Friday, June 8, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
CHENNAI: Union home minister P Chidambaram's bid to avoid trial in a case pertaining to the validity of his election, in 2009, from Sivaganga parliamentary constituency in Tamil Nadu failed on Thursday with the Madras high Court refusing to entirely strike off an election petition filed by AIADMK's losing candidate R S Raja Kannappan.
After having lost the election by a narrow margin, Raja Kannapan filed the election petition leveling several allegations of malpractice against Chidambaram.
In his petition, Raja Kannappan claimed that Chidambaram had mobilized funds from various banks to spend on poll campaign.
Chidambaram's preliminary objection petition to reject the election petition at an initial stage itself failed last year. Later, he filed a strike-off petition. Had he succeeded, it would have spared him the rigor of the trial such as appearing in the court and getting into the box.
On Thursday, Justice K Venkataraman dismissed the strike-off petition but directed deletion of two specific paragraphs in Raja Kannappan's petition containing allegations that the bank funds were used in contesting the elections.
Kannappan, in his petition filed on June 25, 2009, had alleged that Chidambaram's election 'deserved' to be declared void due to 'manipulation' of votes and 'corrupt practices' committed by him, his election agents and others, with his consent.
Raja Kannappan had also sought recount of the votes polled in the entire constituency, particularly in the Alangudi Assembly segment.
After having lost the election by a narrow margin, Raja Kannapan filed the election petition leveling several allegations of malpractice against Chidambaram.
In his petition, Raja Kannappan claimed that Chidambaram had mobilized funds from various banks to spend on poll campaign.
Chidambaram's preliminary objection petition to reject the election petition at an initial stage itself failed last year. Later, he filed a strike-off petition. Had he succeeded, it would have spared him the rigor of the trial such as appearing in the court and getting into the box.
On Thursday, Justice K Venkataraman dismissed the strike-off petition but directed deletion of two specific paragraphs in Raja Kannappan's petition containing allegations that the bank funds were used in contesting the elections.
Kannappan, in his petition filed on June 25, 2009, had alleged that Chidambaram's election 'deserved' to be declared void due to 'manipulation' of votes and 'corrupt practices' committed by him, his election agents and others, with his consent.
Raja Kannappan had also sought recount of the votes polled in the entire constituency, particularly in the Alangudi Assembly segment.
clinch mixed doubles title
PARIS: India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza won the mixed doubles title at the French Open on Thursday, defeating Santiago Gonzalezof Mexico and Klaudia Jans-Ignacik of Poland7-6 (7/3), 6-1 in the final.
Bhupathi, one of the most successful men's doubles and mixed doubles players ever, won the title in style on his 38th birthday.
"Now I don't have to think of a gift to give him," Mirza said after their victory which was broadcast live in India, where the pair, playing as seventh seeds, are national sporting heroes.
Bhupathi, who is married to Indian actress and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta, dedicated the trophy to their four-month-old daughter Saira, his first child.
"This one's for her and I'm really happy," he said, after winning his eighth mixed doubles majors crown -- he has now won each mixed title twice.
Bhupathi first won the mixed doubles title at Roland Garros in 1997, when he teamed up with Japan's Rika Hiraki to become the first player from India to lift a Grand Slam trophy.
He completed a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles in 2006. Bhupathi also has four men's doubles majors, including two in Paris
It was the third time that Mirza and Bhupathi had reached a Grand Slam final together. They won the 2009 Australian Open after being runners-up at the same tournament in 2008.
"We play a dangerous kind of tennis. When we're playing well, it's kind of hard to beat us," Bhupathi told a news conference.
Mirza, who did not play singles at Roland Garros following a rankings slump, added: "Every time you enter a tournament you want to win it. That's something that you enter hoping.
"You know, we were happy that we could keep the level up over two weeks and come out playing well on the important points. I think that's what really matters in mixed with the deuce and super tie-breaks."
Mirza said she felt they were destined to win the final, which was played in the late evening and in the aftermath of the women's singles semifinals, and was watched by just a handful of fans inside the Philippe Chatrier court
"It's happened the second time on his birthday. Funnily enough, he said it the first time when we were playing the first round. He said, 'Oh, last time I won on my birthday in Paris. I won my first slam'," she explained.
"So he said, 'Maybe it's destiny'. We were still in the first round. We kept winning and we didn't want to jinx it, so we didn't mention it again."
