Rajiv Ranjan Dwivedi alias Sex Baba was produced in Patiala Court on March 9
 
She appears shaken but not stirred. But there is anger in her voice when she is reminded of Rajiv Ranjan Dwivedi.
 
"Hang Baba! He is playing with the lives of hundreds of girls," said Khushi Sharma (name changed) resident of a posh south Delhi area, who was held by the police along with five other girls, the day Dwivedi was arrested.
 
"Baba is a criminal. He is threatening so many innocent girls and making them work for him. Many of the girls working for him are school students, models and celebrities. Many wish to quit, but Baba is blackmailing them," revealed Khushi.
 
Khushi wanted to be a part of the glamour world. She came in contact with Rajiv Ranjan Dwivedi through a girl named Sherlyn. Sherlyn assured her that Baba would help her become an actress, if she worked for him. "About a month ago, I went to a lawyer's house in Greater Kailash. He paid Baba Rs 45,000 out of which I only received Rs 20,000. I wanted to leave but Baba threatened me. He said that he would expose me. He didn't even let the girls talk to each other. I came to know that he made videos of the girls and then blackmailed them."
 
Khushi revealed that several minors including school girls were working for Baba. When he had to meet clients, he would be in casual attire -- jeans and t-shirts.
 
Talking about February 25, Khushi said, "I was arrested as I left my mobile phone behind. But there were nine girls and only six of them were arrested. Police also placed condoms in our bags while arresting us."
 
Khushi, who says she is a victim, wants justice for the hundreds of girls who become prostitutes unwillingly and wants criminals like Baba to get the maximum punishment 
 

(malathi)

In a landmark judgment, the Indian Air Force has been ordered to  grant permanent commission to women officers. 
 
A group of women officers  had approached the court to get equal rights with male officers.
 
They will now get permanent commission on completion of their fixed tenure of 15 years, along with financial benefits. 
 
It should be pointed out that permanent commission does not mean that women will be given an opportunity to serve in the fighting arms - this is a decision which has still not been taken.  Women who work as medical officers have been entitled to full tenure in the past, but women pilots and officers  serving in areas like  Administration, Logistics, Air Traffic, Engineering and were granted only a 15 year term.  
 

(malathi)

Two powerful blasts went off near a crowded mosque within the heavily-guarded cantonment in Lahore on Friday, killing at least 20 people and injuring 40 others in the latest in a slew of terror attacks across Pakistan.

The blasts occurred in R A Bazar area at 12.48 pm local time, when a large number of people had gathered for Friday prayers in the mosque. Many army personnel were in the gathering, local residents said.

Twenty people were killed and 40 others injured, said Rizwan Naseer, the chief of the state-run Rescue 1122 service.

He said some of the injured were in a critical condition. The wounded were taken to nearby military and civilian hospitals.

There were reports that the blasts were preceded by firing but this could not immediately be independently confirmed.

Army soldiers and military police cordoned off the area and barred people and media from going to the site of the blasts. Footage on television showed ambulances removing bodies and the injured from the area.

All roads and entry points in the cantonment are guarded by the army and it could not be immediately ascertained how the attackers managed to evade the security dragnet.

An emergency was declared in hospitals across Lahore. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

(malathi)

Sources in the government tell NDTV that Indians in Afghanistan will officially be warned soon about being targeted in future attacks.
 
The government's advisory will specify that the government cannot protect Indian companies and citizens working or living privately in Afghanistan. There are currently 4000 citizens who fall into this category.
 
Recently, the Taliban claimed responsibility for a gigantic suicide attack which targeted  Indian army doctors and embassy officials in Kabul. Guest houses where the Indian medical mission was staying was blown up. 7 Indians were killed in the attack.
 

(malathi)

About three weeks after the terror attack on the German Bakery here, police have given an oral clearance to its owner to take possession of the eatery that was damaged in a bomb explosion killing 17 people and injuring over 50.
    
However, the Kharose family that owns the place in the Koregaon Park area---- which also houses the two perceived terrorist targets, namely the Osho commune and Chhabad House (the Jewish centre) ---- is in no hurry to retake the shattered structure that once bustled with customers, including foreigners living in the city.
    
"It is just an oral communication from a Pune police officer suggesting we can take possession of the place. But we are awaiting a clear and written directive from the authorities giving permission to start the rebuilding exercise", Snehal Kharose told PTI.
    
Kharose said police had also told the family that the work of putting the place in order and clearing the debris should be undertaken in their (police) presence to keep track of any possible piece of evidence untraced so far.
    
"We have only removed perishable commodities to prevent rotting," she added.

The owner said after necessary clearance from the authorities and required financial support she was hopeful of restarting the eatery within a month's time.
       
Meanwhile, the family has petitioned to the district collector Chandrakant Dalvi to sanction a sum of Rs 20 lakhs for raising the blasted structure, on the basis of the police 'panchanama' evaluating the damage, Kharose said.
       
The popular eatery was attacked on February 13.

(malathi)

Home Minister P Chidambaram and Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik were engaged in an unusual exchange of words on Friday with the minister stating that all militant outfits across the border are supported by ISI and the envoy rebutting any involvement of state actors in terror acts against India.

Chidambaram, who chose not to make any mention of Pakistan in his opening remarks at the India Today conclave here, voiced New Delhi's concerns over Pakistan-sponsored terrorism during the question and answer session.

"It is no secret that every militant organisation in Pakistan is support by the ISI," he said while taking the names of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and some other groups operating in that country.

In a bid to counter the charge, the Pakistan envoy raised the issue of alleged Indian involvement in Balochistan and about the activities of Indian consulates in Afghanistan.

