News Accross India, Month of August, 2010

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Woman-kills-self-husband-held/articleshow/6263292.cms

Woman kills self', husband held
TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 04.54am IST

PUNE: A 27-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her residence in Bibvewadi on July 31, following alleged physical and mental harassment by her husband and his relatives.

The deceased was identified as Swati Dhananjay Wable of Dharmavir Park, Bibvewadi. The police have arrested Swati's husband, Dhananjay Wable (32), under sections 498 (a) (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC. A complaint in this regard has been lodged by Swati's father, Keshav Manik Shivalkar (55), of Ahmednagar.

Sub-inspector R S Jagdale of the Sahakarnagar police station said that Swati and Wable got married in 2004. Wable earlier owned a workshop at Baramati, but moved to Pune following financial losses in his business. He started dealing in property here, along with his relatives. Wable and his relatives would harass Swati, demanding that she bring Rs 7 lakh from her parents to help their new business. Frustrated by the continuous harassment, she allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself with a dupatta. "We have arrested Wable and booked his parents in this regard," Jagdale added.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...lling-from-helicopter/articleshow/6266192.cms

Crew member killed after falling from helicopter
PTI, Aug 6, 2010, 05.55pm IST

ITANAGAR: In a freak accident, a crew member of a Pawan Hans helicopter fell to his death when its door flung open in-flight in Arunachal Pradesh early today.

The crew member, Dhananjay Roy, fell to his death when the door of the 24-seater MI-17 belonging to the state-run Pawan Hans Helicopter Limited opened suddenly, official sources said.

There were five crew members and five passengers on board, they said.

The accident occurred five minutes after the helicopter took off from Namsai town in Lohit district at 0615 hours when it was flying over the Lathao town, officials in the Mohanbari air traffic control said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry into the accident, an official spokesperson said in New Delhi.

The helicopter was travelling on the Itanagar- Mohanbari-Namsai-Tezu-Hayuliang route, the sources said, adding the body of the 40-year-old victim was brought back to Itanagar.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...e-digs-up-benami-dirt/articleshow/6268648.cms

Karnataka iron ore mining probe digs up benami dirt
Vinay Madhav, TNN, Aug 7, 2010, 04.17am IST

BANGALORE: Where does the mining money come from and go to? Who are the mine owners in Bellary? Are the accounts in their names? There seem to be no answers.

The Lokayukta investigation into illegal mining in Bellary district has dug up this mine maze. What was evident was that there were benami transactions galore — at every stage of the mining activity — from obtaining licence to mining ore to exporting it to banking the money.

Sample this: There are 11 bank accounts relating to Bellary mining industry and thousands of crores of rupees are transacted in these accounts. But no one knows who the original owners are. Shockingly, at the end of the transactions, the balance is levelled to zero, even without mentioning in what mode the money was transacted. But no one knows where the money went to. These accounts are used for handling money coming from export of iron ore.

Showing some orders, the account holders raise invoices and withdraw some money in advance. When the payment arrives, the bills are discounted and balance amount mysteriously moves out of the account. This is suspected to be
the way black money is produced in the mining industry.

A shocked Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde is now planning to approach the RBI and Enforcement Directorate to assist them in the probe. "We need some well-experienced auditor to tell us how these accounts are transacted," Justice Hegde told TOI.

These bank accounts are just a few in the 'chain of benamis' the Lokayukta has found. "We presumed that 'benami' is one person handling the issue on behalf of others. But in Bellary, it is a chain of benami transactions. In many places, the person, in whose name the business is, may not even know that there is something like that exists. Besides, there is no link between one benami transaction and another," he stated.

There are various levels in mining industry — right from obtaining mining licence to export of ore. Though the entire business is run by one person, he handles each level in fictitious names. In the first place, many small mining licences are in fictitious names and the persons, in whose names the licence exist, are difficult to find.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...nto-fold-after-22-yrs/articleshow/6268637.cms

Khap lets family back into fold after 22 yrs
Deepender Deswal, TNN, Aug 7, 2010, 04.12am IST

ROHTAK: It has taken 22 years for a Bhiwani village family to restore its normal ties with fellow villagers. All these years, a social boycott imposed by two khaps, had left the family almost isolated as none would interact with them. The family's fault: two marriages within 'bhaichara gotra' (a group of sub-castes with "brotherly relations" in villages).