Gonzalez and Jans-Ignacik had prevented the final becoming a virtually all-Indian affair when they defeated Leander Paes and his Russian partner Elena Vesnina in the semifinals.
Bhupathi, one of the most successful men's doubles and mixed doubles players ever, won the title in style on his 38th birthday.
"Now I don't have to think of a gift to give him," Mirza said after their victory which was broadcast live in India, where the pair, playing as seventh seeds, are national sporting heroes.
Bhupathi, who is married to Indian actress and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta, dedicated the trophy to their four-month-old daughter Saira, his first child.
"This one's for her and I'm really happy," he said, after winning his eighth mixed doubles majors crown -- he has now won each mixed title twice.
Bhupathi first won the mixed doubles title at Roland Garros in 1997, when he teamed up with Japan's Rika Hiraki to become the first player from India to lift a Grand Slam trophy.
He completed a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles in 2006. Bhupathi also has four men's doubles majors, including two in Paris
It was the third time that Mirza and Bhupathi had reached a Grand Slam final together. They won the 2009 Australian Open after being runners-up at the same tournament in 2008.
"We play a dangerous kind of tennis. When we're playing well, it's kind of hard to beat us," Bhupathi told a news conference.
Mirza, who did not play singles at Roland Garros following a rankings slump, added: "Every time you enter a tournament you want to win it. That's something that you enter hoping.
"You know, we were happy that we could keep the level up over two weeks and come out playing well on the important points. I think that's what really matters in mixed with the deuce and super tie-breaks."
Mirza said she felt they were destined to win the final, which was played in the late evening and in the aftermath of the women's singles semifinals, and was watched by just a handful of fans inside the Philippe Chatrier court
"It's happened the second time on his birthday. Funnily enough, he said it the first time when we were playing the first round. He said, 'Oh, last time I won on my birthday in Paris. I won my first slam'," she explained.
"So he said, 'Maybe it's destiny'. We were still in the first round. We kept winning and we didn't want to jinx it, so we didn't mention it again."
Gonzalez and Jans-Ignacik had prevented the final becoming a virtually all-Indian affair when they defeated Leander Paes and his Russian partner Elena Vesnina in the semifinals.
Check out sexy Bollywood lass Priyanka Chopra as she walks the ramp on Madonna's Material Girl song for Salman Khan's Being Human Fashion Show at HDIL Couture Week. For regular updates on the latest happenings in Bollywood, subscribe to http://www.youtube.com/businessofcinema
NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has summoned a commander and a co-pilot of GoAir for reportedly allowing two people to fly in the cockpit from Leh to Jammu on Wednesday in violation of all aviation safety rules. The regulator will also examine if by doing so, the airline actually carried more people than the 180 passenger seats that its Airbus A-320s has. Sources claimed the two who travelled in the cockpit were senior army officials, including the toparmy official of Leh — general officer commanding Lt Gen Ravi Dastane.
This alleged violation of safety rules happened on GoAir's G8 151 on Wednesday. A passenger on the flight noticed two persons entering the aircraft and straightway going to the cockpit. "They remained in the cockpit for the entire duration of the flight to Jammu," the passenger said, adding that on being asked how two non-crew members were allowed inside the cockpit, the crew claimed it had DGCA's permission.
Later, DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan was informed about this lapse. "I got a complaint about people being allowed inside the cockpit of the flight. On checking, it was found to be true. I have called the two pilots and airline's the director (safety) to explain this," Bhushan said. The airline refused to comment on this issue.
During initial probe, the regulator has also found some discrepancies in the trim sheet (which has information on passengers) and is investigating if the plane had more passengers than GoAir's configuration of 180 seats in its A-320s with eight being business class and 172 in economy. The two pilots will not be allowed to fly till they explain what happened on the flight to the regulator. Entry inside cockpit is banned for non-crew members due to security reasons.
Meanwhile, aviation minister Ajit Singh has asked DGCA to analyse the current fares and see if airlines are over charging. The instructions came as current domestic airfares have shown a 30% hike due to the demand supply mismatch caused by reduction of capacity by Kingfisher and uncertainty surrounding Air India.
This alleged violation of safety rules happened on GoAir's G8 151 on Wednesday. A passenger on the flight noticed two persons entering the aircraft and straightway going to the cockpit. "They remained in the cockpit for the entire duration of the flight to Jammu," the passenger said, adding that on being asked how two non-crew members were allowed inside the cockpit, the crew claimed it had DGCA's permission.
