and D S Bidnurkar, however, did not find any substance in Jadhav's defence and observed that "the builder has not produced any material on the record to substantiate these allegations...(Jadhav) has not offered any justification for not obtaining the OC from the competent authority''.

Citing Development Control Rules, the forum said the onus was on the builder to obtain an OC and even if the flat purchasers had insisted on taking possession earlier than the scheduled time, he did not have any reason for not getting the OC. The forum also cited the provisions of the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act, 1963, which states that if there is no fixed period to for execution of the conveyance then the builder is under an obligation to execute the conveyance within four months from the date of formation and registration of the society. In its absence, Jadhav had "committed deficiency of service and breach of statutory obligation'', the order stated.

The forum also ordered that if Jadhav failed to procure the certificates within four months from the date of receipt of the order, he would have to pay the housing society a penalty of Rs 500 per day from the date of expiry till the compliance of the directions.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...son-at-Cong-meet-dies/articleshow/6247019.cms

Youth who consumed poison at Cong meet dies
PTI, Aug 2, 2010, 12.09pm IST

MUMBAI: Kailas Khatkale, a 26-year-old labourer from Pune, who consumed a poisonous substance at a Janata Darbar held by Minister of State for Labour Padmakar Walvi at the Congress headquarters here on July 29, has passed away.

Khatkale, who worked with Sumith Thai Auto at Chakan near Pune, passed away at the government GT Hospital where he was undergoing treatment, police said.

He had gone to Congress office to meet Walvi to complain that he is not being paid for three months. Walvi listened to his complaint and assured that an action against his employer will be taken, according to the law.

Irked with the minister, who expressed his limitations in solving his problems, Khatakale decided to end his life.

MPCC has asked party ministers to hold Janata Darbar to increase contact with the common people. Every week, a Congress minister hears complaints regarding his department from the people.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-swims-to-glory-in-US/articleshow/6248495.cms

Mumbai girl swims to glory in US
PTI, Aug 2, 2010, 07.19pm IST

MUMBAI: Eleven-year-old Swapnali Yadav has added another feather to her cap by winning the under-18 10-mile course Kingdom Aquafest open swimming competition held on the shores of Lake Memphremagog at Newport Vermont, USA.

Taking to the waters in near perfect conditions at Prouty Beach, for female youth category, the Mumbai school girl from suburban Andheri completed the race, held on July 24, in an impressive time of 6 hours, 23 minutes, 13 seconds time.

Swapnali had caught the eye of the organisers by becoming the youngest-ever participant in the 2007 Open World Swimming Marathon and the 30km Messinikos Gulf Swim in 2008-09, both in Greece, and the 2009 Bermuda Round the Sound Open Swimathon.

"This was the most toughest swim I have participated in as yet. The 30-km that I had covered in Greece and the 10kms in Bermuda were in ocean water, where I was aided by water currents. Besides, the water was salty and hence light," she said on Monday.

"The water at the Prouty Beach was steady and sweet. I had to take more efforts as I was neither assisted by the currents and the water was heavier," she said.

"Once again, it was a rich experience. Most of the swimmers were top class. Some were Channel swimmers and former Olympians," she said.

However, this was not the only challenge that the class VII student of the Bombay Cambridge High School, Andheri, who was the youngest and the only Indian in the competition.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...the-customers-options/articleshow/6246195.cms

Looking to dress up the customer's options
Parvathy Gopalakrishnan, TNN, Aug 2, 2010, 04.20am IST

MUMBAI: If you have an astounding aesthetic sense and an eye for detail, apparel merchandising may be your calling. It makes a student familiar with the nitty-gritties of product development, which involves market positioning, planning, budgeting, fashion forecasting and development, material and textile selection, gathering and analyzing data, production, sourcing and garment presentation.

"The retail industry is booming, and with it, there is an increase in the demand for visual communication, branding and creativity," says a senior faculty member of the Institute of Apparel Management, Mumbai. "The course in apparel merchandising helps a student understand how the garment industry functions. It not just helps a student become a good designer, but also understand the requirement of consumers, and present their product accordingly, she added. "We have tie-ups with Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop and high-end designers, and we give opportunities to our students to get practical knowledge," she said.

"The job of an apparel merchandiser is to provide the right products at the right time so that the company can be at par with the others, and also to give the company an edge over the others," she said. Diplomas and degrees in apparel merchandising help the student understand the relationship between innovative design and contemporary technology. "In the one-year course provided by us, we initiate hands-on training and help the student become acquainted with the industry. We assure placements with Shoppers Stop, Big Bazaar and so on," said a faculty member of the National Institute of Retail Management. Apparel merchandisers help store owners decide on how to stock their products, how to display and market them better.

