The ongoing water cuts in the city have done the impossible -- united Mumbai's rival parties. Corporators from the Congress and BJP have joined hands against the Shiv Sena for refusing to withdraw water cuts imposed on the city. This, even after four of the six lakes supplying water to the city have overflowed.

 WATER WOES: Uddhav Thackeray visits Tansa Dam at Shahpur. Thackeray, in a review meeting at the Mayor's bungalow, insisted that water cuts should stay till the end of September.
 
"It's high time the administration rolls back water cuts," said BJP corporator and BMC's Standing Committee member Bhalchandra Shirshat. "Imposing cuts was decided at a Standing Committee meeting by us, so rolling it back should also be our call. So far, the lakes have received 90 per cent of rainfall and the monsoon will go on for another 40 days."

Sena vs Sena
The issue seems to have created a rift within the saffron party. On Friday, at the Standing Committee meeting, BJP corporator and MLA Yogesh Sagar proposed to roll back water cuts, which was supported by all parties, including Shiv Sena. Sena corporator and leader of the House Sunil Prabhu adjourned the meeting after the civic administration refused to budge from its stand.

Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray, during a review meeting at the Mayor's bungalow on Saturday, insisted that water cuts stay till the end of September. After Uddhav's verdict, Sena corporators chose to keep mum.

However, the BJP, which is in alliance with the Sena in the state, has not backed down. "The administration seems adamant about its decision. Even Uddhav and his corporators are convinced that water cuts should stay, but we will stick to our stand," said Shirshat.

They are enjoying full support of the Congress. "When the city is already facing problems related to rain ailments and there's dirt everywhere, it's time we relax the water cuts. We will insist on a rollback and will ensure the meeting remains adjourned till the administration agrees with us. It is we, the Standing Committee, who will decide about water supply and not the administration. The BJP and Congress are united in this cause," said Sameer Desai, Congress corporator and a Standing Committee member.
 

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With the arrests of 10 men from Ghatkopar and Dadar, the Pant Nagar police have busted a bank fraud scam that could run into more than Rs 100 crore. What has shocked the police are the 300 fake debit cards, cheques and PAN cards belonging to 100 B-town celebs and some of the city's top businessmen and firms recovered from this gang. 

Investigations of the Pant Nagar police revealed that most of the scamsters are graduates in their late 20s, who have worked in some of the city's renowned private banks.

 
"The gang has been operating for more than a year and has robbed small businessmen and companies to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore. But they had bigger plans in place. They have been eyeing Bollywood personalities and some top entrepreneurs for a while," said K M Kasar, assistant police inspector, Pant Nagar police station. "We have recovered fake cheque books from them that belonged to some famous actors and a five-star hotel in south Mumbai. This racket would have run into a few hundred crores at least. The gang targetted those from the film industry, as they are casual about their finances."
 
The Pant Nagar police have identified one Amjad Khan alias Mac, who has a degree from a Britain-based university and operates from Uttar Pradesh.  According to police, Mac ensures that all the documents are dispatched to Nadeem Pathan, A Mishra and Sarfaraz Khan, their associates in UP who forged them. "While 10 of the scamsters are in our custody including Khan, the others are absconding," said Kasar.   

Clothing firm duped
The police stumbled on what they now say is an inter-state scam when Vilas Khade, an accountant with J K Clothing Pvt Ltd, a Ghatkopar-based subsidiary of one of India's leading garment manufacturers lodged a complaint at the Pant Nagar police station on June 25. According to the complaint, the firm had been duped for Rs 4 lakh.

Khade was shocked when he learnt that there was no balance left in one of the accounts. "I got a call from the bank on June 25 informing me that there was no money in one of the accounts. I was stunned, as I had not issued any cheques for withdrawal. The gang withdrew Rs 48,000 from the account and Rs 3,50,000 from the ATM." The police started working on the case on a war footing after they found that the cheques used to withdraw cash were fake.

After zeroing on the person who withdrew money using the cheque, the police with the help of their informers tracked down the gang members who offered loans.