Later, DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan was informed about this lapse. "I got a complaint about people being allowed inside the cockpit of the flight. On checking, it was found to be true. I have called the two pilots and airline's the director (safety) to explain this," Bhushan said. The airline refused to comment on this issue.
During initial probe, the regulator has also found some discrepancies in the trim sheet (which has information on passengers) and is investigating if the plane had more passengers than GoAir's configuration of 180 seats in its A-320s with eight being business class and 172 in economy. The two pilots will not be allowed to fly till they explain what happened on the flight to the regulator. Entry inside cockpit is banned for non-crew members due to security reasons.
Meanwhile, aviation minister Ajit Singh has asked DGCA to analyse the current fares and see if airlines are over charging. The instructions came as current domestic airfares have shown a 30% hike due to the demand supply mismatch caused by reduction of capacity by Kingfisher and uncertainty surrounding Air India.
LONDON: The mystery of an unknown Sikh onQueen Elizabeth's Royal Barge that sailed down the Thames to mark the monarch's diamond jubilee has been solved. An investigation by a British tabloid has found that the man was a sex offender who spent four years in a British prison.
But the mystery about who invited Harbinder Singh Rana, 52, remains. Rana was jailed in the 1980s for posing as a doctor and groping and molesting several women on the pretext of performing internal examinations or administering injections.
Rana has since rejigged himself as a pillar of the community and wormed his way into the good books of Elizabeth's son Prince Charles.
Rana was found guilty on five counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of assault causing bodily harm and one count of attempted assault in August 1986.
"In an astonishing error of judgment , the Sikh charity director, who now lives in Walsall in the West Midlands, was allowed to mingle with VIPs on the Royal Barge during Sunday's river pageant," said the Daily Mirror article. "The convicted sex attacker was at times during the 1,000 boat extravaganza just feet from the Queen herself."
Sex offender was invited by Charles to queen's party
Rana, a former management consultant,is understood to have met the prince through his charity work for the Anglo-Sikh heritage trail, a group that promotes Sikh culture in Britain.
The prince's staff appeared to be unaware of Rana's shameful past. It is not known if security checks were done on Rana.
"I was given the invitation and I attended. The fact that the Prince of Wales invited me clearly shows what I have done for the community since then," Rana told the British daily. "I have made it clear I wasn't representing the Sikh community , I was there because I was very happy to be invited."
However, the incident has created outrage in Britain about vetting procedures in place to protect the British royal family. An investigation is likely.
A spokesman for Charles said, "Harbinder Singh was asked to take part as he is a leading member of the Sikh community and someone who has done a lot of charitable work."
Scotland Yard claimed that those travelling on the royal barge would have been vetted by security. But Rana was not deemed a threat.
But the mystery about who invited Harbinder Singh Rana, 52, remains. Rana was jailed in the 1980s for posing as a doctor and groping and molesting several women on the pretext of performing internal examinations or administering injections.
Rana has since rejigged himself as a pillar of the community and wormed his way into the good books of Elizabeth's son Prince Charles.
Rana was found guilty on five counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of assault causing bodily harm and one count of attempted assault in August 1986.
"In an astonishing error of judgment , the Sikh charity director, who now lives in Walsall in the West Midlands, was allowed to mingle with VIPs on the Royal Barge during Sunday's river pageant," said the Daily Mirror article. "The convicted sex attacker was at times during the 1,000 boat extravaganza just feet from the Queen herself."
Sex offender was invited by Charles to queen's party
Rana, a former management consultant,is understood to have met the prince through his charity work for the Anglo-Sikh heritage trail, a group that promotes Sikh culture in Britain.
The prince's staff appeared to be unaware of Rana's shameful past. It is not known if security checks were done on Rana.
"I was given the invitation and I attended. The fact that the Prince of Wales invited me clearly shows what I have done for the community since then," Rana told the British daily. "I have made it clear I wasn't representing the Sikh community , I was there because I was very happy to be invited."
However, the incident has created outrage in Britain about vetting procedures in place to protect the British royal family. An investigation is likely.
A spokesman for Charles said, "Harbinder Singh was asked to take part as he is a leading member of the Sikh community and someone who has done a lot of charitable work."
Scotland Yard claimed that those travelling on the royal barge would have been vetted by security. But Rana was not deemed a threat.
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