The local khap panchayat has restored Chandram family's social ties with Barwas village and announced inclusion of the family into the village mainstream.

The relief for the family, however, came after the death of two brothers, who had been charged with violating the social norms by marrying off their sons with the girls belonging to 'bhaichara gotra.' The family members, including those whose marriage had invited the wrath, had recently appealed to the khap panchayats to reconsider their decision.

Chandram, a resident of Barwas village, had got his sons, Sajjan Singh and Umed Singh, married to two sisters in Bairan village of Churu district in Rajasthan. While Barwas belongs to Sheoran khap, Bairan falls under Sindoliya khap. These khaps have a tradition of 'bhaichara' (brotherly relations). So, the wedding angered members of both khaps.

The khaps issued a diktat of social boycott of the families of Chandram and his brother Shrichand and announced "punishment" to anyone having ties with Chandram-Srichand families.

On Thursday, a joint khap meeting, headed by Amarchand Chaihar, decided to end the social boycott of Chandram's family.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...resisting-eve-teasers/articleshow/6268642.cms

Man attacked for resisting eve-teasers
TNN, Aug 7, 2010, 04.14am IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A dispute over more than a month-old eve-teasing incident took a violent turn in Kerala's Alappuzha district with armed assailants badly injuring a youth who dared to challenge them.

Abhilash, who plies an auto rickshaw, got grievous injuries just above his forearm last Wednesday night after being attacked by armed assailants, who cut his flesh and broke bones. Abhilash was admitted to Kottayam medical college where doctors sutured the flesh back.

The incident occurred at Chengannur when the 24-year-old auto driver was returning home with his relatives, including two women, who also suffered injuries.

Police believed the incident to be a continuation of an eve-teasing episode which occurred over a month ago. Abhilash had questioned one of the gang members, Manoj, for passing lewd remarks at his cousin. Police registered an attempt to murder charges against eight persons.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...dfills-to-divide-load/articleshow/6267998.cms

Two landfills to divide load
TNN, Aug 7, 2010, 05.29am IST

The authorities at Kolkata Municipal Corporation have begun a desperate search for a landfill site five years too late. The Dhapa dump was to have been shut down in 2005 but it is still being burdened with tonnes of waste every day at grave risk to the city.

An alternative site is proving hard to find. First, the East Kolkata Wetland Authority has categorically told KMC that no more land will be leased out in the Ramsar site for dumping of waste. Second, Trinamool Congress' stated stand against land acquisition will make it doubly difficult to get a large parcel of land.

Debabrata Majumder, the mayor-in-council member overseeing solid waste management, realized this was one of his priorities as soon as he took over. "It is critical to locate and finalize alternative sites because Dhapa will have to be shut down soon. Decentralization of dumping appears to be the only viable and logical solution," Majumder said.

Instead of one large chunk of land, Majumder and his men are eyeing two plots on two ends of the city in Rajarhat, to the east, and Joka, south-west.

Two dumping grounds at opposite ends of the city will not only ensure that less land is required at each location, but also that more waste is disposed of since the trucks can do more trips in a day.

The KMC team is scouting for a 300-acre land in Rajarhat to set up a scientific landfill' that will be engineered to manage and treat waste effectively. While waste from north, central and east Kolkata will be transported to Rajarhat, those from south and southwest will be taken to Joka.

With the population boom along the south-southwestern fringes (Garia-Behala arc), the idea of a dumping ground near Joka makes a lot of sense, says environment activist Subhas Datta.

"Decentralisation of the city's waste disposal sites can cut down pollution from both spillage and emission by rickety lorries carrying the waste. Multiple dump sites can also be managed better because there will be less load to deal with at each of them. Also, modern technologies for waste management that could not be adopted earlier due to the sheer bulk of waste at one location can now be viable at the two sites," Dutta said.

Biswajit Mukherjee, chief law officer of West Bengal Pollution Control Board, feels induction of technology to manage waste is a crying need for a metropolis the size of Kolkata. "Waste needs to be effectively recycled and reused. Mere dumping will not solve the problem. If the waste is converted to wealth by segregating and recycling the non-biodegradable elements and the rest is used to generate electricity, it will be a sustainable model," he said.