"Posing as a customer, one police officer availed of the loan. After he handed over his documents to a scamster, who pretended to be a banker, we followed him. We found that the documents were handed over to an attendant working on the train heading for UP," said a police officer, requesting anonymity.

"We kept a close eye on the attendant and nabbed him red-handed at Dadar when he was returning with 100 fake cheques last month. This, then led to the arrest of nine others, one among them is a woman," he added.
 

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Miss Universe organisation owner says nothing wrong with topless pictures; added they were artistic

Miss Universe Organisation owner Donald Trump defended the recently released official photos of the 83 pageant candidates, which drew flak from critics for featuring several of the contestants in topless poses, covered only with body paint.

The media giant said he finds nothing wrong with these photos as "we are in a different age."
 
"They are a little bit sexy, but I'll tell you what -- everybody's watching so I have nothing against it. The Miss USA pageant and the Miss Universe pageant just got renewed for three years by NBC. The ratings have been terrific. If you look at Miss America, it's now off-network television -- and we're doing better than ever, so I really have no problem with it," Donald said.

Critics question the organisation's intention for the concept of the photo shoot. Among those who posed topless during the Las Vegas shoot with photographer Fadil Badisha were Miss Trinidad and Tobago LaToya Woods, Miss USA Rima Fakih, Miss Ireland Rozanna Purcell, and Miss Japan Maiko Itai.

LaToya posed by the Mandalay Bay poolside with her floral body paint, bikini bottom, and high heels. She kept the private part of her torso hidden with a little help from "pasties." Meanwhile, Rima, wearing a skimpy bikini bottom, cupped her breasts and flaunted her painted back.

Angie Meyer, who previously worked with the Miss Universe Organisation, was appalled with the photos as it puts the candidates "in an extremely compromising position."

By making use of the topless concept, the competition has turned into a "playboy-esque masquerade," said Angie.

In a statement, however, the organisation echoed Donald's contention that the photos are permissible in culture, as "the contestants who compete at Miss Universe are diverse... [representing] more than 82 countries around the globe. Many of their cultures embrace nudity."
 

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Ask two lesbian lovers as they go in hiding to escape their families' wrath

RAJNI and Sunitha are not just names. They are in the process of becoming exemplary figures for those seeking same sex unions.

The two Delhi girls aged 20 and 21 years respectively chose to go ahead with their decision to join each other in matrimony despite stiff opposition from their respective families and friends. The couple got married in a civil court on August 11 and got their certificate on August 16.

However, things got ugly when the matter became public and Rajni's family threatened to kill them for the fear of public shame. Rajni and Sunitha approached the Mayur Vihar police station, seeking protection but by that time Rajni's family members and some colony residents had also reached there.

The cops had to put the couple in the lock up to "ensure their safety".
Both of them have left for an undisclosed location. When MiD DAY contacted Sunitha over the phone, she refused to tell where she was as the cops had asked the couple to keep their whereabouts secret for their own safety.

"I met Rajni while working for a private firm. Both of us became instant friends and developed a liking for each other. She used to take care of me and we decided to get married only after a month of being together," Sunitha told MiD DAY over the phone.

"It was a very tough decision. We knew nobody will support us. Rajni's family will never accept the fact that we love each other and want to live together. However, my family will not pose any problems. We will have to live in hiding for some time but then we were sort of prepared for it," she said.

Rajni said she had been regularly tortured by her family after she was made to abort her four-month foetus by her mom. She had borne the child out of a love affair with a boy from her area. But she refused to share details of it.

"My family used to beat me regularly. Now, I am with Sunitha and have left everybody behind. Though I am scared for my life but I am not going to back out now. I know people would try to put all sorts of allegations against us, but then we are ready to face anything," said a defiant Rajni.

However, Rajni's family claimed that Sunitha had been running a sex racket and lured young girls into her trap by marrying them.

"I am sure she will sell off my daughter. She (Sunitha) dresses like a guy with a rum bottle in her pocket, a handkerchief tied around her forehead. I can't allow my daughter to go away with a girl like her," said Prawesh, Rajni's mother.

