One of the chlorine gas cylinders neutralised following a leakage at Sewree last week was found floating off the sea coast here, Fire Brigade officials said on Thursday.

The cylinder's resurfacing off Worli coast in Central Mumbai last night created panic in the area. Over 120 people fell sick following the gas leakage at Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) on July 14.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other experts had de-gased six chlorine gas cylinders at the port after the incident. Post neutralisation, two cylinders were disposed of in the deep sea, but one of them was found floating near the shore, they said. Police, Fire Brigade and NDRF personnel retrieved the cylinder.

"It was an empty cylinder but as a precautionary measure, NDRF experts are examining it to ascertain if it contained any gas," a Fire Brigade official said.
 

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There's fresh tension on the Andhra Pradesh-Maharashtra border. After Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) protest over the Babhali dam project in Maharashtra, it is now the Shiv Sena's turn to rake up a controversy over a lift irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh.

Tension prevailed on the Andhra-Maharashtra border near Bodhan in Nizamabad district of Andhra Pradesh as Shiv Sena activists Thursday march towards the Salura lift irrigation project across the Manjira river.

Alleging that the project has come up on Maharashtra territory, Shiv Sena began a march while Andhra Pradesh mobilised police forces on the border to stop them.

Senior police officials of Nizamabad district spoke to their counterparts in Maharashtra's Nanded, urging them to stop the protestors. The people in Bodhan fear an attack on the project.

The Maharashtra government had raised objections in 2004 when the construction of the project was taken up.

Major and Medium Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah reviewed the situation here with top officials. He said Salura project was built after Survey of India submitted a report and talks with the Maharashtra government.

The minister blamed the opposition TDP for allowing parties in Maharashtra to rake up the controversy through its protest over the Babhali dam on the Godavari river. "TDP's action has created problems," he told reporters.

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and 74 other party leaders were arrested by Maharashtra police July 16 when they tried to proceed towards Babhali dam being built by Maharashtra.

The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and others were kept in judicial custody for three days before being forcibly sent back to Hyderabad by a chartered flight.

Shiv Sena has criticised the Congress government in Maharashtra for allowing TDP leaders to enter the state and later dropping all the charges against them to send them back.
 

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Cop's son, a known rowdy, molests two women in east Delhi, tears their clothes

Assistant Sub-Inspector RS Dhama's 24-year-old son Pammi has been a nuisance to the residents of New Ashok Nagar in east Delhi for several months. But on Sunday night he was at his best, or rather worst.

Pammi had never backed out of drunken brawls in the area or picking up fights with the locals and teasing the girls, thanks to the alleged immunity he enjoyed being the son of a senior police official who worked for the Deputy Commissioner of Police of the area. Sunday night was no different. Pammi was on a high. He came out of the house and started shouting. The locals, including Poonam and Shakuntala, came out of their houses to shut him up. But in his drunken stupor Dhama started abusing them and targeted the two women.

Poonam had been allegedly targeted by Dhama earlier too when he passed lewd comments at her and threatened her.

He hit his neighbour Munna Lal and then tore the clothes of Poonam and Shakuntala.
"My father was out of station and I was alone with my sisters at home when the incident occurred. We all were very scared. Pammi tore my clothes in full public view," said Poonam, a class XII student.

Shakuntala, a neighbour of Poonam, is also in a state of shock. The 40-year-old housewife was also injured when the drunkard went on a rampage after being confronted by the locals.

"How could he just do it? I am much older to him. He hit me several times on my face. Things went really bad on Sunday night, otherwise I would not have gone out to confront him. But it's high time that some concrete action is taken to stop him otherwise such incidents would happen more frequently," said Shakuntala, whose clothes were also torn by Pammi.

Another local alleged that Pammi's friends joined him later and created ruckus in the area. "They were three people carrying some sharp-edged weapon. We usually don't confront Pammi and his gang but on Sunday it went totally out of control," said Munna Lal, Shakuntala's husband, who had cut wounds on his torso.
By the time police reached the spot, Pammi had already fled the scene.

Defending her son, Pammi's mother claimed that he was actually having an argument with a friend, which the locals took otherwise. "My son is being framed. It's totally a rubbish story. We belong to a good family and many of our family members are in the police. We are all law-abiding citizens. Pammi is friends with Poonam's brother Bhim. He had an argument with Bhim, which is being blown out of proportions by Poonam's family," she alleged.