"Contrary to popular belief, the fashion industry is quite complicated. Therefore, it is important to be equipped with formal training before taking the plunge," said a student. "An apparel merchandiser is required to work on the brand logo, display, stocking of garments, arrangement, use of lighting to make the brand appealing to the customers, understand the retailer-customer relationship and so on," said another student. A course in apparel merchandising gives the student exposure to merchandising, fashion co-ordinations, retail operations, garment costing, international marketing, production management and quality control.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...hool-is-a-class-apart/articleshow/6245571.cms

This civic school is a class apart
Manthan K Mehta, TNN, Aug 2, 2010, 02.41am IST

MUMBAI: Looks are deceptive can well be true for Pali-Chimbai Municipal School in Bandra. Adopted by Aseema, an NGO, it ranks among most professional run civic schools in the city. Interestingly, this is also the only BMC school that has instituted a Parent-Teachers' Association (PTA).

Maria D'Souza, education officer, Pali-Chimbai Municipal School said, "The PTA was formed last year as we wanted parents to get involved in the education of their kids. Though economically disadvantaged, these parents have actively participated in all the PTA meetings. The parents have raised issues that are relevant to the studies of their kids at such meetings.''

A total of 850 students are enrolled in this school. The initiative under which Aseema adopted the school in 2001 is a success story. After school hours, the school runs a support centre where children are given personal guidance. Moreover, a group of volunteers trains them in extra-curricular activities.

Most of the students come from disadvantaged background and some of them are first generation learners. Ashok Pawar, a social worker with the school, said, "Children are admitted to this schools from the slums of Bandra reclamation, Chimbai and Khar danda. The medium of instruction is English. After completing Std VII, they are admitted to Santa Cruz Municipality School (also adopted by Aseema), where they study up to SSC.''

Ram Vilas Nirmal, a parent and a PTA member, said, "It is a good initiative. By introducing concepts common in private schools, they are making us feel more responsible towards the education of our children.''

At the PTA meetings, apart from studies, the management also offers tips to parents on bringing up their children. At one such meeting, a volunteer told the parents to ensure that the students come to school dressed in clean uniforms. They are also advised against using foul or aggressive language in front of their kids. "The kids imbibe this behaviour and behave aggressively towards teachers as well as students,'' a school volunteer said.

The school management also advised parents against giving excess money to the students. Sarita Maurya, a teacher, said, "They are provided food by Aseema as well as by the BMC. Some of them spend this money on eating street food, which can affect their health. We also tell parents not to watch TV till late, as kids tend to follow their example.''

Apart from the PTA, the school management has also formed a cluster committee, comprising guardians or parents of students. "The committee members have been entrusted with the task of finding out whether students staying in their neighbourhood come to school regularly,'' Pawar said.

The school also holds elections to select heads of each class. D'Souza said, "We hold a secret ballot. All monitors take the pledge to work with honesty and sincerely in the interest of the school and students. The elected students help the teachers in supervising the class.''

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...fe-says-Rahul-Mahajan/articleshow/6245638.cms

I love my wife, says Rahul Mahajan
AGENCIES, Aug 2, 2010, 02.43am IST

MUMBAI: Rahul Mahajan and Dimpy Ganguly put on a show of togetherness in their first public appearance after the quarrel on Friday when the Kolkata-based model walked out, only to return the same day following an apparent patch-up.

The couple, who got married in March this year, visited Sidhhivinayak temple on Sunday to seek blessings.

"We have no issues between us and I love my wife. We are together and therefore, came to take the blessings of the lord,'' said Rahul, who kept his arm around Dimpy the whole time.

However, Dimpy, who had earlier spoken of her marital woes and physical abuse, refused to comment.

She married 36-year-old Rahul, son of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, with much fanfare on a reality show Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega in March. Dimpy had told mediapersons, "Rahul beat me up early on Thursday after waking me up to know the contents of a message on my phone. When I asked him to go back to sleep, he flew into a rage and began hitting me."

The model, who had left her husband's home vowing never to return, told reporters that she had had a "conversation'' with Rahul, who expressed regret.