The police told MiD DAY that they will do everything to ensure that the couple remains safe.
"There is no case or complaint but since the couple has sought protection we have asked them to keep their whereabouts a secret. The concerned police station would provide protection to them. Rajni's mother had lodged a missing's complaint but she appeared at the police station with Sunitha," said a senior police official.

First 'Indian' Gay Wedding
Asif Khan, 30, a Muslim from Ahmedabad exchanged rings with longtime Hindu partner Sanjiv Sha, 42, a UK citizen of Indian origin (names changed) on August 17 near a Hindu temple in Kathmandu. The couple was blessed by a Hindu priest.
A function was attended by gays, lesbians, transgendered and transvestites from Kathmandu who contributed to organize a small feast and party for the newlyweds.
 "We chose Nepal as there is no legal sanction for same sex marriages in India. I am very excited and happy," said Khan, a sales executive who met Sha during a visit to UK in 2003.
The wedding was organised by Blue Diamond Society, an organisation working for rights of sexual minorities and Pink Mountain, the country's first travel agency promoting gay and lesbian tourism.
"The couple arrived in Kathmandu four days back and sought our help in getting married. We took a minimal fee of US $ 200 to arrange the wedding," said BDS founder Sunil Babu Pant, Nepal's first gay lawmaker.
A marriage certificate (not legal) would be given to the couple by BDS and the amount used for welfare of persons belonging to sexual minorities.
The couple plans a short honeymoon in India before settling in UK. Sha, a social worker from Leicester had taken permission from the British High Commission in New Delhi to go ahead with the wedding. 
"I was worried for the safety of my partner and thought Nepal is a safe destination. We now look forward to a happy future," said Sha.
In December 2007, Nepal's Supreme Court granted equal status to sexual minorities. Nepal's Constituent Assembly is in the process of granting equal rights to them including legalising same sex marriages.
 

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Man strangles beloved over Rs 30,000 she had borrowed from him

Move over loan sharks, non-payment of loan might turn a lover into killer.
A 24-year-old man killed his beloved when she failed to pay back a loan of Rs 30,000 to him.

The accused Mool Chand allegedly killed  Shashi Mishra when she refused to pay back Rs 30,000 she had borrowed from him. Her body was found in a pool of blood on August 13 by a neighbour.

"Shashi and Mool Chand were together for the last four years despite the fact that Mool Chand had already been married. Mool Chand often used to meet her at her residence at Street Number 13 in Govindpuri.

Shashi had taken a loan of Rs 30,000 from him. Mool Chand was demanding his money back, but  she refused to pay up. To get revenge, Mool Chand hatched a conspiracy to kill her. Along with a friend, he  strangled Shashi at her residence. The friend is absconding since the incident," said a senior police officer.

Police said Shashi's neighbour informed them about the case after which an FIR of murder was lodged. Police said it looked like a blind case in the beginning.

"We examined the call details of the deceased and found that most of the time she used to talk to Mool Chand. He was detained and on interrogation he confessed his crime. He told us that he had an affair with Shashi and had once given her Rs 30,000 as loan. Mool Chand said he killed Shashi when she refused to repay the debt," added the officer.

EASY MONEY
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested a Chartered Accountant who cheated people by promising them great business opportunities and huge loans from foreign banks. Officials said the accused, Brij Bhushan Aggrawal (49) of Pitampura, has swindled a huge amount of money from several victims over 15 years. Officials said Aggarwal was wanted in a cheating case where he had taken Rs 12.5 lakh from a person for getting him a contract to run a canteen at Reliance Energy Ltd in Agra. He was also declared a Proclaimed Offender in another case of Karol Bagh where he had taken Rs 2.5 lakh from a person and had promised to get him a loan of Rs 25 crore from a foreign bank. In 1996, a case was registered against him at Kamla Market after he allegedly cheated another businessman of Rs 15 lakh by posing as an NRI and promising to facilitate rice export from India.
 

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Tale of 106 water-logged roads and hapless civic agencies

Thursday was one of those days when Delhiites wished they owned a boat instead of the wheeled vehicles  they were driving.

Intermittent rains and a rickety drainage system caused waterlogging at 106 spots across the city during rush hour. Traffic moved at snail's pace across the city at busy traffic junctions and even the press gallery of the Lok Sabha reported seepage. 