However, Poonam refuted the claim saying her brother was not present when the incident occurred. The police are yet to register an FIR in the case.

"We had received a complaint of a scuffle late on  Sunday night. We are looking into the matter," is all that a senior police official said when MiD DAY asked him about the steps being taken to rein in Pammi.
 

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Hospital authorities keep 24-hour watch to ensure lawyer does not reattempt suicide. He tried to kill himself earlier, after stabbing his lover.

Police personnel and doctors at Victoria hospital are keeping a 24-hour watch for fear that advocate
SL Rajappa, who attempted to end his life after killing Naveena JS, a lawyer like him, on July 8, might attempt suicide again.

Besides keeping a 24-hour watch, hospital authorities are taking special care to prevent any attempt on life by Rajappa, who was recently shifted from Mallya Hospital.

 
When Rajappa, who attempted to end his life after killing Naveena, came to his senses in Mallya Hospital, he began shouting abnormally and even displayed suicidal tendencies.
 

"There have been instances when Rajappa displayed signs of being terribly disturbed when he gained consciousness," said a source at the hospital on condition of anonymity.
 
"This has prompted police and hospital authorities to be more cautious and check any untoward incident."

Victoria hospital staffers who were on tenterhooks when former minister Halappa, who had to quit following a sex scandal involving his friend's wife came to light, are on the edge again since Rajappa's admission.

"He is being watched round the clock," said the source. "Besides two policemen, who  constantly stand on watch, the hospital staff has been monitoring his situation round the clock."

Doctors at the hospital said Rajappa's situation continues to be critical.

"He is in the ICU and continues to be on ventilators. His condition is critical. He can't speak properly and is still on fluids," explained Dr B G Tilak, medical superintendent, Victoria hospital.

The source at the hospital said, "When Rajappa was in Mallya Hospital, he came to his senses and began shouting abnormally. He displayed suicidal tendencies.

The doctors immediately gave him sedatives and put him to sleep."

The police are yet to start preliminary examination into the case. The cops are waiting for a go ahead from hospital authorities.

Police officers investigating the case said they did not want to comment on the subject. "He continues to be on ventilators in the ICU and he is recovering slowly.

We are waiting for a green signal from the doctors to record his statement," said Vidhan Soudha Inspector Ashok.

July 8
The date on which Rajappa  murdered lawyer Naveena JS who turned down his proposal for marriage

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The loss of Anil Kumble's kit with his lucky gold coin in it underlines the lack of security at the venue, which witnessed two blasts during the IPL

The theft of Cricketer Anil Kumble's bag from the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday  has underlined how the security continues to be lax despite serial blasts at the venue during the last IPL season.

The bag had among other things Kumble's favourite gold coin that he has used for the 'toss'.

 
Among other things Anil Kumble lost Rs 3,000 and several debit and credit cards that were kept in his Royal Challengers Bangalore kit.
 

Kumble had been practicing at the stadium when his cricket kit, which also contained his wallet, mobile phone and gold coin, was stolen.

Kumble, who filed a complaint with the Cubbon Park police, said he had kept his kit, which had the Royal Challengers name and logo on it, in one corner of the playground along with bags of other players.
 
After practice, when Kumble went back to collect his bag, he found it missing. Players and security staff could not locate the kit despite combing the entire stadium.

While Kumble had initially suspected that some colleague was playing a prank but after hours of searching, he concluded that it had been stolen and decided to file a complaint.

"My wallet had Rs 3,000, several credit and debit cards, a driving licence, club membership cards, a frequent flyer cards of Kingfisher and Jet airways, some clothes and four gold chains," he has said in his complaint.
 
In addition to all this, a lucky gold coin that Kumble used to toss during matches was also stolen. The total worth of the contents in the bag is estimated to be around Rs 45,000.
 
 
Anil Kumble had been practicing at the Chinnaswamy stadium when his cricket kit was stolen.
 

The Cubbon park police swung into action and took some KSCA security personnel into custody.

KSCA assistant secretary, Sudhakar Rao, said, "We had tightened private security soon after blasts on April 17.
 
