Sachin as MP: Amitabh happy, Sanjay Dutt differs

Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan Saturday expressed happiness at the recent nomination of actress Rekha and cricket legend Sachin Tendulakar to the Rajya Sabha, while Sanjay Dutt was unhappy with Sachin becoming a parliamentarian.

"In each session of parliament, the president nominates few set of people for the Rajya Sabha from the fields of art, cinema etc. It is a very honourable position. Sunil Dutt's wife Nargis was also nominated. Whoever are nominated for this (Rajya Sabha) are deserving people," Amitabh told reporters at a press conference here.

Asked if being a Rajya Sabha member puts a burden on cricket and film personalities, he said: "It is their personal decision. Leave it to them." Meanwhile, Dutt, who terms himself to be a big fan of Tendulkar, is unhappy with him being a member of the Rajya Sabha.

"It is an honour to be in the Rajya sabha. I am a fan of Sachin. He is the pride and jewel of India. But, I am not happy that he is a Rajya Sabha member. He should have been the way he is," he said.

Mumbai: Two hours in jail for a game of cricket

Mumbai: In a shocking case of inhuman treatment meted out to innocent children, the Vashi police detained six children for over two hours on Friday evening. Their mistake was that they were playing in their building compound.

The cops also detained the childrens' parents, who had come to enquire about the whereabouts of their children, and reportedly abused them. The police took this step after 40 year-old Shruti Bhatt, a resident of Sun Villa apartment, Sector 28, Vashi complained about the kids making noise in the premises while playing.

The incident took place at 6 pm on Friday when Saurabh Bhosle (13), Vikram Agri (13), Sidhant Puthalat (13), Siddharth Dube (12), Anish Khanapurkar (13), residents of Sun Twinkle Apartments, were playing cricket along with 12 year-old Niket Joshi, resident of the adjoining Sun Villa apartments at the latter's building. Bhat started shouting at them for playing there and making a commotion. Soon the children moved to the adjoining road. But 15 minutes later, two beat marshals from Vashi police station came and started abusing them.

Despite telling the cops that they had moved on the road to avoid inconvenience to Bhat, the beat marshals started verbally abusing the kids. Apparently they also slapped Niket Joshi twice. They didn't stop there and crammed the children in Bhat's car and took them to Vashi police station forcibly.

Bhosle, a student of Father Agnel school, said "Bhat came out of her flat, took our photographs and started shouting at us to get out of the building. So we started playing cricket on the road. After some time, two policemen came and started abusing us for playing in the building premises earlier. They also slapped Niket twice, forcibly packed us in Bhat's car and took us to Vashi police station. We were made to sit there for over two hours and weren't allowed to even contact our parents."

Turner Broadcasting System to shut 'Imagine TV' in India

Mumbai: US-based Turner Broadcasting System Inc, a Time Warner company, has decided to shut its Hindi general entertainment channel 'Imagine TV' in India as poor ratings hampered any further investment in it, a senior company official said.

Turner had bought a majority stake in the channel from Indian broadcaster NDTV in 2009 for $117 million.

The channel's India and international feed 'Imagine Dil Se', which will be shut with effect from today, failed to achieve consistency in ratings, Siddharth Jain, managing director, South Asia, Turner International India told Reuters on Thursday.

"Imagine TV has not performed and grown as per our expectations," he said.

Imagine was Turner's second attempt in the highly competitive general entertainment (GEC) space in India after its GEC Real, a joint venture with Miditech, failed.

Turner currently operates channels such as HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, POGO, WB in India.

The company, however, remains committed to long-term investment in India and will continue to look for investment opportunities in the country, Jain said.

Makers not afraid of releasing films during IPL 5

Mumbai: Bollywood filmmakers have put up a brave act this year by lining up a string of big and small budget films for release in the next two months even as the cricket fever kicks off from April 4 with IPL season 5. This year, films which will face the IPL, mainly include Sajid Khan's multi starrer comic caper, 'Housefull 2' (April 6), actor John Abraham's maiden home production 'Vicky Donor' (April 20), Viacom 18 Motion Pictures' 'Bittoo Boss' (April 20) and Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 'Ferrai Ki Sawari' (April 27).

Mumbai drunken driving mishap: 1 dead, 6 injured

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Mumbai: A joyride gone horribly wrong in Mumbai. Eighteen-year-old Shivani Raut lost her life in a car crash, while six others are hospitalized. Police claims one of their friends was driving the car in an inebriated state.

The accident happened near an ATM, after the driver lost control and hit a tree, before ramming straight into a stationary autorikshaw.

Shivani Raut, along with 5 friends, was on a joyride in Mumbai's Santacruz area in the wee hours of Saturday. 23-year-old Rahul Mishra, who was driving the car, was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.

A critically injured Raut later succumbed to her injuries.

6 lakh Indians died of cancer in 2010: report

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Mumbai: A landmark study published in The Lancet has found that cancer hits Indians much earlier than Westerners. Cancer claimed 6 lakh Indian lives in 2010 and contrary to popular perception, cancer is no longer a disease of the rich. It killed twice as many as poor and illiterate Indians as their educated, wealthy urban counterparts, according to the new Million Death Study in The Lancet that used research from across 16 centres.