Even former mayor-in-council member (SWM) Chandana Ghosh Dastidar, who was in the previous Left Board, acknowledges that the idea is a good one. "It must be implemented on an SOS basis' as the current dumping ground at Dhapa has outlived it capacity and fast turning hazardous," she said.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...al-is-in-a-messSubhas/articleshow/6268002.cms

Garbage disposal is in a mess' Subhas
TNN, Aug 7, 2010, 05.14am IST

The garbage collection and disposal system is antiquated and needs to be discarded immediately. To begin with, our collection workers are not properly trained. Nor are they provided with the right equipment for the job.

Most importantly, the timing of garbage removal in Kolkata is wrong. The waste remains uncollected through the morning and is picked up during the rush hour, leading to traffic snarls.

It had been decided long back that the open vat system would be abolished. Decisions were taken and rules made, but nothing happened. We still have filthy vats overflowing with stinking trash all over the city. It is a disgrace and an eyesore at places like Camac Street and Brabourne Road, where the garbage remains uncollected for hours and spills on to the road.

Even the way the garbage is picked up from the vats in our city is faulty. A significant portion is always left uncollected and the trucks leave a trail of trash al along the way.

Finally, we need to find a suitable alternative for the Dhapa dumping ground. It has become over-saturated and has no space to receive any more garbage. But tonnes of waste are still being dumped there, which is risky both from the health point of view and the workers' safety.

Some portions have become so high that they can't be reached. There have been landslides and there will more in future if it is continued to be used unscientifically.

With the city's expansion and rise in population, the garbage volume has gone up. Ideally, we should have shifted to an alternative site much earlier. Unfortunately, no initiative has yet been taken.

Also, we have done precious little to ensure segregation of bio-degradable and non bio-degradable waste. We have been discussing it and debating the issue, but doing nothing in this regard. Cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad have taken these steps long

ago and it's time we learnt from them.

What is needed is a thorough masterplan for waste management and not the piecemeal, ad-hoc measures that we have been relying on so long.

The author is an

environment activist

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-need-freedom-to-wear/articleshow/6263560.cms

Campus buzz: Students need freedom to wear
TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 05.25am IST

College students need to be given some amount of freedom when it comes to "wearing right" in college, but that does not mean students would dress irresponsibly. This was the refrain in premier college campuses across the city on Thursday.

In campuses like St Xavier's, Loreto College, Bhowanipore Education Society and Presidency College where making a fashion statement is perhaps just as important as academics one found the issue being discussed with great gusto. Though there is no formal dress code in any of these colleges, one found an unwritten rule in operation: skin-tight clothes and skin show are a strict no-no.

A notice that was put up at the St Xavier's College notice board is still in vogue. It was put up by former principal P C Mathew and said that students should be decently dressed on the campus and that it was left to the "good sense" of the students to decide what decency meant. Traditionally the college catwalk the long stretch of walkway outside the erstwhile green benches has been the place where fashion-conscious boys and girls of the college flaunt their clothes.

"While we don't expect young girls just out of school to only come to college wearing salwar suits, because they have just tasted the freedom to come out of the uniform, we want them to respect the discipline of the college. I don't find anything wrong with jeans and t-shirts but those that scream loud messages or ones that are too revealing should never be worn to college. I am happy that our students realise this and comply," said Father Felix Raj, principal of St Xavier's College.

At Bhownipore Education Society, where students come to college at ease wearing even sleeveless t-shirts and shorts, one saw a lot of support for the Muralidhar College management.

"One should never wear revealing clothes to college. What is more important is that one should wear clothes that suit one's figure. The college management certainly reserves the right to remind students that in a college students should not wear body-revealing clothes," said Anjali Agarwal, a first-year B Com student.

Presidency College is extremely relaxed about clothes that students wear to college and so, there was a mix of sarees and shorts sharing the same bench in a classroom.

"This college has always believed in freedom of all kinds. When students come here, they have already crossed the threshold of adulthood and they know what is best for themselves. You can even wear the saree in a most revealing way and not look obscene in shorts," said a senior teacher of the English department.

