News Accross India, Month of August, 2010

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-found-in-boys-hostel/articleshow/6267230.cms

Ruckus at MSU hostel after girl found in boys' hostel
TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 11.09pm IST

VADODARA: In a bizarre incident, M S University's boys' hostel witnessed ruckus over a boy and a girl student meeting in a guest room of a boys' hostel on Friday noon. The Sardar Patel Hall at the Halls of Residence witnessed ruckus after a group of student leaders alleged that the duo was allegedly misusing the guest room of the hall where they were involved in indecent acts.

Sources suggest that the ruckus started after some mediapersons were informed by a group of student leaders that a boy of faculty of arts and a girl student from faculty of social work were in the guest room of the hall.

Although the student leaders, especially those belonging to the Bapu lobby (a term used for student leaders hailing from Rajasthan) had claimed that the duo was involved in some indecent act, eye witnesses suggest that there weren't enough evidences to prove that the duo was misusing the hostel premises. Sources in fact suggested that the group which had informed the media had locked up the duo in the guest room from outside and even placed condoms in the pocket of the boy's trousers amid the melee.

The hostel authorities reached the spot, which was flooded with mediapersons and students alike. Later, Sayajigunj police took the duo to the police station. The perturbed girl later informed the police that she was at the hostel to meet the boy whom she considered her brother.

MSU's hostel authorities have formed a committee to probe the matter. "The four-member committee that includes Dr P H Soni, Dr Asha Pandya, B S Parimal and Sanjay Solanki has been requested to submit its report and suggest action within five days," in-charge chief warden of the Halls of Residence Jitendra Wadhwa told TOI, adding that the committee will also probe whether the boy was illegally staying at the Halls of Residence or not.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ribes-at-Fatehgunj-PS/articleshow/6267228.cms

Cops beat up scribes at Fatehgunj PS
TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 11.08pm IST

VADODARA: Two cops posted at Fatehgunj police station beat up two mediapersons and also pushed them behind the lock-up on Friday morning. The journalist and cameraman, working with a regional channel that has national network, were bashed up after they entered into arguments with two police constables on Fatehgunj police station premises.

According to journalist Amit Patel, who was beaten up with lathi, the constables both brothers asked him to park his vehicle outside the police station premises. When Patel requested that he had come there for covering a story and would leave in some minutes, one of the constables came down and entered into heated argument with the journalist. The constable and his brother then beat him and cameraman Manish Thaakar up and pushed them behind the lock-up.

The matter was later resolved as senior police officials intervened and soothed nerves of media people. An inquiry has been ordered against the police constables identified as Subhash Kalyani and Ashok Kalyani on the basis of application made by Patel who suffered a minor fracture on his hand. Dinesh Sindhav, who is bureau chief of the channel, also met city police commissioner Rakesh Asthaana and briefed him about the matter. "Asthaana assured that he will look into the matter and take suitable action," Dinesh added.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...rdered-tenant-missing/articleshow/6290016.cms

Blind couple murdered, tenant missing
Dwaipayan Ghosh, TNN, Aug 11, 2010, 01.10am IST

NEW DELHI: In another brutal crime targeting senior citizens, a retired Jawaharlal Nehru University employee and his wife, both visually impaired, were found murdered at their Vivek Vihar residence in east Delhi. Police suspect the crime was carried out by a call centre employee who had rented a room in the couple's flat barely eight days ago.

The bodies of Rajendra Verma, 62, and Shobha Verma, 56, were discovered in the bedroom around 9.30am on Tuesday. Both had been choked to death. The tenant, Aksani, and his alleged accomplice have been absconding since the incident. Verma had reportedly asked Aksani to leave because he had been bringing his girlfriends to the room.

Hema, the youngest of the couple's three daughters — all of whom suffer from visual impairment — said she got suspicious when she called her mother in the morning.

"The phone was off the hook every time I called. I then asked a neighbour, Amit Rana, to check on my parents. He discovered the bodies and informed the police."

