Biker crashes into Uddhav’s wife’s car at Kalanagar signal

A biker hit the car of Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi in Bandra (east) on Sunday night. The biker and his friend, who was riding pillion, sustained minor injuries. Rashmi was not injured.
Police said the incident had been caught on CCTV cameras and they were looking at the footage to find out if the accident was the biker’s fault or that of Rashmi’s driver.
At around 8 pm on Sunday, Rashmi Thackeray was on her way to south Mumbai in her sedan. The car stopped at the Kalanagar junction signal in Bandra (east) when 24-year-old Sher Ali Khan, riding a motorcycle, crashed into Thackeray’s car from the side. Khan was heading towards Sion and his friend, Mohammed Shajia Khan, 25, was riding pillion.

Both Khan and Rashmi’s driver must have assumed their signal had turned green and accelerated, leading to the collision, police said.
“There is a problem with the signal at the junction. If you stand at a certain angle in the Sion-bound lane, you think that your signal has turned green. We will scan the CCTV footage of the area to ascertain if either of the drivers was at fault,” said A Chavan, senior inspector, Kherwadi police station.
The police said that the bikers sustained minor injuries and were taken to the nearby Fauzia hospital. They were discharged after preliminary treatment.
“We have not registered a case and have only recorded the incident. Further investigation is underway,” said Chavan.

WHAT HAPPENED

RASHMI THACKERAY
had stopped at the Kalanagar junction signal. She was on her way to south Mumbai. The biker, Sher Ali Khan was headed towards Sion. He had a friend riding pillion

ACCORDING TO POLICE,
both Rashmi’s driver and the biker thought the signal turned green and they accelerated. Khan then hit Rashmi’s car. He and his friend sustained minor injuries.

Firemen don’t need life insurance, compensation given is enough: BMC

The civic administration dismissed a resolution passed by corporators in the civic general body meeting to introduce life insurance for firemen employed with the Mumbai Fire Brigade. The civic administration has refused to frame a policy to the effect.
A resolution to introduce life insurance for around 2,500 firemen in the city had been proposed by former mayor Shubha Raul in February 2006.
However, the administration has now decided against providing life insurance for them. The civic body claims the existing policy, which entitles monetary compensation to a deceased fireman’s family if he dies during firefighting, is sufficient.

However, Raul said the civic general body would refer the proposal back to the administration and demand the life insurance.
“It is unfair to deny firemen life insurance, which has a much wider scope than a caseby-case monetary compensation. This would give firemen and their families an assurance of help from the BMC,” said Raul. “Any resolution that we put forward is a result of our interactions with those affected by it. Firemen constantly risk their lives and giving them life insurance would address their concerns”.
Raul added that the administration should take the interests of firemen into account before taking such arbitrary decisions. The BMC has claimed it already has a compensation policy in place.
“If a fire official is injured at an accident spot, his medical treatment charges are borne by the BMC. In case of death while firefighting, the family is entitled to monetary compensation,” said the written reply issued by the civic administration.

MODI MOCKS PM, CALLS HIM MAUN MOHAN SINGH

Making a scathing attack on the Congress, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the party of institutionalising corruption.
“Instead of taking action against corrupt leaders, the Congress is rewarding them,” Modi said during election rallies at Una, Mandi and Kangra ahead of the November 4 assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh.
Not even sparing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Modi dubbed him ‘Maun Mohan Singh’ (‘Maun’ means ‘silent’ in Hindi). “Aaj ki sabse badi khabar hai ki ‘Maun Mohan Singh’ ne apna maun tod diya (Today’s biggest news is that ‘ Maun Mohan’ Singh broke his silence),” referring to the PM’s speech during a Congress rally at Una on Sunday. Taking potshots at Union external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, Modi accused him of impropriety in handling money meant for the handicapped through his NGO. Modi stated that despite protests against Khurshid outside the PM’s residence, the latter had not even bothered to question the minister or seek an explanation. Instead, Khurshid was rewarded with a promotion in the cabinet, the Gujarat CM said.