Anahita, a first-year student of the college, said that times have changed and colleges should no longer expect students to come to college only in long skirts or salwar suits. "Jeans and t-shirts are just like a second skin to us and colleges should not see anything wrong in that. However, tops that reveal the midriff or those that have loud messages scribbled across the chest should certainly be avoided. But that should come from within and not through college diktats, because the latter only helps to spread bitterness, as has happened in Muralidhar College," she said.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-to-dress-code-diktat/articleshow/6263559.cms

Mixed reactions to dress code diktat
TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 05.26am IST

A day after the furore among Muralidhar Girls' College students over their principal's circular warning them to dress decently and not wear "indecent" clothes to college, the students were a divided lot. While a section sided with the principal, saying the order was justified, the rest felt it was an infringement of individual freedom.

A first-year history honours student felt that such a guidance from the authorities was necessary. "The students are fresh out of school and are stepping into the relative freedom of college life. They have an urge to show off various outfits that they have purchased over the years. It is important for the college authorities to teach them to differentiate between decent and indecent clothes. More so because they have just bid goodbye to school uniforms," she said on Thursday.

The college union, too, was unanimous in its support of the principal. "I do not see it as an attempt by the principal to dictate to students what they should or should not wear. All that the circular requires of students is to wear decent clothes which are not revealing," said a union member.

A second-year student of English honours, however, felt the order was "unfair". "We have all attained maturity. We know what is decent and what's not. If the college authorities thought any particular student is dressing in a revealing manner, they could have pulled her up," she said.

Principal Manjushree Tarafdar seemed annoyed over the way the media had played up her circular and the students'

reaction to it. "I think

it is an unnecessary

hype created by the media," she said. "My circular is being misinterpreted. I have never asked students not to wear western clothes. Rather, I have requested them not to wear revealing outfits which look odd in an educational institute."

"If we have the right to monitor the behaviour of kids and teach them values and ethics, do we not have the right to teach them what clothes are to be worn in which places? This also should form part of the values taught by teachers in college. I believe that a majority of students in my college are extremely decent and wear clothes which reflect their good taste. However, like in other institutes, even in my college, there are a few kids who have a different sense of dressing. The circular was issued for those children," she added.

Tarafdar also felt that parents should make their daughters understand the kind of outfits they should wear while going to college. "If the guardians do not teach them what is necessary to be taught before stepping into college, there is no other option but to issue such circulars and set up guidelines," she said.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...he-country-say-heroes/articleshow/6263558.cms

Do your bit for the country, say heroes
Monalisa Chakraborty, TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 05.29am IST

KOLKATA: "It was -35 degrees Celsius, snowing heavily and extremely hazardous, but we still went ahead because it was our responsibility to protect our nation," Param Veer Chakra Honorary Captain Bana Singh recalled about the Siachen Conflict at Vidya Mandir on Thursday where he was felicitated by the Birla High School Alumni Association along with Naib Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav and Havildar Sanjay Kumar to instill patriotism in the students.

In 1987, when Bana Singh volunteered to join the special task force that was constituted to infiltrate the Pakistani intruders in the Siachen glacier, he was unsure about the outcome.

"Nobody likes to fight but when your country needs you, you go ahead," Bana said. "It is only because of the blessings of my countrymen that I have been able to safeguard the honour of my country and stand before you today, alive."

The voice of Sanjay Kumar didn't waver one bit as he recounted his experience of fighting in Kargil in 1999. "The terrain was very tough, it was extremely cold yet we forged ahead. Two of my teammates died. Without bothering about my injuries, I went on and killed the enemy with their own weapons," Singh said. "Jo sachchai ke liye larte hain, woh hamesha jeette hain (He who fights for truth, will always win). We have worn this uniform to protect our country but each of us has the responsibility of doing something for the nation."

Yogender Singh Yadav feels it is the will of God that pulled him back from the jaws of death and, more importantly, helped him achieve his objective under overwhelming odds. "We faced so many obstacles yet we were successful, because god was with us," he said.

Deputy general officer commanding (Bengal Area) Brigadier A K Sharma was the chief guest of the occasion. Hearing the students sing patriotic numbers, he said: "The way they sung from their hearts, nothing can be greater proof that many of them will follow the path taken by these three brave men who are here with us today."

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-off-terrace-with-him/articleshow/6258836.cms

Man forces wife to jump off terrace with him
TNN, Aug 5, 2010, 02.59am IST

HOWRAH: A jute mill worker forced his wife to jump along with him from the fifth floor terrace of a building in Howrah's Dumurjola on Wednesday morning. Dhanand Ram, 32, died on the spot while his wife Nirmala is fighting for life at SSKM Hospital.