Police said they found Rajendra lying on the bed in his bedroom. Shobha — a housewife — was found sitting on a chair close to him, her hands and legs were tied up with ropes and cables. Both were probably choked to death with a pillow. The house had been ransacked. Rajendra's daughters said Rs 50,000 was missing along with some valuables.

The bodies were sent for postmortem after doctors at a local nursing home declared the couple dead.

''We will ascertain the exact time of death. A team has also been sent to Badaun to trace Aksani,'' said a senior officer at the Vivek Vihar police station. The guards at Janata Flats, where the couple had converted two flats into a single unit, will also be questioned.

Police said they were investigating all possible motives. ''Hema has told us that Aksani had moved in about eight days ago. Though he had rented the room alone, he brought in a roommate after a couple of days. Hema said that her father had also objected to Aksani bringing his girlfriends and women colleagues to the room. This led to a confrontation and Rajendra had asked the tenant to vacate the room immediately. So, loot may not be the only motive behind the murders,'' said a senior officer.

The police, however, need to answer a few tough questions. Even after a completely new drive was launched in east Delhi — where the Games village is located — before the upcoming Commonwealth Games to locate and register new tenants, the cops claimed that police verification of Aksani had not been done. This despite the fact that the senior couple, both blind, lived by themselves in the flat.

The cops, meanwhile, are questioning the colleagues of Aksani at the Naraina call centre where he worked to get leads about his movements.

[email protected]

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ka-was-a-sitting-duck/articleshow/6321805.cms

Priyanka was a sitting duck
TNN, Aug 16, 2010, 11.57pm IST

BANGALORE: Based on their interrogation of Sathish Gupta, the accused in the Priyanka murder case, investigating officials have reconstructed a scenario.

Here is their version:

When Sathish asked his wife Priyanka to sit in the chair and blindfolded her, she did not resist. Even when he tied her hands, she was not shocked or surprised.

Because all along, he had promised to surprise her with something special. All she thought of was getting a big gift - a diamond necklace around her neck. For over a month, Sathish had prepared her for such surprises by showering gifts on her.

Instead of clasping a diamond necklace around her neck, he blindfolded her and strangled her before slitting her throat.

PLANNED MURDER

According to investigating officers, Sathish had planned the murder for over six months. In the past three months, he made many small preparations. He went to the Sunday bazaar and bought a second-hand jacket, rope and kitchen knife.

On August 1, he got a collage done with 50 of her favourite photos. Before showing it to her, Sathish made Priyanka sit on the same chair, blindfolded her and tied her hands. He mounted the collage on the drawing room wall and slowly removed the cloth from around her eyes.

On that day, he promised that she would have a bigger surprise a week later. When she insisted on knowing what it was, all he said was that it had something to do with her neck!

Priyanka had jumped with joy, saying she knew he was buying her a diamond necklace and Sathish had smiled in assent.

On Tuesday morning, he woke Priyanka and made her sit on the same chair. Then, he tied her hands and placed a mirror in front of her and blindfolded her again. Unable to control her curiosity, Priyanka urged him to finish it quickly. Sathish strangled her with the nylon rope, holding the rope tight till the colour of her face changed. When he removed the rope, Priyanka was struggling for breath. He then slit her throat.

SATHISH'S STORY

Sathish also had his own tale to tell the investigating officers. He had a sister Madhu, alias Shubha, who had accidentally fallen into a sump 10 years ago. She had broken her spinal cord and was bedridden. When Sathish married Priyanka, Madhu was still alive, but died seven months later. Sathish told the police that Priyanka did not look after his sister even for a single day.

Meanwhile, Priyanka wanted to move out of the house and threatened Sathish with a dowry harassment case, as her parents had given them dowry during the wedding. Then, he purchased a site in the same area and wanted to construct a house. Priyanka insisted that only the two of them should live there and his parents were not to move in. If they did, she would divorce him.