The study is significant because till now all the cancer data available was derived from Cancer Registries and 90 per cent of them are based in big cities. But for the first time, 800 professionals were sent door-to-door across 1 million homes in both the neglected rural areas as well as urban cities. A major finding was that 70 per cent of cancer deaths were in the age group of 30 to 69 years.

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Deputy Regional Director, WHO SEARO, said, "The young are more affected with cancer in India whereas in the western countries it's people who are 70 years and above. One reason could be that life expectancy in the west is much more."

In men, the most common cancers are, stomach and lung cancers while, cervical, breast and stomach cancers affect most women.

Jammu and Kashmir has the lowest rates of cancer and Mizoram the highest. Experts say this sort of variance across the country needs an urgent study.

The study also found tobacco to be biggest killer responsible for 40 per cent of male cancers.

Swine flu scare returns, 12 die in two weeks

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Mumbai: After a calm year, swine flu has again reared its head in Maharashtra, with 69 cases and seven deaths reported in the last fortnight in Pune.

At least 27 cases of swine flu have also been reported in Andhra Pradesh and 28 in Rajasthan with 5 deaths.

Transmission in Pune has shot upto 15 per cent in this month, according to the National Institute of Virology. Authorities are releasing additional funds for equipment like ventilators at government hospitals and are also looking to rope in private hospitals for treatment.

"We will be visiting hospitals, me and other MLCs. We hope that with the summer months coming, the infection will die down." Pune MLC Neelam Gore said.

However, doctors insist the virus has lost its sting and the Pune spurt is an aberration due to erratic weather changes. Influenza of any kind increases during the changing months. The good news is that experts have not noted any significant mutation in the H1N1 virus, so Tamiflu, the first line of treatment, continues to remain effective.

Taking a cue from the 2009 experience, when hundreds of students were infected, triggering closure of many schools and colleges, health authorities are focusing on children.

"Seven days of no school will not make your child any less of an Einstein, so please avoid school when ill. Give them fresh food, fresh fruits, cross ventilation, wash hands," Lung Specialist at Lilavati Hospital Doctor Suresh Rang said.

Though doctors maintain there is no cause for alarm just yet, if you're down with flu like symptoms, don't self medicate and get medical help immediately.

Man blackmails wife's friend for money, sex

Mumbai: Money and sex -- Umesh alias Karan Rathod thought he had found a beeline to both. The journey didn't last long. Kasturba Marg police arrested the 38-year-old yesterday for allegedly blackmailing his wife's friend for money and sexual favours. According to cops, Rathod was harassing a 36-year-old Kandivli resident after he saw the woman with her alleged paramour and clicked their photo.

The victim, who works at a private bank in Borivli (East), approached the police on Wednesday when the accused asked for Rs 20,000 from her to keep her extramarital affair a secret from her husband. The woman, who is a friend of the accused's wife, has been married for four years and had a fling with a colleague. The officers said she was walking with her boyfriend in Borivli (East) when Rathod spotted the two and clicked a photo on his mobile phone.

Rathod, a resident of Shantidaan located at MHADA colony in Andheri (East), then met the woman and demanded sexual favours from her along with Rs 20,000 to keep her affair from her husband and her family. The victim gave Rathod Rs 5,000. That, however, didn't placate the accused. He wanted the rest of the amount as soon as possible. Fed up with Rathod's biddings, the woman filed a complaint against him.

"The victim had refused to fulfil the demands of the accused when he threatened her, saying that he would show the photo to her husband," said Sr Inspector Rajendra Thakur, Kasturba Marg police station.

On Wednesday, cops set a trap and asked the victim to call Rathod near Sanjay Gandhi National Park to collect the remaining amount. "We nabbed Rathod from the spot while accepting the cash from the victim. He has been arrested for blackmailing and extortion. We will present him before the court on Thursday," said Thakur.

Police have seized the accused's mobile phone and have sent it for forensic analysis to extract the compromising photo that Rathod had clicked.

Anushka Sharma denies dating Suresh Raina

Mumbai: Though there have been reports that Anushka Sharma and cricketer Suresh Raina being an item, the actress is claiming she is strictly single and not dating anyone. Apparently Anushka's only connection to cricket dates back to watching the World Cup final last year and her friendship with Sakshi Rawat, MS Dhoni's wife.

The actress is not inclined towards cricket at all and in fact cannot even place Raina. Will someone please remind her that Raina was part of the World Cup sqaud that she watched. Perhaps Ranveer Singh can help.

Looks like Manisha Koirala is in control of her life

It looks like that finally Manisha Koirala has taken stock of her life after buzz about her troubled marriage. She appeared to look relaxed at an event-a far cry from her dishevelled look in January at her ex-beau Prashant Chaudhari's restaurant opening.

Manisha is finally at peace with herself after attending all those meditation classes.

Pulkit Samrat and Amita Pathak gatecrash a wedding

While shooting in Shimla for their upcoming film, Pulkit Samrat and Amita Pathak had to shoot at a venue close to where a wedding was taking place. The sound of the band-baaja hindered the filming. The actors decided to gatecrash the wedding posing as reality show hosts. They asked the band to stop playing and took interviews of all the people present till the scene was being shot in the hotel with the others.