The MCD central control room received 106 waterlogging complaints, 23 cases of falling trees and 11 reports in which parts of buildings collapsed.

Commuters were stuck for nearly an hour at places like Mayur Vihar Phase -I, ITO, Ashram, Moolchand, near Airport, Delhi Cantonment, Sarita Vihar, Outer Ring Road, Geeta Colony, DND flyover, Ashok Vihar, Ramakrishna Marg. Four-feet-deep water collected in the Azadpur underpass and three buses got stuck in it clogging the passageway. Later in the day, all routes to important areas like Lado Sarai, AIIMS flyover, Saket, South Extension, Mandi House etc found it difficult to recover from long traffic jams.

According to the Met department, the city received 89.3mm rainfall in the day, the highest this season. The department said that heavy rains are expected in the coming days.

An official from the Department of Irrigation and Flood Control said the water level at the Old Delhi Railway Bridge was 203.76mm which is slightly below the alarming level of 204.83mm. The water discharged from the Tajewala barrage in Yamuna Nagar District was 208005-cu/sec as recorded at 10 am in the day. However, officials rubbished any possibilities of flood in areas around Delhi
 

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OC chief claims he had requested the government for assistance

Suresh Kalmadi rubbished rumours on Thursday that the appointment of a ten-member team by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) would curtail his independence.

He claimed that the team was appointed on his insistence, as he had asked for "assistance" from the government.

The PMO on Thursday announced appointment of 10 senior officials to oversee preparation of major venues of the event. The team will directly report to the Cabinet Secretary.

"We are in the final phase of the preparations for Commonwealth Games. We requested the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary to give us 10 government officers. They have come at our request and they will coordinate with us. They have not come to take over the OC as reported in some sections of the media. The media is saying that my wings have been clipped, probably because I was a fighter pilot," he said.

Suresh Kalmadi, who is in the eye of a storm over alleged corruption in the Commonwealth Games, did not attend the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting on Thursday.

Thursday also saw Congress president Sonia Gandhi speaking over the alleged scams in the Commonwealth Games for the first time. "It (Games) is a matter of national pride and efforts should be made to hold them successfully," she said at the CPP meeting
 

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Following a massive scam in the procurement of emergency medical equipment for the Commonwealth Games, the administration has decided to go by a uniform rate regime for all government hospitals in Delhi.

Hospitals which follow the Central Procurement Agency rules will also have to follow the new regime.
The new rates have been devised by the Directorate of Health Services at a meeting on Monday evening.

MiD DAY found that one of the companies contracted to supply emergency medical equipment to 22 hospitals in the city, as preparation for the Commonwealth Games, does not even have a registered office. The other was already blacklisted at the time of bidding for the tender.

The two companies - Lord Krishna and Mangalam Medicaments - have already backed out of their commitment to supply equipment ranging from stethoscopes and scoop stretcher to ultrasound machines.
Reportedly, these companies were under the scanner as they had allegedly secured the order for supplying the medical equipment for Commonwealth Games despite quoting exorbitant rates.

Though the exact amount of the contract for procurement of medical equipment is not known, sources in the Health Department say it is worth several crores as the hospitals in the city were being upgraded to meet any emergency during the CWG, when lakhs of people are expected to visit the city.  The list of these hospitals includes all prominent names including AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital, GTB Hospital and several others. 

The medical apparatus was to be used for emergency services, including cardiac failure, injuries, various functions in the OPD and Operation Theatre.  In a letter, a copy of which is with MiD DAY, Directorate of Health Services, Delhi, has written to all these hospitals not to accept any equipment from these two firms as they have shown their inability to provide the same.

ILLS EXPOSED
In contravention of a directive of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare regarding rotation of staff working in departments like stores and finance, many officials in Delhi hospitals have not been transferred for several years.

The letter issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare stated:  "No one should remain in sensitive departments like stores and finance etc for more than two years at a time.

The medical superintendent will furnish details of rotational transfers of staff in the stores to DGHS on 1st April each year and in case of irregularity or misappropriation or any misconduct occurs, the responsibility of retaining officials for more than two years, will be of medical superintendent and the higher authorities".