This enraged Sathish, who seriously started thinking of eliminating her, police sources added.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-weeks-after-marriage/articleshow/6321806.cms

`Educated couples face tension just weeks after marriage'
Prashanth G N, TNN, Aug 16, 2010, 11.58pm IST

BANGALORE: High education and affluence do not appear to insulate couples from marital discord and tragedies like those of Priyanka Gupta. Just one counselling centre in one corner of the city, Chamarajpet, sees almost 20 highly educated and affluent couples every month seeking help to overcome serious marital problems.

CounsellorSridhar Murthy said: "Of these 20 couples, at least seven to eight want to go in for divorce.''

Murthy runs the centre from his house, which could be one reason that comforts couples to share their problems in relative privacy.

The number of family courts dealing with reconciliation issues has gone up from one to five in the city. Many go to Nimhans too.

Murthy said: "The disposable income of these young couples is very high. They come from reputed families. It shows how the problem is far deeper than we think it is."

Murthy said most of the couples who come to him are very young. "They are just six weeks into marriage, sometimes one year, two or three years. A common strand is most are unable to have enduring marriages or relationships. Problems are cropping too soon after the wedding."

What problems do couples face? Murthy said: "Husbands tend to give too much importance to the wife's looks. Other factors include infidelity, remaining childless, jealousy over wife's high salary and good job, differences over in-laws staying with the couple and how to bring up children.''

Do couples accuse each other while stating their problems? "That happens. Many have negative attitude, are selfish. But the large trend is that many men are wary of women taking independent decisions. They may not be so comfortable with economic and social self-confidence of their wives. But then there are also cases where many wives have been involved in what we call affairs. These are complex issues."

How does he help them? "I try to get them to reconcile. I present both points of view. I don't advocate separation or divorce. I see what they are comfortable with and accordingly suggest means to resolve their tensions."

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...student-kills-himself/articleshow/6316906.cms

Smitten engineering student kills himself
TNN, Aug 16, 2010, 02.53am IST

BANGALORE: A 23-year-old engineering student, who was in love with his lecturer, hanged himself in her house at Rajarajeshwarinagar on Sunday.

Adithya Prasad was studying final year BE at RV College of Engineering. Police said Adithya was in love with his lecturer, who is six years older than him. On Saturday, he called her several times to his room. When she did not respond, he threatened to commit suicide.

Later in the night, he landed at the lecturer's house where he hanged himself. The lecturer went to her room in the evening and found Adithya dead. Police say he committed suicide anywhere between 4 pm and 5 pm. Adithya's parents were on the way from Jharkhand. However, the lecturer and her family were reluctant to lodge a complaint, the cops added.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...says-Priyankas-mother/articleshow/6321812.cms

Family planned the murder, says Priyanka's mother
TNN, Aug 16, 2010, 11.58pm IST

"How could I have suspected my son-in-law Sathish when he and Priyanka seemed happy over the past five months? All the warmth Sathish showed seems to have been a smokescreen for a plot he and his parents hatched over almost three months to murder my daughter," Kanchan Agarwal, mother of DPS teacher Priyanka Gupta, told TOI on Monday. Kanchan, crying incessantly, spoke about how the tragic incident unfolded.

TROUBLE SOON AFTER MARRIAGE

"Just two months after marriage, Priyanka was being troubled by her in-laws. They would shout at her and scold her for small things. They made her life miserable - if they didn't like the way the rotis were prepared, they would pass comments. Sathish would always support his parents and constantly nag Priyanka to listen to them. He never stood by her. I feared for her safety and even felt they would harm her physically. I asked her to be careful.

The early years of her marriage were not good. She was under a lot of psychological pressure from her in-laws. She would call us often, and as elders, we advised her, saying these things happen in the first few days in a new house, it could be adjustment problems. We comforted her, saying everything would be fine with time. There would be periods of calm when we believed everything was alright, then suddenly there would be periods of tension.