Dhanand, who worked at a jute mill in Hooghly's Rishra, had planned to commit suicide but evidently wanted Nirmala to die with him. He lay in hiding on the terrace of the Howrah Improvement Trust building, which houses his in-laws' flat, since early on Wednesday.

Dhanand knew his wife would routinely climb to the terrace around 10 am to hang clothes for drying. As Nirmala came, he grabbed her from behind and jumped off the terrace with Nirmala in his arms.

Alerted by the thud, residents rushed out and saw the couple lying in a pool of blood on the ground. They rushed the two to Howrah Hospital where Dhanand was declared dead, while Nirmala was referred to SSKM Hospital. She has injuries on the head and all over the body. Shibpur police are investigating what drove Dhanand to take the step.

Dhanand and Nirmala had been married for five years and have a three-year-old son. They had rented a two-room house in Rishra near the mill Dhanand worked in. "The couple had been quarrelling for some time and their landlord in Rishra had served them notice to leave. He had even suggested that Nirmala live in her parental home till then," said Suresh Das, Nirmala's uncle.

Accordingly, Dhanand had brought his wife and son to Dumurjola on July 29. "Over the past few days, Dhanand had dropped in a few times and threatened my daughter with dire consequences unless she accompanied him back home. We had warned him that we would go to police if he made such threats again," said Tara Das, Nirmala's mother.

"Nirmala had probably not noticed Dhanand because she had hung a few clothes. He must have been hiding, possibly behind the water tank, and suddenly pounced on her from behind," said Suresh.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-a-woman-in-mans-garb/articleshow/6268691.cms

Life of a woman in man's garb
TNN, Aug 7, 2010, 04.38am IST

BANGALORE: It was a rare moment of meaningful joy for 42-year-old Revathi, a social activist-turned-writer.

The special book launch at Reliance TimeOut on Friday proved it. Tears of joy over the book of her experiences were hard to miss. Revathi, a Class 10 fail from a village in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, can hardly speak a few words in English. But she understands every single word in her translated autobiography — The Truth About Me: A Hijra Life Story. It was read out as quick excerpts by theatre personality Kirtana Kumar.

The late-evening fun trips to the hill-top with 'special' friends as a boy, becoming witness to one of them being sexually harrased by policemen and going through the 40-day ritual of hijras sleeping with legs apart without even looking at the mirror — these were just a few of her experiences.

The book is a translation of the author's original work in Tamil — Unarvum Uruvamum (Emotions and Body) — which won an award from the Canadian Tamil Sangam recently. "This book has many characters I came across and how they changed my life, including my lovers and family. My intention is not to hurt anyone but to say we are individuals with similar emotions and aspirations as anyone else," am emotional Revathi said.

From a shy documentarian cutting papers at Sangama's office to signing autographs, it's been a long journey for this transsexual. Published by Penguin Books, the 304-page book is the first-person account of a 'life of a woman trapped in a man's garb'.

Revathi's dream: "The book should be made part of school curriculum."

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...against-IIT-D-student/articleshow/6267673.cms

Court frames charges against IIT-D student
TNN, Aug 7, 2010, 03.13am IST

NEW DELHI: Nine months after a girl from north east was murdered and burnt by a PhD student of IIT-Delhi in south Delhi, a sessions court has framed charges of murder and destruction of evidence against the accused.

Paving the way for the trial, additional sessions judge Dharmaesh Kumar Sharma said: "I consider that prima facie charges under sections 302 and 201 of IPC are made out against the accused. Charges framed accordingly to which accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.''

The court has now put the matter for recording of prosecution evidence from November 1, 2010. As per the case, 34-year-old Pushpam Sinha, a PhD student of IIT-Delhi, had on October 24, last year allegedly murdered and burnt a teenager who was his neighbour in Munirka in south Delhi. The victim, Ramchanphy Hongray, who hailed from Manipur, was visiting her sister when the incident happened. The postmortem report had revealed that the 19-year-old girl was strangled to death and burnt.