Taking a dig at former union minister Virbhadra Singh, Modi said the person, who was asked to resign from the cabinet after facing criminal charges in the Himachal Pradesh high court, had been made the state’s Congress chief within a week.
“His (Virbhadra’s) name figures as a beneficiary of Rs 2.28 crore in a diary seized by tax officials from a steel firm,” Modi said. “All this makes it amply clear that the Congressled UPA government is insensitive to corruption by its ministers and leaders.”
In a veiled attack on union minister Shashi Tharoor, Mod said, “Have you heard of a Rs 50-crore girlfriend? An MP was in the dock recently over Rs 50 crore lying in a woman’s account In parliament, the MP denied knowing the woman, but a month later, he was distributing cards all over Delhi announcing his marriage with her.” The BJP leader said the PM had also rewarded this MP by reinducting him as a minister.
Modi said chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had done a wonderful job and should be reelected.

Largest publisher: Random House, Penguin merge

Two of English language’s largest publishing labels are coming together in a partnership to create the world’s biggest consumer publisher, with significant implications for India.
UK-based Penguin, owned by the Pearson Group and said to be one of the world’s most respected publishers, and Random House, part of the Bertelsmann group, announced on Monday a joint venture to take on the challenges of digital technologies that have spawned e-books and online stores that offer cut-price deals.
Both have sizeable operations in India, covering a host of authors, with large-sized editorial staff and matching business ambitions.
The JV, Penguin Random House, in which the Germanybased Bertelsmann with headquarters in New York will own 53% and London-based Pearson the remainder, apparently pipped a bid by media baron Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, whose stable includes rival Harper Collins.
At 1.5 billion pounds (Rs12,979 crore), Random House’s sales are more than that of Penguin, whose sales are around 1 billion pounds. However, in India, Penguin has larger operations, with authors including former president APJ Abdul Kalam, Arundhati Roy and the Dalai Lama under its belt, thanks to its 25-year-old operations in the country. Although it arrived in India only in 2005, Random House’s big names include Salman Rushdie, Deepak Chopra and EL James, author of this year’s bestseller, Fifty Shades of Grey.

“Between us, we make two of the strongest players in this market. The JV company will sell books more aggressively than before and we will certainly have far more resources for developing consumer publishing platforms, channels in India,” said Andrew Sullivan, Penguin India’s CEO. Gaurav Shrinagesh, managing director, Random House India, said it was too early to comment on the ramifications of the JV for India, with regulatory approvals yet to come.
“Till then, the two publishers will continue to function as distinct entities, as usual, globally and in India,” he said.
Sullivan assured Penguin’s authors in a memo that their contracts and editors were safe.
The JV comes to Penguin as its marks its Silver Jubilee year in India. Penguin India’s publisher is Chiki Sarkar, who had hopped over last year from her job as editor-in-chief at Random House India.
“Together, the two publishers will be able to share a large part of their costs, to invest more for their author and reader constituencies and to be more adventurous in trying new models in this exciting fast-moving world of digita books and digital readers,” Pearson chief executive Marjorie Scardino said.
Bertelsmann, Europe’s biggest media group, like Pearson, is in the middle of an overhaul to adapt to changing times.

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In search of the lost children Families of the kids, who went missing from hospitals, live in the hope that they will return

In search of the lost children

Families of the kids, who went missing from hospitals, live in the hope that they will return

For the last ten years, Prakash Chauhan, 32, and his wife Vidya, 29, have celebrated the birthday of their child on January 12. But their child is not present, for the couple lost their baby boy two days after he was born, at JJ Hospital in 2003. The child went missing from the maternity ward and though a police complaint was filed, nothing came of it. The couple, who live in Dongri with their two children, remain hopeful that one day, their child will return home. Four years ago, Mohini Nerurkar’s three-day-old baby was stolen from Sion Hospital. The Nerurkars are still fighting with the hospital administration in the hope of being reunited with their child. This week, Jasmin Naik’s day-old boy was kidnapped from the Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital. “When your child is kidnapped, you always hope that maybe your child is alive and will return home. On this hope, the family passes its days,” says Vidya, who works as a computer operator in a private firm. “You can’t concentrate on work or anything else, because your thoughts are always on your child. Where is he? What is he doing? Is he safe or not?” Vidya hopes that the government implements rules and regulations for maternity wards which would be implemented strictly. “Most baby kidnappings happen in government-run and civic-run hospitals,” she says. “They should implement rules such as compulsory 24-hour security outside the ward, and only allowing relatives inside the ward.” Dr Yusuf Matheswala, a senior psychiatrist at Masina Hospital says that a family in such a situation would be in urgent need of counselling and psychological therapy. “When there is a death, after a period of time the family returns to its usual routines. But in such a situation, when the baby has been stolen, the mother is unable to accept reality, and continue to hope that the child will return. Their lives are completely disturbed.” Prakash and Vidya had their second child two years after their first-born was taken from them. Despite their past experiences, Vidya insisted on delivering her second child at JJ Hospital. Their son Jitesh is now in the third standard, and his parents watch over him anxiously. “Our first son, Aditya, would have been ten in January,” says Prakash. “We don’t know where he is, but we pray that god will take care of our child.” Prakash is unable to understand how such incidents happen repeatedly. “Why don’t the state and the BMC take strong security measures? If the authorities had taken strict action in our case, maybe another child would not have been stolen.”