This imbalance went on for months. Sathish would always support his mother. Then I felt we had assessed the situation wrongly. I advised my daughter to move out separately so the everyday conflict with her in-laws and their pressure on her would stop. After some effort, she convinced Sathish and they set up their own house.

For the past six months, they were on their own. Priyanka would tell me what a relief it was, and that she and Sathish were happy. Sathish would call and say how much he loved Priyanka. Sathish's parents would only make some phone calls to them, but the tension had reduced and there was more happiness than at any time during her stay with her in-laws.

I came over to Bangalore in March this year. After a few days, Priyanka and I went to Kerala for treatment of her arthritis. We had a good time there. I stayed on till June 28 and left for Lucknow.

After this, Sathish called me many times to say he loved Priyanka more than anything else. He even complained, saying he had decided to gift her a car and set aside money, but she was not accepting it. He asked me to persuade Priyanka to accept the gift. Then he called again to say he was buying her a gold set.

When Sathish was so demonstrative of his affection for Priyanka, what reason could I have to believe he would plot to kill her? How could I have imagined that my son-in-law would have death in store for my daughter? I did not have even any clue of what was to come.

A FEW DAYS AGO

Just a few days before, Sathish called and said everything was fine. Then suddenly, Priyanka is found strangled and knifed. Was I living in a fool's paradise?

Why did this happen soon after we returned from Kerala? After he promised her a car and gold set? After saying so many times that he loved her more than anything else?

Me and my family thought over the entire episode. We felt the warmth shown by Sathish over the past few months was really a smokescreen for a plot that was hatched when we were in Kerala.

Sathish and his parents seemed to nurse a grouse that Priyanka had separated them. They were bitter that they had set up an independent house and that Priyanka was not giving in to his parents. I believe they decided to do away with her so that he and his parents didn't need to live separately.

The murder happened just 30-odd days after I left. The way Sathish planned the murder, the alibis, the cover-ups, his statements to the media and police, his crying and calling his friend, show clearly it was a plot.

Beneath the warmth and affection, there was animosity and revenge growing in Sathish and his parents. I believe their warmth was meant to mislead so we would not point fingers at them after the murder. We were looking at the surface and did not spot anything amiss. That was a tragic assumption on our part.

(As told to Prashanth G N )


Infosys suspends Sathish

Infosys Technologies said it had suspended Sathish Gupta, its HR manager who allegedly killed his wife Priyanka Gupta. An official of the company said Infosys had not received any intimation from the Bangalore police regarding the case, and would be able to take further action only on getting the details.

A statement from the company said: "Infosys is shocked and saddened by this gruesome incident. We will extend any cooperation that is required from our end for their investigation. We understand that our employee Mr Gupta has been arrested in connection with this crime. Infosys will examine the facts available from the investigation and take necessary action against our employee as per our code of conduct."

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...t-citys-facing-outage/articleshow/6322398.cms

Don't worry, says govt; but city's facing outage
TNN, Aug 17, 2010, 02.47am IST

BANGALORE: We are buying power, power-generation units are OK now, say the powers-that-be on Monday. But what is the ground situation?

Officially: There is only two hours of load shedding in the city, says Bescom MD Tushar Girinath.

Unofficially: Unscheduled power cuts range from three to five hours.

Officially: Chief ministerB S Yeddyurappa says 500 MW of power has been available since Sunday night.

Unofficially: No improvement in the power situation.

Officially: On Monday, Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd MD SM Jaamdar said BTPS units had started generating 200 MW of power, and one unit of Raichur Thermal Power Station had started functioning.

Unofficially: The situation is expected to improve in the coming days.

Can Bangaloreans expect some relief?

No. Bescom says it is not obliged to tell you how many hours of power cuts it plans to impose. If power generation dips, there will be power cuts in addition to the scheduled load shedding, says the Bescom MD. This statement has not shed any light on what the power situation will be in the days to come.