"We are right now busy with other things. Why are you bringing up such issues now?" asked S Bhattacharjee, director, DHS when MiD DAY sought his reaction to the issue.

"There are some people who will  now be shifted from the stores," Bhattacharjee added

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Estranged couple gives up divorce plans after judges in Lok Adalat convince them to remain married

The Lok Adalat literally turned into a marriage hall yesterday, when a couple that had separated over a domestic violence case was reunited.

A bench of judges hearing the pending cases for an early disposal managed to persuade the couple to give their married life a second chance and succeeded!

Shortly after, they organised a function to solemnise their 're-marriage' symbolically, as their one-and-half year old baby boy witnessed the whole ceremony in amusement.
 
 The sardonic mood in the deserted court turned jubilant, and the staff arranged garlands and sweets for the ceremony in a jiffy. After the ceremony, the couple took blessings of the judges present at the court.

"You manage hundreds of employees everyday, can't you manage your wife?" a senior judge quipped, while wishing him the best for his future.

Vadiraj, who works as an AGM with a private company had married Trupthi in 2008.

Soon after the marriage, Trupthi alleged harassment from her in-laws but continued to live there. But as things worsened, a pregnant Truphti decided to go back to her parent's house.

Vadiraj did not turn up to take her back even after the baby was born.

After many futile attempts from Trupthi went unheard, she filed a dowry harassment and domestic violence case with Yalahanka New Town police station against Vadiraj and his family members in 2009.

Based on the complaint, Vadiraj was detained and later released on bail. The case was pending before the city court where Vadiraj had decided to file a divorce petition along with an application for rights to be with his son, Ramaskanda.

When the case was brought to the Lok Adalat, a group of judges convinced the pair to reconsider their decision it concerned three lives.

Trupthi withdrew all cases filed against Vadiraj and his family members, and the couple along with the kids went home after getting wishes from the staff and the members gathered there.

 
The sardonic mood in the court turned jubilant, and the staff arranged garlands and sweets for the ceremony. After their 're-marriage', the couple took blessings of the judges present at the court
 

Speaking to MiD DAY, Vadiraju said, "This mess started because of misunderstandings. I'll ensure such things won't happen from now on."

Trupthi's advocate HC Gnanamurthy said, "Even though it is a loss for me in terms of fee, I am happy that the couple is reunited," he told MiD DAY in lighter vain.
 

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After MiD DAY's tireless campaign against errant taxi and auto drivers, MNS chief too joins in the fray; not surprisingly, cabbies are a worried lot

It was only a matter of time before politicians too jumped in the fray. MiD DAY was the first newspaper to carry out a concerted campaign along with the traffic police and the RTO against errant taxi drivers. The campaign was a whopping success, with refusals coming down drastically. Now, MNS chief Raj Thackeray too has woken up to the plight of Mumbai's harassed commuters.

  
Thackeray yesterday met Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Vivek Phansalkar to voice his concern about errant taxi and auto drivers.

"I have asked the Transport Department to appoint an official to register people's complaints and take action against the erring drivers. The mobile number of the official should be made public for registering complaints," Thackeray said.

During the campaign carried out by MiD DAY from April 6-June 12 and then from June 12-August 11, as many as 2,619 taxi drivers and 3,881 auto rickshaw drivers were caught for refusing fare. Licences of 429 taxi drivers and 361 autorickshaw drivers were cancelled.

A whopping Rs 2,36,600 was collected as fine from cabbies, while autowallahs had to shell out Rs 83,700. More importantly, as many as 40,000 Mumbaikars supported the campaign carried out by MiD DAY.

The significance of the campaign, which had a direct impact on the daily lives of the common man, has apparently not been lost on the netas either.

MNS MLA and general secretary Nitin Sardesai said, "The party has just asked for the implementation of rules with regard to refusal of fares and other aspects like permits and licences. We will see how the traffic police implement the rules. Even in foreign countries, the details of the driver including his name, licence and permit is prominently displayed inside the cab. But here, we do not know who the driver is, whether he has a proper licence or a permit and what his background is," he added.
 

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