We don't have CCTVs at the stadium at this point in time but expect to install some soon. I am not aware that Anil Kumble lost his kit from the stadium."

Both Kumble as well as Cubbon Park Sub-Inspector Girish AK, who is investigating the case, refused to comment on the issue.
 

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If only there could be a network that you can trust. For Ram Kishore, 45, what used to be his routine duty at the Delhi Airport turned into his worst nightmare on Sunday night when he was run over by a plane all because of a communication error.

Air India officials confirmed to MiD DAY that the freak accident happened due to "miscommunication" between the pilot and the technician.

"After the aircraft was given an all clear signal by the ATC, it was pushed back while taxiing but the instructions from the pilot could not reach the technician properly," the officials said.

There are two headphones under the aircraft near the nose wheel where the pilot's instructions get passed onto the technician. The aircraft suddenly pushed back while taxiing while Ram Kishore was removing the chock from the wheels.

The instructions from the pilot could not reach the technician, as "there was some error in the headphone near the nose wheel."

"As soon as he realised the aircraft was moving, the tried to get out of the way. But he lost his balance and his right leg came under the nose wheel," the official said.

The Delhi police have registered a case against unknown persons in the case.  Deputy Commissioner of Police (Airport), OP Mishra, said: "As per the statement of the victim, a case of negligence has been registered.

However, nobody's name is mentioned in the FIR. Further investigations are on."  According to police sources, the technician told the authorities that he did not get instructions from the flight commander and in the meantime the aircraft was "pushed back by the flight captain of the IC 602". 

Air India has launched a probe into the matter and the flight commander has also been asked to join the investigation. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a separate probe into the incident.
Doctors operated upon Ram Kishore at the Fortis Hospital on Monday. "His condition is stable and he is expected to be discharged within the next five days," the official spokesperson for Air India told MiD DAY.

Past imperfect
A Ukrainian national was killed and 3 others injured when a bus hit them at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on June 1, 2008. The passengers arrived at the Terminal 2 of the airport on an inter-terminal transfer coach when they were hit. They were pulling out their luggage from the boot of the bus when another bus hit them from behind.
The Ukrainian passenger, Mikhialov, died. A week earlier a member of the ground staff of Jet Airways died after being hit by a DIAL ambulance.

Earlier on March 27, 2008, a 30-year-old worker was crushed to death by a bulldozer, while in yet another accident case, a 27-year-old engineer of Air Deccan, Sanskriti Sinha, was found dead between the airport's taxiway and the ramp in October last year. 
 

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State government transfers paediatrician from Mumbai hospital to Nagpur to fill vacant post of anaesthetist

Should a gynaecologist treat your arthritis or a neurosurgeon deliver your baby? May be such finer distinctions were too much for the state government to grasp as it transferred a paediatrician to the vacant post of an anaesthetist.
 
Now there are people speaking in whispers that the transfer was made as a favour to the doctor.

Dr Vinita Jain, working as a paediatrician with St George Hospital in Mumbai for several years, was transferred to Daaga Smruti Hospital in Nagpur, where an anaesthetist's post is vacant.

Jain claimed she had no knowledge of the post she would hold in Nagpur.

But the transfer order dated May 31 and signed by Deputy Health Secretary V R Vedpathak that was faxed to the hospital on July 3 (a copy of the order is with MiD DAY) makes it clear that she will occupy the post of anaesthetist. Jain said she was yet to see the transfer order.

Transfer a favour?
The doctor is one among hundreds of medical officers working in urban medical colleges who have been transferred to rural areas by the state in a decision taken 10 days ago.

A member of Maharashtra Gazetted Medical Officers Organisation (MAGMO) alleged that the posting was a favour to the paediatrician as she wanted to be in Nagpur.

"It's illogical. If you need a ward boy, will you hire a nurse? Using the same logic, if some hospital needs an anaesthetist, why would you transfer a paediatrician to the hospital?" said the MAGMO member, requesting anonymity. "Either there is some gross error in carrying out transfers or some facts have been conveniently overlooked."

MAGMO president Mahadev Chinchole said the state was desperate to fill vacant posts.