"I don't think the schedule announced five months ago holds relevance now. We face unscheduled power cuts every day. On Monday, there was no power for at least five hours," says an exasperated Shanthala Devi, a resident of Ramamurthy Nagar.

Are authorities listening?

KERC chief M R Sreenivasa Murthy's advice: people should start using more energy-efficient electrical devices.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...buys-1000MW-from-IPPs/articleshow/6321809.cms

State buys 1000MW from IPPs
TNN, Aug 16, 2010, 11.58pm IST

Under pressure from livid consumers reeling under frequent and long power outages, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa did his best on Monday to salvage the situation. The state entered into a pact with independent power producers to purchase 1,000MW to meet the shortfall.

Yeddyurappa told reporters that 500MW had been available from Sunday night. "I'll convene a meeting shortly to review the situation. Power-generating units in Raichur and Udupi will be repaired in a couple of days,'' he said.

At a review meeting of the departments of finance and forest, Yeddyurappa issued strict instructions to the commercial taxes department to plug leaks in revenue collection. Forest officials were told to deal sternly with illegal transportation of iron ore for export, failing which they would face disciplinary action.

Yeddyurappa discussed the implications of the introduction of goods and services tax (GST) on the state and decided to take a call on the new indirect tax regime once it takes final shape. He said non-Congress state governments, including DMK-led Tamil Nadu, have rejected it, and a discussion on the proposal is still on.

When questioned about most ministers not following his diktat on their presence in Vidhana Soudha once in a week to clear files, Yeddyurappa said cryptically, " Wait for 15 days and see significant changes."

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...cal-wizard-is-only-11/articleshow/6312646.cms

This numerical wizard is only 11
TNN, Aug 15, 2010, 02.16am IST

BANGALORE: He can calculate faster than one can feed the complex arithmetic problems into the computer. Ask him to add, subtract, divide or multiply and he'll shoot off answers in less than five seconds. It's a skill most adults don't master, but for 11-year-old Nikhil Nandhan, it's no big deal.

Aloha International, Malaysia, conducted an international level competition at Malacca, Malaysia on August 8. The competition was conducted in 2 phases, 1st phase in China and the 2nd phase in Malaysia, with around 2,000 students participating from 17 countries, including China, America, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. Six students from Karnataka who took part in the competition have won prizes.

"The Aloha programme has helped a lot in increasing my speed of calculating and learning mathematics. I love playing with numbers," said Nikhil. Nikhil bagged the 2nd prize and had to compete with candidates well beyond his age to grab the position. The girl who secured the first place was five years older than Nikhil.

Nikhil has stood first in three state and three national level competitions consistently since 2007. In 2009, he received the Karnataka government `The Makkala Pratibha Puraskara Prashasthi' award.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-at-blaring-motorists/articleshow/6316914.cms

Kids honk messages at blaring motorists
TNN, Aug 16, 2010, 02.58am IST

Students of New Horizon group of institutions wish for freedom of a different kind — from insane honking on Bangalore roads. On Independence Day, they voiced their opinion in as many words and in action. For them, it was celebration with a difference.

On Sunday, these students were out on a campaign to make people quit honking. Dressed as freedom fighters, they visited places like M G Road, Brigade Road, Garuda Mall, Forum Mall, Manipal Hospital and Chinmaya Hospital carrying banners and shouting slogans.

'Honking is maddening'; 'Loud horn is not ok please', read some of the banners. Students were divided into groups of around 20 each and sent to different parts of the city to spread the 'no-honking' message.

"During the first half-an-hour, people almost stopped honking at the signal after seeing us holding the banners and crying out not to honk. It seems to have had its effect," said Rohit Mukherjee, a class VIII student who was present in front of Forum Mall.

"It has been tiring. But we feel happy we could do something good on Independence Day, rather than sitting idle at home," said Ramya R, another student.