Hope they use this footage in their movie too.

Pradhuman Singh to wear only shorts throughout his next film

Pradhuman Singh,who was lastly seen playing Osama's character in Tere Bin Laden, will be seen wearing only shorts throughout his next flick.

The actor was taken aback when he was told about it. But when he saw his co-stars sweat it out in their costume at the shoot he was relieved to be in shorts.

Man arranges son's wedding with 12-yr-old girl, rapes her

Mumbai: After arranging the marriage of his 15-year-old son to a 12-year-old girl, a 42-year-old man started coveting her himself. He has now been arrested by Ulhasnagar Police for allegedly abducting and raping her.

Police have revealed that the accused took the girl to a guesthouse, promising her that she would meet his son, and then allegedly raped her. The accused has been identified by the Hill Line police as Abdul Shaikh, a resident of Rohidas Nagar in Kalyan. Shaikh had earlier met the victim's family, and the two parties had mutually agreed to get their children married five years later.

"On Saturday, the victim had set out from her residence in Camp V for her school, when Shaikh intercepted her and asked her to board a waiting auto, luring her with the promise of meeting his son," senior inspector of police, Hill Line police station Narendra Jadhav said.

Shaikh then took the minor to Netaji Chowk and thereafter to Surya Lodging and Boarding. He persuaded her to don a burqa before entering, saying that her school dress could make others question her presence at the lodge," added Jadhav.

"Once they entered one of the rooms, the girl started enquiring about Shaikh's son, as she couldn't see him around. It was then that Shaikh put forward the condition that she would have to do his bidding if she wanted to marry his son. He then raped her, and threatened her with dire consequences if she exposed him to any of their acquaintances.

After having his way with her, Shaikh dropped the minor near a residence, and fled. The incident was revealed when the victim's younger sister complained to their mother that the 12-year-old girl had not made it to school that day. The worried mother questioned her daughter, who disclosed the day's events to her. The mother then registered a case with us," said Jadhav.

The police then inquired with the lodge, and tracking Shaikh with the help of his phone number, they arrested him. "Shaikh has been booked for kidnapping, rape and criminal intimidation," said Jadhav.

26/11: Pakistan panel to arrive in Mumbai today

Mumbai: The much-awaited eight-member Pakistan judicial commission will arrive in Mumbai on Thursday to record the statement of four people including the magistrate who had recorded the confessional statement of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving member of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT), which was behind the 26/11 attacks.
After a delay of nearly six months, the commission, finally arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday.
According to official sources, the team will record the statements on March 16 and 17.
Ahead of their arrival, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of the Esplanade court in south Mumbai issued summons to magistrate R V Sawant Waghule, who had recorded Kasab's confession, and crime branch officer Ramesh Mahale, who was the investigating officer in the November 26, 2008 terror strike by LeT terrorists in Mumbai in which over 160 people were killed.
Two doctors from state-run JJ Hospital and civic-run Nair hospital have also been asked to appear in court to record their statements. They had conducted autopsies on the nine killed terrorists and victims of the terror strike which lasted for nearly 72 hours.
While Waghule and Mahale have been summoned on March 16, statements of the doctors will be recorded on March 17.
The commission comprises defence lawyers Khwaja Haris, Riya Akram Choudhary, Fakhar Haayat, Raja Ehassan Ulhakhan and Isaam Bin Haris, special public prosecutors Choudhary Mohammed Azhar and Choudhary Ali and court official Azad Khan.
The statements of the four witnesses will be used as evidence before an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan, which is conducting trial against LeT's Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and six other suspects.
With Additional Inputs from PTI

Poonam Pandey finally shows her topless picture

Mumbai: Poonam Pandey, who has been raising claims to throw away her clothes to appear fully naked since the days of the Cricket World Cup 2011 but did not go topless through she has been letting the masses see majority of her nude body, has eventually went topless.

Poonam Panedy, Kingfisher calendar model who was an ordinary model who no one knew before the world cup, came into limelight and turned to be a forced celebrity (forced in a sense that she has nothing to claim to be a celeb but turned a celebrity due to her skin show and topless claims) during the days of ICC cricketing world cup last year. India won the cup but she did not strip naked before the team since she was not given the permission by BCCI and the authorities. Well, she succeeded in her efforts to hog the limelight.

Post world cup, she has been spicing up the fans with her bolder acts by going semi nude, showing nearly naked pictures on twitter and flaunting her nearly nude body under showers in visuals and the things like that. But the fans wanted to see her in birth suit, the demand was high as she herself had injected it into the masses. Thus to fulfill their demands, she eventually went topless and showed the people her nude pictures on twitter recently.

She let the masses see her in nude by the time India won against Sri Lanka during the ongoing Tri-Series at Hobart.

Poonam, 20, conducted a survey on twitter where she asked her fans if they wanted to see her without bikini. Later Pandey posted her topless picture on the site giving it title that finally she showed her nude picture on public demand. She also thanked the people to love her much. She warned the people below 18 years of age not to see her nude picture.