(malathi)

On Day 4 of FYJC admissions, much of day spent smoothing ruffled feathers, rectifying faults

On the fourth day of admissions for the first year of junior college (FYJC) yesterday, a large part of the day was spent smoothing ruffled feathers. After the goof-up on Saturday in which forms of students from the Indian Council for Secondary Education (ICSE) were incorrectly filled in, authorities from the Pune division of the state education department called an urgent meeting of parents yesterday morning.

About 45 parents turned up for the meeting chaired by Rekha Palshikar, vice-principal of Fergusson College.
The goof-up had happened as admission forms for ICSE students did not specify how to choose the best five subjects, leading to confusion and incorrect filling of forms.

"Actually, parents thought that they had to select one subject from Group II and four from Group I. But that isn't the case; they can take any five subjects provided both the groups are covered. We explained this to parents and gave them the option to refill forms," said Palshikar.

Commerce mix-up
Another goof-up that the department had to sort out was the printing of forms for commerce stream. On Saturday, there was a big commotion at the admission centres as those filling forms for admission to the commerce stream were getting acknowledgement slips for arts. "There must be a misprint in a few forms. It isn't a big problem; clerks are to overwrite on these slips and sign them," said Sunil Magar, president of city Centralised Admission Committee.

Few takers for arts
At the end of the day, science emerged as the top choice for FJYC candidates, with commerce coming a close second. Of the total 61,000 admission forms sold, 25,800 candidates chose science forms, while the number of commerce forms sold was 23,629. Arts was the least favourite with 3,587 students buying forms. The rest of the forms sold were for technical and other courses.

"A couple of years ago, there was good response to arts. The drop in number of arts students has been sharp," said Dr Rajendra Junzarrao, principal of Modern College.

Some students from foreign universities had to run from one place to another to clear their confusion.

Fergusson college authorities said any college could accept forms of foreign students, but other colleges disputed this. "Only the centralised admission main centre, which in Pune's case is Fergusson College, can accept forms of foreign students," said Dr Shrikant Gupta, principal of Garware College. "Our officials haven't been informed about the procedure for foreign students."
 

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Dawood, Shakeel and their political allies can ill-afford a tell-all by the former IPL honcho, say ED officials

Is the underworld threatening Lalit Modi to stay mum about the alleged Indian Premier League (IPL) irregularities to protect its own interests and those of its political allies?

That's the question giving senior Directorate of Enforcement (ED) officials sleepless nights as they interrogate the former IPL chief and BCCI vice-president as part of the probe into the IPL scam.

The officials suspect that underworld kingpins -- especially Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel -- are also using Modi as a red herring to ensure the silence of other BCCI officials who are being questioned in the case.

"Modi's claims of 'telling all' seem to have upset some underworld gang lords as any sensitive disclosure at this point could open a can of worms and end up implicating them as well as a few high-ranking politicians in the IPL scam," said an ED official, requesting anonymity.

The alleged threats to Modi began soon after the bidding process for IPL players and franchisees came under a cloud.

The names of some prominent ministers emerged during initial investigations.

The threats are believed to have intensified when the ED began summoning some of the other officials linked to the IPL for questioning in order to have a watertight case against the parties involved.

"The statements of former BCCI officials Manoj Badale and M P Singh have already been recorded. Summons have also been sent to six other BCCI officials asking them to be available for questioning in the next few days," said a senior ED official. "They will have to face questions related to the transactions of BCCI-IPL with Multi Screen Media (MSM) and why facilitation fee was paid by MSM to the World Sport Group."

The official added that they have stumbled upon 133 questionable transactions, some of which point to the involvement of at least two Union ministers and their daughters. Around 300 illegal entries, including some made by relatives of ministers and Lalit Modi have also been discovered.

Underworld money
"Initial investigations have indicated that some companies are subsidiaries of overseas companies on paper.

There is a strong possibility of Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel having invested in the money-spinner through front companies. They would obviously want to protect their interests by ensuring Modi's silence," added the officer.

"Members of the D-Company are known to bet heavily on cricket matches. It makes economic sense for them to own franchises."

Police speak
Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Himanshu Roy said that they are not investigating any threats received by Lalit Modi. He also said the crime branch has not received any complaint linked to the IPL scam.

An SMS seeking confirmation of the threats was sent to Lalit Modi but he did not reply.