The students have submitted a memorandum to the chief minister, which asserts the importance of no honking and how to implement it. "We are trying to make people aware of the menace of honking. It can even trigger problems like road rage," said Radhika Lobo, principal, New Horizon Public School.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-firm-employee-robbed/articleshow/6316912.cms

Finance firm employee robbed
TNN, Aug 16, 2010, 02.56am IST

BANGALORE: A private finance company employee was robbed on Saturday evening after being assaulted with a machete near Chennammanakere Achkut, while returning to his office with the day's collection of Rs 3.3 lakh.

Tulasi Ram, the employee, told police that every day, he would pick up the day's collection from branches at SR Nagar, BTM Layout and Banashankari.

On Saturday evening, Tulasi Ram was riding back with the money near Nagada temple when three persons attacked and robbed him. The attackers left behind the machete and a shirt.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...l-2nd-floor-in-Mumbai/articleshow/6321049.cms

Patient dies after jumping from hospital 2nd floor in Mumbai
PTI, Aug 16, 2010, 09.12pm IST

MUMBAI: A patient undergoing treatment at the civic-run KEM Hospital allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the second floor of the hospital at Parel in central Mumbai today, police said.

The deceased identified as Baliram Bhaval, 30, a resident of Mahatma Phule Chawl in Kandivali, was undergoing treatment for low blood platelet count the KEM hospital, they said.

He was admitted to S K Patil hospital in Malad a few days ago. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to KEM hospital, police said.

He seemed frustrated and would shout in anger throughout the day in the hospital disturbing all, they added.

Bhaval's family members had decided to take him to their native place for treatment, police said adding at around 5.30 am, a taxi was hired and he was taken towards the vehicle.

Bhaval suddenly ran towards the hospital and jumped from the second floor of the building, resulting in his death, police said.

 

[Pintu]

'State plotting to take over BMC' - Mumbai - City - The Times of India

'State plotting to take over BMC'
Ambarish Mishra & Sanjeev Shivadekar, TNN, Aug 22, 2010, 03.35am IST

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday accused the Maharashtra government of plotting to transfer the BMC's water supply, solid waste management and transport portfolios to a government agency.

"The plan is to hand over the city to 'arkari babus' on a silver platter and clear the decks to turn Mumbai into a Union territory,'' claimed Uddhav.

Speaking at an informal meeting with mediapersons at a suburban hotel, Uddhav said, "The government is keen on impinging on the BMC's autonomy and dignity. Mantralaya has finalized a Bill to take away key portfolios from the BMC and hand them over to a special agency. No prizes to guess that this special agency is the state-run MMRDA.''

While T C Benjamin, principal secretary, urban development, told TOI that there was no move to hand over key BMC portfolios to a government agency, senior Sena leader Subhash Desai, MLA, who was seated next to Thackeray, claimed that the Bill was in the pipeline and the legislation was to be introduced at the winter session of the state legislature scheduled for December.

Thackeray said that Sena legislators would oppose the Bill "tooth and nail'' when it is introduced in the state legislature. Thackeray will shortly hold a meeting of party legislators to finalize the party's floor strategy on the issue, sources said.

The Sena has giving its full attention to Mumbai, which will elect a new civic body in 2012. Last week, the Sena crossed swords with the Congress party after Bhai Jagtap, a senior Congressman and MLC, mooted the idea of the BMC's bifurcation for administrative convenience. Jagtap is said to be close to chief minister Ashok Chavan.

However, in the face of strong protests from the Sena, Chavan had to clarify that Jagtap's views were his own and that the state government has no such plans.

The Sena could well be raising the 'umbai-as-Union-territory' bogey to consolidate its Marathi vote-bank in the run-up to the BMC elections, say political observers.

Stating that the state has been planning "step-by-step'' to keep the BMC under its belt, Thackeray said, "The DF government's single-point agenda is real estate. It wants to speed up construction activity in Mumbai at whatever cost. The government can go ahead with its sinister plan only by cutting the BMC and the Sena-BJP to size.''