Rahul's former wife Shweta Singh, who was his childhood friend, had also accused him of physically abusing her. The couple got divorced in 2008 after which Rahul participated in Bigg Boss. He continued to be in the limelight for his close relations with co-contestants Monica Bedi and Payal Rohatgi. Incidentally, Rohatgi too had alleged harassment by Rahul.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ed-in-Kanchi-accident/articleshow/6259055.cms

8 of K'taka family killed in Kanchi accident
TNN, Aug 5, 2010, 03.37am IST

CHENNAI: Eight members of a family from Karnataka on a pilgrimage died on the spot when their vehicle collided with a tipper lorry near Kancheepuram early on Wednesday. Seven others from the same family suffered serious injuries. The 15 members, including five children, were packed in a Tata Sumo, which was involved in the accident on a narrow bridge at Kuduraikaalmadu near Kancheepuram, 87km from Chennai.

Police said the vehicles might have tried to cross the bridge without giving way to each other or one of the drivers might have dozed off.

"We were going from Tiruttani to a Kancheepuram temple. My father, brother and relatives were in the vehicle. Around 6am, our vehicle hit the lorry and my relative and I, who were in the front, were trapped under the steering wheel due to the impact of the collision. We managed to crawl out, after which I lost consciousness. I think my father and brother are dead. I am not sure," said Tulasi Ram, one of the survivors undergoing treatment at the Government General Hospital.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Sripathi-to-be-TN-info-chief/articleshow/6259054.cms

Sripathi to be TN info chief?
Jayaraj Sivan, TNN, Aug 5, 2010, 03.35am IST

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief secretary KS Sripathi is likely to be appointed the state chief information commissioner when S Ramakrishnan retires this month-end, highly placed sources said. S Malathi, vigilance commissioner and commissioner, administrative reforms, could be the new chief secretary.

Sripathi attained superannuation on April 30, but was given an extension by the state government with a view to organising the World Classical Tamil Conference.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...acher-for-misbehaving/articleshow/6259305.cms

KMC retires teacher for 'misbehaving'
TNN, Aug 5, 2010, 06.47am IST

NEW DELHI: A commerce teacher of Kirori Mal College (KMC) was given compulsory retirement on Wednesday for misbehaving with Delhi University's flying squad during their visit to the college two years ago.

The college governing body took the decision at a meeting on Wednesday on the basis of a report submitted by an inquiry committee headed by retired high court judge R S Sodhi. The teacher, S C Garg, was on suspension for one-and-a-half years. A governing body member said: ''Two years ago, DU's flying squad visited the college during an exam and entered Garg's room. An altercation followed and he allegedly raised his hand forcing them to leave.''

The member said the flying squad complained to the DU vice-chancellor following which he constituted a committee and asked the college to take action. ''The governing body formed its own committee under Sodhi. Garg had misalso behaved in the principal's room five years ago after which an inquiry was constituted and his five increments were stopped,'' he said.

In his defence, Garg said he was being made to pay a price for being vocal about the administrative and financial bunglings going on in the college. ''The original complaint of the flying squad was against the entire college and not just me. I have enough documents to prove that the college officials have been bending rules. I am suffering because of my honesty,'' Garg said. He had been working in the college for nearly 40 years.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...pe-bid-by-bar-manager/articleshow/6259228.cms

Student alleges rape bid by bar manager
Indrani Basu, TNN, Aug 5, 2010, 06.08am IST

NEW DELHI: An MBA student has alleged that the manager of a bar in Lajpat Nagar molested her and tried to rape her on July 22. Sheena (name changed) had gone to the bar in B Block, Lajpat Nagar, around 9pm for dinner and met the manager, Aditya (name changed), for the first time.

''I was having dinner when a Russian girl next to me offered me a soft drink and told me that I could call her if I ever needed money. I explained that I was a student and not interested in selling myself,'' claimed Sheena.

She stayed there till 12.45am and called the owner of her PG accommodation so that he could arrange a cab for her. When he was unable to do so, Aditya offered to drop her. ''When I hesitated, he convinced me that he was a respectable person. We left with his friend. On the way, he asked his friend to drive. After asking me several questions about myself, he started molesting me,'' claimed Sheena.

Aditya told Sheena that the Russian girl she had been speaking to was a call girl and a regular visitor to the bar and then allegedly proceeded to ask Sheena how much her demands were. When Sheena tried to convince him that she was not interested in such business transactions, he molested her and tried to rape her.

He threatened her with dire consequences if she told anybody, Sheena said. ''When I threatened to complain to police and claimed I was the daughter of a senior CBI official, Aditya threw me out of the car near the Moolchand flyover. I suffered injuries on my arms and chest.''

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...labour-law-violations/articleshow/6259309.cms

282 convicted for labour law violations
TNN, Aug 5, 2010, 06.49am IST

NEW DELHI: The Centre informed the Delhi high court on Wednesday that out of 866 prosecutions for labour law violations at CWG sites, there have been 282 convictions since January 2008.