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At least 60 people were killed and 150 injured after a speeding Sealdah-bound Uttar Banga Express rammed into three coaches of the stationary Bhagalpur-Ranchi Vananchal Express at Sainthia station in West Bengal's Birbhum district, about 190 km from Kolkata, early Monday, railway authorities said.

The 60 victims include 57 passengers and three railway employees, an Eastern Railway release said here.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee confirmed the 49 deaths, expressed regret, saying she was "sorry to see two incidents (railway accidents) in West Bengal in two months."

Railways helpline
Railway authorities have opened several helpline numbers for news of the victims in Monday's train accident at Sainthia in India's eastern state of West Bengal.

The Eastern Railway has opened two helplines (numbers 23503537 and 23503535) at Sealdah for news of the victims.

The helpline numbers at Howrah station are 033 26382581/3532/7412./26411416, while that of Bhagalpur station is 06412422433 and the number at Jamalpur station is 0634443101

 
Eastern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Samir Goswami said the dead included 39 men, eight women and two children. The accident took place around 2.15 a.m., rudely jolting hundreds of sleeping passengers. Among the dead were the driver and assistant driver of the Uttar Banga Express and the guard of the Vananchal Express.

Chief Security Commissioner of Eastern Railway S. Sahoo told IANS: "We fear that more than 50 have died."

The accident occurred 52 days after the Gyaneshwari Express tragedy in which 148 people died as the Maoist guerillas cut open the pandrol clips ((used to fix the rail to the sleeper) near Jhargram in West Midnapore district. After the Mumbai-bound Gyaneshwari Express derailed May 28, a freight train approaching from the opposite direction rammed into five derailed coaches, resulting in the high casualties.

Bodies from the accident spot have been sent to the district hospital in Suri, the headquarters of Birbhum district, Sainthia Government Railway Police (GRP) sources said.

"About 150 of the injured have been shifted to hospitals in Suri and Sainthia," Additional Director General of Police (Railways) Dilip Mitra said.

Five medical teams and an accident relief team have reached the spot, authorities said. The site of the accident is 191 km from Howrah on the Bolpur-Rampurhat section of Eastern Railway's Howrah division.

An Eastern Railway spokesman said the Vananchal Express was at platform 4 when the Uttar Banga Express, coming from New Coochbehar, hit it. The engine of the speeding train ploughed through three coaches of the stationary express from the rear. All three coaches were badly mangled by the severity of the collision with one of the coaches shooting up from the tracks and careening into the footbridge abovc.

Local people were the first to rush in for the rescue as cries of the injured passengers, many of whom had lost their limbs, rent the air.

The authorities, facing allegations of a delayed start to the rescue efforts, were using gas-cutters to cut open the coaches and bring out the dead and rescue the injured.

"We have managed to extricate the bodies from two of the three compartments so far," Birbhum Police Superintendent Humayun Kabir told IANS.

"Many of the bodies have got pasted in the coaches. We are only managing to extricate body parts, rather than whole bodies," said a recue worker. "We were sleeping. Suddenly we were awakened by a loud sound. The train was dark. For a few minutes we were dumbfounded. Then I gathered my wits and came out of the train," said R. N. Ghosh, a passenger of Uttar Banga Express.

"The station was also dark. I saw people running in panic. Then I found that Uttarbanga has hit another train. Three of the rear bogies of this train (Vananchal) were devastated," he said. Eastern Railway General Manager V.N. Tripathy said an enquiry has been ordered into how both the trains came on to the same line.

Train movement on the down line has been disrupted in the Bolpur-Rampurhat section. The down Malda-Howrah Intercity Express were among several trains cancelled and many trains were stranded on the down line.

A railway official said other than the thee coaches that were hit, the remainder of the Vananchal Express was brought to Burdwan en route to Ranchi. The Uttar Banga Express has been brought to Rampurhat after replacing the damaged engine.

Compensation for victims
Rs 5 lakh will be paid to the kin of those killed in the train accident, union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said Monday.

She said a job will also be provided to the kin of the dead.

Banerjee also announced compensation of Rs.1 lakh for the greviously injured and Rs.25,000 for those who sustained minor injuries.
 

(malathi)