Sinha, who hails from Patna, had graduated from an engineering college in Allahabad and completed his MSc from IISc in Bangalore. He was doing PhD in wave mechanics from IIT-Delhi on a monthly scholarship of Rs 14,000. Sinha reportedly told the cops he was the nextdoor neighbour of Hongray and she had been rejecting his advances over the past few days. On October 24, when she was alone at home, he entered the house and assaulted her. When she resisted, he allegedly strangled her and then set her body on fire in the kitchen to remove evidence, police said. A murder case was registered at Vasant Vihar station.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...llegedly-raped-in-car/articleshow/6260389.cms

Delhi University student allegedly raped in car
IANS, Aug 5, 2010, 12.37pm IST

NEW DELHI: A businessman has been arrested on charges of abducting and raping a 17-year-old student of Delhi University in his car here, police said on Thursday.

The first year student was on her way back from college on Wednesday evening when Mukesh Singhal dragged her inside his Wagon R car in Moti Nagar in west Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sharad Agarwal said.

"Singhal stopped his car and asked her an address. When she responded, he pulled her inside the car and took her to an isolated place where she was raped," Agarwal told IANS.

The accused, a resident of Ashok Vihar in north Delhi, later dumped her in front of her college.

"The victim then approached the police and was taken to a hospital, where medical examination has confirmed rape," Agarwal said.

Singhal, who runs a paper producing factory, has been arrested.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-peacocks-near-Godhra/articleshow/6272257.cms

Duo nabbed for killing peacocks near Godhra
TNN, Aug 7, 2010, 10.20pm IST

VADODARA: The Panchmahal district forest department and police nabbed two persons for killing peacocks in the district. The duo was nabbed after the departments received a tip-off in this regard.

Sikandar Dant and his aide Ishwar Nayak, both residents of the Khajuri Sampa village of Godhra taluka were nabbed after they had killed three peacocks near the village and took them to Dant's house. They had skilled the peacocks to remove their flesh when the raid was conducted.

Remains of other peacocks were also found at the house and were seized by the Godhra taluka police. Sources said that while Dant used to gun down the peacocks, Nayak used to help him by spotting them and accompanying him with a flashlight.

The police are trying to identify the reason for the duo killing the peacocks. Sources said that the police is finding it difficult to believe that the bird was being killed merely to eat it.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-bus-man-dies-on-spot/articleshow/6267233.cms

Knocked down by VITCOS bus, man dies on spot
TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 11.12pm IST

VADODARA: A 30-year-old person was crushed under a VITCOS bus on Friday near Khanderao Market. The person, who is yet to be identified, died on the spot after the bus' wheel ran over his body and head. Bus driver fled from the spot and is yet to be arrested. This is the third incident wherein pedestrians have been knocked down by a VITCOS bus in the last few days.

"The victim was crossing the road near Allahabad Bank, when the bus hit him. He fell down and came under the bus. The victim died on the spot," said Navapura police officials. "We are trying to ascertain victim's identity. Also, we will arrest the driver soon," police officials added.

The accident left pedestrians and commuters enraged as complaints of rash driving against drivers of VITCOS buses are increasing with each passing day. A senior citizen was knocked down by a VITCOS bus just a few days ago in Fatehgunj area. The victim died in the accident. Last month, a middle-aged wman fell down from moving VITCOS bus and her arms came under the bus' wheel on Central Jail Road. Mob pelted stones at VITCOS bus that rammed auto-rickshaw in Salatwada area in March this year.

The woman died during treatment in SSG Hospital. "Drivers of VITCOS buses drive very rashly even in busy areas. They move the bus at top speed and try to overtake all vehicles. Sometimes they bring the buses very close to two-wheelers and honk loudly. The bus operators should be made accountable for such rash driving," said Pritesh Shah, a daily commuter.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/Man-robbed-in-Fatehgunj/articleshow/6272260.cms

Man robbed in Fatehgunj
TNN, Aug 7, 2010, 10.22pm IST

VADODARA: A man returning home after dinner was robbed in Fatehgunj area by unidentified persons on Friday night. Besides valuables, the robbers also took away the motorcycle that the man was riding.

Dhaval Shah, a resident of Aditya Bungalows, was returning home on his motorcycle after dinner when he was stopped by two unidentified persons. The robbers had waylaid Shah near the Fatehsinhrao Gymkhana using their motorcycle and started beating him with bare hands.

Shah was left stunned because of the incident and the robbers snatched a rudraksh' necklace made in god that he was wearing. They also forced Shah to remove two gold rings that he was wearing and snatched his wallet. Eventually, Shah was asked to get down from his motorcycle and on of the two robbers hopped on it. The duo then escaped on different motorcycles. The total value of the robbed booty is estimated to be Rs 57,000.