The government submitted that cases have been filed against 866 people including contractors for labour law violations at Games sites and of these, 282 have been convicted. Other cases are pending. The government also told the court that the total amount of fine imposed till now is Rs 13.52 lakh from January 2008 till June 2010.

The maximum offences were related to Minimum Wages Act (653) while those under Building and Other Construction Workers Act and Central Labour Act were 232 and 216 respectively, the government said. These facts were submitted to the HC by lawyer Sanjeev Sachdeva through an affidavit submitted before Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan.

Asking the Centre to keep vigil on the contractors, the court said, ''Deal strictly with the contractors.'' Earlier standing counsel for the government Najmi Waziri said many labourers were not complaining of labour law violations as they were too afraid of contractors. Sachdeva told the court that a strict watch is being kept on violation of Labour Laws, Minimum Wages Act and Building and Other Construction Workers Act at Games sites.

The court is hearing a PIL which brought to light the pathetic condition under which around 17,000 labourers are working round-the-clock to make Delhi a world-class city ahead of the Games.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-as-snag-hits-chopper/articleshow/6263879.cms

Close shave for Sharad Yadav as snag hits chopper
TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 04.51am IST

JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, a Bihar minister and two IAS officials had a narrow escape as a private chopper flying them had to make an emergency landing in a field at Jaganpura, minutes after takeoff from Patna airport.

Yadav was flying to Chausa to attend a function in which CM Nitish Kumar was to inaugurate a bridge.

Minutes after take-off, the helicopter suddenly started coming down, wobb-ling dangerously. Later it was found that one of the two rotor blades of the chopper was broken.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...blocked-by-landslides/articleshow/6263884.cms

Manali-Leh highway blocked by landslides
TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 04.54am IST

MANALI: Landslides at Baralacha La and Rahni Nallah in Himachal Pradesh have left the Manali-Leh highway blocked since Wednesday night. Reports say about 100 vehicles are stranded at both places.

Landslides triggered by incessant rains have obstructed several stretches of the highway, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. Hundreds of vehicles on both sides of Pandoh Dam of Mandi were stranded on Wednesday night as traffic on Manali-Leh highway came to a halt after a major landslide blocked the road between Pandoh and Hanogi.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...f-dowry-Supreme-Court/articleshow/6262165.cms

No conviction for mere demand of dowry: Supreme Court
PTI, Aug 5, 2010, 07.06pm IST

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ruled that a person cannot be convicted for merely demanding dowry unless the demand is followed by mental or physical torture resulting in the death of the victim.

A Bench of Justices R M Lodha and A K Patnaik said in a judgement that the prosecution has to establish convincing evidence that the accused had subjected the victim to torture soon before her death in connection with the demand.

"The evidence of Prosecution Witness-2, PW-4 and PW-5 shows that Jagdish and Gordhani played a role in the demand of dowry for a scooter or Rs 25,000 for Amar Singh but demand of dowry by itself is not an offence under Section 498A or Section 304B IPC.

"What is punishable under Section 498A or Section 304B of IPC is the act of cruelty or harassment by the husband or the relative of the husband against the woman," the Bench said.

The bench passed the judgement while upholding the acquittal of Gordhani, mother-in-law, and Jagdish, brother-in-law, in a dowry death case of newly-married woman Santosh in Rajasthan's Alwar district in March, 8, 1993. It however, upheld the conviction of the husband Amar Singh.

The sessions court had convicted all the three for dowry death (304B) and 498A (harassment of married woman by husband/relatives).

The Rajasthan High Court had on an appeal from the accused quashed the conviction of Jagdish and Gordhari while sustaining the life sentence imposed on Amar Singh.

While the state government had appealed against the acquittals, Amar Singh challenged his conviction.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...suspended-for-15-days/articleshow/6258862.cms

Pune party: 5 students suspended for 15 days
TNN, Aug 5, 2010, 01.31am IST

PUNE: Five students of the Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS), who organised the 'Friendship Day' party at Theur on Sunday have been suspended for 15 days and are to undertake community service, vice-chancellor M S Raste decided on Wednesday.

The 80 students who were booked by the police will also do the community service at a non-governmental organisation.

It was decided that students who attended the party will have their late nights curtailed for three months and be given counselling. The police on Sunday raided a party held at a farmhouse at Theur and detained 489 students, most of whom were MBA students of Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies.

The six-member enquiry committee formed by Symbiosis Institute to probe into Sunday's incident submitted their report on Wednesday. During suspension period, these students are to undertake community service for minimum of eight hours per day at an organisation like the Queen Mary's Technical Institute, Khadki. This is to be monitored by director of SIMS.