‘Cancel Wadia hospital lease’

‘Cancel Wadia hospital lease’

Three days after a day-old boy was kidnapped from ward number nine of Wadia Maternity Hospital, Mayor Sunil Prabhu has demanded that the hospital’s lease be cancelled. Prabhu visited the hospital on Saturday, and said that he would speak to the commissioner about issuing a show-cause notice to the hospital’s management. “I am very disappointed that the hospital has ignored the guidelines given by the high court to stop child kidnappings,” he said. “There is no CCTV and not enough security guards. It’s complete chaos. BMC gives a grant to the hospital’s management as this is a trust-run hospital. We may have to rethink, and possibly cancel this grant and lease, since the management is not serving the purpose it was meant for.” The atmosphere inside the Parel hospital is tense. Parents are being extremely cautious with their children. Abdul Wahid, whose child is admitted to the NICU, says that he, and all other parents, are keeping a ‘hawk’s eye watch’ on their children. “When I saw a sketch of the accused woman, I thought I remembered her. I had seen a woman with similar features crying outside the NICU. She said that she was crying because one of her relative’s children had died.” Jasmine and Devdas Naik, the parents of the kidnapped child,refuse to be discharged from the hospital till they get their son back. Abhishek Mahapankar, Jasmine’s brother, met the state home minister on Saturday asking him to look into the matter. According to hospital sources, the day the child was kidnapped, the staff in the ward was new. “The staff wasn’t familiar with the patients and relatives. When Jasmine went for a walk, and the child was taken, visiting hours were going on.” The management has offered a separate room and free treatment to Jasmine, which the couple refused. “Jasmine thinks leaving the bed from where she last saw her son, means she is going away from her son,” said her brother. p_somita@dnaindia.net

Twenty women ran away from a government-run women welfare home

20 women flee welfare home in Mankhurd

Twenty women ran away from a government-run women welfare home in Mankhurd by jumping off its wall on Saturday. Police said the incident took place between 2pm and 3pm when 35 women tried to flee Mahila Sudhar Gruha. However, the staff was soon alerted and they managed to overpower 13 women. The remaining managed to climb the wall and flee. The police suspect that the women might have hatched a plan to escape from the welfare home considering the fact that there would be shortage of manpower owing to Eid. The height of the compound wall is around 12 feet. “The women had decided to sneak out of the welfare home one by one but then others joined them causing chaos. This led the cops to suspect some foul play,” said an official. The Govandi police are likely to register a case under Section 225 (A) (resistance or obstruction to lawful apprehension of another person) of the Indian Penal Code. The police are planning to question the women who were caught to know further details.

10,646 Indians jailed abroad and forgotten

10,646 Indians jailed abroad and forgotten

Indian techie Bhavesh Parmar’s return has highlighted the plight of Indian prisoners in Pakistan. But there are also 10,646 other Indians who’ve shared a similar plight in prisons across the globe since 2000, an RTI query by Thane resident and RTI activist Om Prakash Sharma to the ministry of external affairs has revealed. It also reveals that 29 Indians were given the death penalty in different countries during the same period for offences like drug running, theft and murder. “If you go by figures available with international watchdog organisations, it’s clear that India has the largest number of its citizens incarcerated abroad,” Sharma told DNA. “The media glare on cases like Sarabjit Singh ensures that the government attempts to at least show that it is taking action. But other prisoners and their families struggle on their own, with no support forthcoming.” Pakistan, with 2,372 Indians in prison, is second to the UAE, where the numbers nearly double at 4,315. Bangladesh follows with 2,008 Indians jailed, while Kuwait with 1,161 comes fourth. This is followed by China, with 673 Indian inmates, and Oman, with 429. Incidentally, the UAE has given as many as 21 Indians the death penalty since 2000, followed by Kuwait with six death penalties, while Timor and Iran have executed one Indian each. When asked to comment, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin defended the ministry, “The MEA extends every possible help to all Indian nationals, irrespective of where they are. There is no prioritisation on the basis of which country they’re incarcerated in.” Sharma points out instances of how other countries go out of their way to help their nationals caught in a similar predicament. “Look at the recent case of Italian marines who’re facing trial in India over murder charges after they shot dead two fishermen off the coast of Kerala in February this year. Their government has gone out on a limb to help them and is even using non-conventional tactics – like encouraging sporting events sponsored by Italian brands – to create sympathy for the marines.” He lamented: “Indian authorities love to preen at the high table, calling the country an equal among superpowers. But the real acid test is how much they value they lives of their citizens. Even human rights activists, who hog the limelight when it comes to cases like Sarabjit, never speak about imprisonment of other Indians or the death penalties handed out.”