Shah told the police that the duo that robbed him was aged between 28 and 32 years. Police sources said that the motorcycle robbed from Shah was purchased only recently.

According to officials, the road that Shah was travelling was usually isolated in the night. "It is a quiet residential locality and usually nobody is on the street late in the night," said an official. However, no such incidents have been reported there in the recent past.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...odara-central-Gujarat/articleshow/6272261.cms

3 die as heavy rains lash Vadodara, central Gujarat
TNN, Aug 7, 2010, 10.24pm IST

VADODARA: Heavy rains threw normal life out of gear in the city on Saturday afternoon. Vadodara received 100mm of rain during the day leading to heavy waterlogging and traffic jams even as one person was electrocuted due to lightning in the city and two persons died due to similar incidents in Panchmahal district.

Heavy rains had lashed the city on Saturday since around noon leading to extensive waterlogging in areas like Alkapuri, Racecourse, Waghodiya Road, Ajwa Road, Dabhoi Ring Road, Lalbaug and several others. This also resulted in heavy traffic jams at several locations across the city, particularly on overbridges. The Shastri Bridge and Pratapnagar Bridge witnessed long queues of vehicles after the rains took a breather.

Seventeen-year-old Shahrukh Khan Pathan, a resident of Rehman Nagar in Fatehpura, died when lightning struck while he was loading grain bags on a truck. Another worker Imran Khan Pathan working with him was also injured in the incident. In Panchmahal, a man died because of lightning in Lunawada taluka while in Kalol a woman lost her life in a similar way.

Vadodara fire brigade officials said that around a dozen trees fell because of heavy rains and winds in the city. Two old houses that were not being used collapsed in the Wadi and Mehta Pol areas.

While no major rain-related mishaps were reported in the rural parts of Vadodara district, most parts of the district received good rainfall. After Vadodara, Sankheda taluka received the highest rainfall in the district during the day and 9.4 cm rainfall was recorded there. Savli, Waghodiya, Padra, Dabhoi and other talukas also received significant rainfall during the day.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-books-Suicide-victim/articleshow/6263038.cms

Donate my eyes, books: Suicide victim
TNN, Aug 5, 2010, 10.31pm IST

VADODARA: A 23-year-old engineer, who committed suicide, in her last note has ensured that her death does not go waste. Hiral Patel, a resident of Gorwa, in her suicide note addressed to her parents has requested them to donate her books and eyes to the poor and needy. Patel was preparing to go to the US, but for unknown reasons she ended up taking her life here on Thursday.

Patel's body was found hanging from the fan on the first floor of her house by her parents. She had used a dupatta to hang herself. In the note she said all her books be donated to poor students and her eyes be given to an eye bank. She also said she does not blame anyone for her death.

An accidental death case has been registered at Gorwa police station and further probe is on.

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...y-in-Indore-one-dies-/articleshow/6263040.cms

Angadia workers shot at for robbery in Indore, one dies
TNN, Aug 5, 2010, 10.31pm IST

VADODARA: Two angadia workers from the state were shot at by armed robbers in Indore on Wednesday night, leading to the death of one of them.

The incident took place in Jail Road area in Indore when the angadia couriers were on rounds to collect material that were to be sent to various locations. Officers investigating the case are also looking into the possibility of angadia workers being involved in hawala operation.

Two unidentified persons came on a motorcycle and shot repeatedly at Chetan Patel and Natwarlal Patel. They robbed a bag that Chetan was carrying and escaped from the spot. Chetan was killed in the incident, while Natwarlal was wounded on his shoulder. Both Chetan and Natwarlal were residents of different villages in Mehsana district.

M G Road police inspector Dilip Gangrade said the bag robbed in the incident reportedly had a large amount of cash in it. However, he said only Chetan knew the exact count of money in the bag. "People are making various claims, but so far we do not know the amount of cash robbed in the incident," Gangrade said.

The officials reached Lodhi Mohalla in Jail Road area where the duo used to stay and the incident happened. "Rubber bands, staples and other material usually used to pack currency were there in large numbers in the flat where they stayed," Gangrade added.

He said that while they were still to interrogate Natwarlal thoroughly, the duo's involvement in hawala trade cannot be ruled out. "We are still investigating the matter," he said.