Islamabad has alleged that the Indian consulates were stirring up trouble for Pakistan, a charge denied by India.

"There are no state actors involved in any act detrimental to the interests of India," he said.

Chidambaram said he had hoped not to enter into a public debate with the envoy who was only stating his government's position but wanted to put their assertion to test.

He said Pakistan should give voice samples of the list suspects given by India to match them with the voice transcripts of the 26/11 handlers in a neutral country to know whether they are state actors.

Chidambaram was asked how India would respond if there was another terror attack on the lines of 26/11.

He said if it was established with a reasonable degree of certainty that the attacks originated from Pakistani soil, "then we will respond swiftly and decisively".

The Minister made it clear that "war is not an option" so the two countries, both nuclear powers,  "must talk when we can" and, at other times, " we have to be vigilant".

"We cannot change our neighbour", he said adding Pakistan has been a "very difficult neighbour from 1947".

He indicated that there may be another around of talks between Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir. There is speculation that this may take place later this month.

Malik contended that it was Rao who had telephone the Pakistan Foreign Secretary for talks. "We hoped something positive will come out of it and we welcomed the opportunity".

India said terrorism will be one of the main agenda and the Pakistani side said it too had its own concerns and willing to discuss it.

"We repeatedly asked India to share with us real time information on terrorism," he said in an apparent reference to Pakistan's claim that the 10 dossiers provided by India contained only "literature" and nothing concrete for them to act upon.

Responding to a questioner who objected to the term 'jehadi terrorism', Chidambaram said Hafiz Sayeed, the 26/11 mastermind as also LeT and JuD leaders have been repeatedly talking about 'jehad' to justify their acts of terror.
 

(malthi)

The Left agitation in the capital against price rise had its echo in Parliament today with members of four Left parties walking out of both Houses protesting the government's "lack of response" to their demand for a white paper on the issue.
   
In Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party also joined the walkout while parties like BJP, RJD, BSP and BJD supported the Left.
   
Raising the issue in Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said lakhs of people have come to the national capital to protest "massive price rise" and urged the government to accept his five demands to address the issue.
   
He said the government should release the surplus stock of 275 lakh tonnes of foodgrains kept in godowns, which was more than 200 lakh tonnes required for the buffer stock.
   
He also suggested universalisation of PDS, immediate ban on futures trading of foodgrains and essential commodities, rollback in the hike of petroleum product prices and check on hoarding and black-marketing.
   
Supporting these demands, D Raja (CPI) also said while UPA-II talks about food security, it was in fact slashing subsidies on food and fertilisers.
   
Abani Roy (RSP) warned of disorder if 'Aam Aadmi' fails to get foodgrain. "If the government fails to provide foodgrains to all, it means it is inefficient and there is a need to change this government," he said.
   
Raising the issue in Lok Sabha, Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) sought a white paper on the price situation, saying the government has "failed" to take any step to curb rising prices.

Gopinath Munde (BJP), Bhratruhari Mahtab (BJD) and Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP) associated with the Left parties on the issue.
   
"We have raised the matter a number of times in the House, but there has been no response from the government and the prices have continued to rise. We demand that the government come out with a white paper and take action to check the rising prices," Dasgupta said.
   
Acharia wanted the concerned Minister to reply and urged Speaker Meira Kumar to "put pressure" on the government to reply to their demands. However, there was no response from the treasury benches, which prompted the entire Left bloc to stage a walkout.
   
CPI(M) member Ramchandra Dome also took the government to task on "skyrocketting prices" and said the Left parties were staging a massive rally outside Parliament to protest the government's policies which, he said, was causing prices to rise.
 

(malathi) 

A massive fire has broken out in the heart of London's financial district. 

As many as 25 fire engines and hundred fire fighters are tackling the blaze at a four-floor building housing offices and a restaurant on Tabernacle Street.

The blaze has damaged portions of the ground and first floor.

(malathi)

The placement process at the IIM Ahmedabad has been completed and this year's placement has seen a turnaround with the Investment Banking sector making a comeback. Both the domestic and international salaries recorded an increase this year.

This year IIM Ahmedabad had introduced the Cohort based placement process, a mechanism as per which companies were grouped in and placement process carried out on weekends.

For a batch of 289 students, 110 firms participated in the placement process this year.

The Investment Banks who participated this year include Deutsche Bank, Morgan & Stanley, Goldman Sachs, UBS and Citigroup.

Sources say the highest salary offered reportedly was 1.4 crore by Deutsche Bank.

Yes Bank and ICICI banks made 13 offers each and were the highest recruiters this year.

With 53 per cent of the batch eligible for lateral placements, more than 40 firms participated in the process and extended more than 100 offers, a four-fold increase over last year.

Marketing and consulting firms recorded an increase in offers this year.

The finance sector, however, saw a decrease from 34 job offers last year to 27 this year.

The average domestic salaries offered this year was 14.94 lakhs compared to 12.17 last year.

The international salaries was 110,750 USD compared to 83,000 USD last year.

(malathi)

This man from Hyderabad lives and breathes automobiles. Sudhakar, who owns a car museum, has now moved into his new office that is set inside a Ford car. 
 

His workstation is inside the 1908 model car that he has remodelled into his dream office.

From the driver's seat, he ensures his business deals are on track.

"It is like a regular office only but I am working sitting inside a car. This is not a movable one. For once, I have made a stationery vehicle,'' says Sudhakar.
 
Sudhakar has created over one hundred cars and bikes of all shapes and sizes, using scrap, picked up from junkyards.

Even his office, created at a cost of Rs 70,000, has been crafted similarly. The engine space is where Sudhakar will store his files.

One only hopes his guests, sitting on these comfortable car seats, don't feel they are being taken for a ride.

(malathi)