 

[Pintu]

Undertaker gets Queen's honour for 26/11 services - Mumbai - City - The Times of India

Undertaker gets Queen's honour for 26/11 services
Shibu Thomas, TNN, Aug 22, 2010, 03.36am IST

MUMBAI: A year and a half after the 26/11 terror attack, a city undertaker has become the recipient of one of Britain's highest honours for civilians. Last week, John Pinto was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of British Empire) for services to the community.

"It came as a surprise for me. Never in my farthest dreams did I imagine that my profession, which is still considered taboo in India, would win me such an honour," said Pinto.

The Order of the British Empire was established in 1917 by King George V. The MBE, the first level of the OBE, is awarded for outstanding service to the community that merits public recognition.

"The MBE is awarded to overseas citizens who have made a strong and sustained contribution in their country to the British community," said Shireen Mistry, spokesperson for the British High Commission. "Pinto was awarded the MBE for his longstanding service and assistance," she added.

Pinto and his wife Edna started their undertaker business with a small office at Jacob Circle in 1981. Nineteen years later, the concern has grown, with offices in all the major cities in India.

"It is not just a business for us. What a family member of a deceased requires at that time is the consolation and help that we provide," said Pinto. Over the years, besides offering services to local residents, the Pintos have also repatriated bodies of foreign nationals, many of them tourists who died in India.

So when the first deaths of foreign nationals were reported on November 26, 2008, the consular offices contacted Pinto. "It was one of the worst cases we handled,'' said Edna. The Pintos handled 95% of the bodies, preserving and embalming them for their journey back to their home countries. "My staff and family worked round the clock for five days to ensure that the bodies, some of which were in a terrible state, were presentable to reduce the trauma of the families," she added.

While bestowing the MBE, Peter Beckingham, British deputy high commissioner, mentioned the "dignity with which Pinto handled the bodies of the 26/11 victims and the way the bodies were preserved so that they could be identified by the next of kin".

Other consulates too showed their appreciation for the Pintos' efforts. "Your attention to detail and your sensitivity in working with our foreign service officers and affected families allowed us to provide a better level of service at this critical time," the US consulate wrote to Pinto after the attacks. "Times of trial like 26/11 are when the strength and generosity of citizens like you become so vivid."

For the Pintos though, it was the 1992-93 post-Babri riots and serial blasts that were a defining moment. "It was a horrible time. We were the only establishment allowed to remain open and we drove the bodies of victims to families through curfew," he added.

Pinto hopes the British honour would accord respect to the profession. "We wouldn't mind some appreciation from our government too," he said.

 

[Pintu]

Flights arriving late between 9-11 pm could be diverted - Mumbai - City - The Times of India

Flights arriving late between 9-11 pm could be diverted
TNN, Aug 22, 2010, 03.47am IST

MUMBAI: Boosted by the success of the strict on-time-departure policy at Mumbai and Delhi airports, civil aviation and airport officials are now proposing that flights arriving at these airports better stick to schedule or be diverted to other cities.

Officials are working on ways to implement the plan, which will initially apply only to arrivals during the peak night traffic hours between 9 pm and 11 pm. The DGCA has also been taken on board.

Since July, the ministry and DGCA made it mandatory for flights to keep to their departure slots at Mumbai and Delhi airports or be pushed back to the end of the queue.

The step saw the massive morning delays almost disappear with airports recording 80-90% on-time departures. Now, officials are looking to do the same with the major night arrival delays.

 

[Pintu]

Three-year-old girl falls into gutter at Chembur, drowns - Mumbai - City - The Times of India

Three-year-old girl falls into gutter at Chembur, drowns
TNN, Aug 22, 2010, 02.50am IST

MUMBAI: The body of a three-year-old girl, Pramila Maske, was found in a gutter at Chembur on Saturday morning. The deceased had been missing since Friday evening and her family had filed a missing persons complaint at the Chembur police station.