A SIGN OF CHANGE As Belapur gets set to celebrate a beer festival, NISHA SWAMI examines how this Navi Mumbai node has grown over the years to become an upmarket destination

A SIGN OF CHANGE

As Belapur gets set to celebrate a beer festival, NISHA SWAMI examines how this Navi Mumbai node has grown over the years to become an upmarket destination

    Belapur is one of the developed sections of Navi Mumbai along with Vashi and Nerul. The area has been growing tremendously since the 90's and has now become a commercial as well as residential hub. The social infrastructure is also quite impressive with a number of schools and colleges that have come up in the area. Aegis School of Business, Bharati Vidyapeeth High School, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Engineering, and Institute of Business Studies & Research are some of the educational institutions here.
    Om Ahuja, CEO - Residential Services, Jones Lang LaSalle India, says, "CBD Belapur is a rapidly growing node of Navi Mumbai. Its importance as a commercial district is underscored by the fact that the Reserve Bank of India has a branch there. It is also an established IT / ITeS destination - a fact which has had an impact on both commercial and residential real estate.
    Compared to the rest of Navi Mumbai, Belapur is a very green and clean area, says Amit Haware, Director, Haware Engineers and Builders Pvt Ltd. He adds, "When CIDCO started developing Navi Mumbai, Belapur was one of the first locations that people chose as the ideal place to live in. With the recent developments in rail transport, highways and the recent Navi Mumbai airport, the area has turned into the most sought-after destination to buy a new house.”
    Belapur also boasts of good scenic beauty and natural green surroundings. Ashok Chhajer, Chairman & Managing Director, Arihant Superstructures Ltd, says, "Belapur is the centre of Navi Mumbai with a fabulous natural setting flanked by hills and water bodies. A Vipasana Centre has come up on Parsik Hill. CIDCO had allocated plots to all types of religious and social institutions. Thus in this township one can experience full and richer social and religious life with Sarva Dharma Sambhav.”
    Belapur has also undergone a major transformation with a wide range of discotheques, lounges and pubs that have recently come up here.
    Ameya Dalvi, a resident of Belapur, points out that Belapur is an uncluttered location and that even the temperature is much lower compared to the suburbs in the summers. “There are a lot of clubs and restaurants that have come up in one area. There are four clubs and four to five restaurants on one single street. During the weekends the place is always buzzing,” he says.
    In fact, there are so many bars in a single area that the owners recently got together to rename it as Pub Street, and they are planning to celebrate a beer festival. The 15-day event, organised by Vinod Janardhan’s Team Rustic, kicks-off with a grand opening today, Saturday 27th October, with an array of music and entertainment acts.
    Rakeysh Chandan, Director, Rockville-Bar & Diner, talks about the phenomenon called Pub Street, "Until recently CBD Belapur was a quiet, somewhat obscure suburb of Mumbai. And then Pub Street happened! Today, Pub Street is not just a place with a lot of restaurants and bars... it's a sign of change. For a whole lot of us, there is no such thing as "town" any longer. Navi Mumbai is as happening, if not more as "town" or any of its suburbs and Pub Street is just a reflection of this change."
    New and improved development in the future will help Belapur reach new heights. Chhajer concludes, "After the new international airport, NMSEZ and Trans-harbour link in place within five years, CBD Belapur will emerge as a commercial centre on the surrounding area in the radius of 35-40 kms, towards Taloja and Panvel which will give good housing options and fetch great returns on investment too. People residing at these locations will reach this junction for jobs rather than travel up to Mumbai."