Pramila lived in a slum at Anant Nagar. The police said that on Friday, she was playing near her house when she slipped and fell into the gutter. The next day, local residents saw a body floating in the gutter and notified the police. Maske's family has identified the body.

 

[Pintu]

Vashi man killed by wife's lover - Mumbai - City - The Times of India

Vashi man killed by wife's lover
TNN, Aug 22, 2010, 02.53am IST

NAVI MUMBAI: The body of a 30-year-old man, Dinesh Kumar Yadav was found at Juhugaon, Vashi on Saturday morning. His throat had been slit.

Yadav had gone missing three days ago. The Vashi police have detained Yadav's wife Reena and their neighbour, Ashok Nisar, with whom she was allegedly having an affair.

Three of Nisar's friends: Gopi Bansi, Sitaram Nisar and Kamlesh Gound have also been arrested.

 

[Pintu]

Elephant rescued last week forced to beg again - Mumbai - City - The Times of India

Elephant rescued last week forced to beg again
Vijay Singh, TNN, Aug 22, 2010, 02.55am IST

NAVI MUMBAI: An injured female elephant, Laxmi, that was rescued and kept at the Mulund police station only a week ago was again seen on Friday, being taken out on the streets of Naupada in Thane for begging.

Activists of People For Animals (PFA) once again rushed to Laxmi's aid at Thane where the pachyderm was in visible pain because of an old back injury but was still being made to walk on the road, which is jammed with vehicles.

"It was rather sad to see the same injured elephant we had rescued at Mulund, now being forced to beg in Thane. Despite a stern police warning, Laxmi's mahout continues to break wildlife rules that bar elephants in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai regions,'' said Amisha Shah of PFA.

Along with another activist, Dharmesh Solanki, Shah contacted the Naupada police on Friday. They also called up the wildlife department (Thane) for more help.

However, as wildlife officials expressed helplessness, they asked the police to penalise the mahout and the owner of the elephant.

The owner, Goswami, along with the mahout, was then summoned to the police station and both were booked for violating the order issued by the Thane wildlife department. They were also charged under the Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, and under the Bombay Police Act.

(If you find an elephant being forced to beg in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mum call PFA on: 9821215661 / 9820561522 & PAWS (Bhandup) on 9892179542)

 

[Pintu]

RTO to drive out autos, taxis with 'dead' permits - Mumbai - City - The Times of India

RTO to drive out autos, taxis with 'dead' permits
Somit Sen, TNN, Aug 22, 2010, 03.06am IST

MUMBAI: Come September and the regional transport office will launch a special campaign against taxi and auto drivers plying vehicles with "expired'' permits.

Though the state transport department stopped issuing new permits to taxi/auto drivers after 1997, as many as 2,000 taxis and 5,000 autos are suspected to be plying illegally and are driven by those whose permits have long expired. "We have received complaints from several quarters, including union offices and citizens' groups. We will begin a crackdown on such drivers from September 1,'' state transport commissioner Dilip Jadhav told TOI on Saturday.

He said driving without a permit was a serious offence and the culprit can even be jailed under the provision of the Indian Penal Code.

About the ongoing drive against drivers refusing passengers, Jadhav said, "We began a campaign against refusals more than a month ago after chief minister Ashok Chavan launched our tollfree helpline (1800-22-0110).'' The helpline has reportedly received more than 2,500 calls about several issues, but 1,244 of them were about complaints against drivers refusing to ply. "We sent notices to the drivers following which we suspended permits of 655 auto/taxi drivers and confiscated licences of 380 others. This is the biggest action that we have taken against drivers refusing passengers in the past two months. Some of the complaints are still under investigation and we plan to book more offenders,'' Jadhav said.

He appealed to citizens to lodge complaints on the tollfree number and assured prompt action. The complaints are directed by the main control room to the regional offices at Tardeo (central), Wadala (eastern) and Andheri (western), which issue notices to errant drivers. "After seven days' notice period, we investigate and prosecute the drivers,'' Jadhav said.