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30 Dec 2012 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: A tribute to departed soul
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan is equally shocked with the tragic death of the 23-year-old Delhi gangrape victim.
Earlier in the day, Amitabh Bachchan had tweeted, “‘Amanat’, ‘Damini’ just a name now… her body has passed away, but her soul shall forever stir our hearts.”
Now the actor has paid tribute to the girl in the form of a poem which he posted on social netwoking site Facebook.
30 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: A sad departed soul
Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dead-body-of-delhi-gangrape-victim-reaches-new-delhi/1/240044.html
The body of 23-year-old gangrape victim was brought to India early Sunday morning from Singapore where she died after battling for life for 13 days.
A special aircraft of Air India carrying the mortal remains of the victim, who died in Mount Elizebeth hospital on Saturday morning, landed at IGI airport here at around 3.30 am. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport when the specially-chartered plane landed.
The body was taken out of the airport in an ambulance of a private hospital through the Palm technical area.
The girl, a physiotherapy student, was gangraped and brutally assaulted allegedly by six men in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16 night.
While undergoing treatment at Safdarjung hospital, she was shifted to the Singapore hospital for further treatment.
The aircraft AIC-380A took off from Singapore at around 12:30 am local time (10:00 pm IST on Saturday), Indian High Commission officials said.
The girl breathed her last on Saturday at 4:45 am (2:15 am IST).
On the chartered plane, sent by the Indian government, were her family members who have been in Singapore since the girl was brought to the hospital here in an extremely critical condition.
The victim, who underwent three surgeries, had damaged internal organs in the assault. She also suffered a cardiac arrest and brain injury.
Police have slapped murder charges, which has death penalty in rarest of rare cases, against the six accused and will file the chargesheet against them on January three.
Investigators said they will seek the harshest punishment for the culprits.
29 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
The death of the Delhi gang-rape victim in Singapore shocked Bollywood, with Shabana Azmi urging the country to “wake up” and combat violence against women.
The film fraternity took to Twitter to express its indignation over the gang-rape and her death after 13 days of struggle.
Amitabh Bachchan: ‘Amanat’, ‘Damini’ just a name now… her body has passed away, but her soul shall shall forever stir our hearts.
Shabana Azmi: And SHE PASSES AWAY in Singapore. RIP. Our impotence stares us in the face. May SHE become the wake-up call our country needs. We must soul search. Female foeticide; inequal access to nutrition, education, health; no decision making powers; dowry demands; rapes rampant. INDIA WAKE UP.
Shekhar Kapur: Her greatest betrayal is that we will forget. Political systems’ greatest hope is we will forget. Our only redemption is if we do not forget.
Mahesh Bhatt: Shut all temples where you pretend to worship the female form. Cry India! Your hands are drenched with the blood of your own daughters.
Shekhar Kapur: On 31st December, I will stand in silence in her memory. Will you, or will u party on?
Karan Johar: RIP to a brave girl who fought in a weak and paralysed country…….#shameonallofus!(sic).
Madhur Bhandarkar: RIP Damini, today is a dark day in our democracy. We should pledge not to let dust settle on this fight till the end(sic).
Kunal Kapoor: I really hope, the anger that we all feel, does nt disappear, after a couple of days and a few emotional tweets..(sic).
Sophie Choudry: SPEAK!What r u waiting for?It’s already at ur doorstep!Women/Girls/Kids must feel safe in their own country,in their own homes! #RIPHumanity (sic).
Mini Mathur: Can we start again from scratch please? And this time, we do it right.
Ashish Chowdhry: Shame. Shame on humanity.Shame on our country.Shame on justice..,even God’s justice. Shame.N I don’t think she’ll “RIP”.She’ll need answers (sic).
Eva Grover: Today is the29th whn we”ve lost the poor girl,just a day2go, r people gona party hard on31st nt just like nothing happened?(sic).
Aman Verma: Sheila dixit says that may “nirbhayas” soul rest in peace. How is that possible? She’s been raped, tortured, abused and finally dies. Peace? (sic).
Neha Dhupia : We will not forget you. We pledge that we WILL bring about a change in our country.#RapeFreeIndia (sic).
Kishwer: Dear Govt : the day u decide to punish the bastards,announce it..do it publicly..not like what happned with KaSab!!!(sic).
Suresh Menon: Let’s all promise to vote for the party that gets these rapists tortured and killed …any takers!(sic).
Kamaal R Khan: Now I request to all the ppl all over India tat we should maintain peace n make sure tat all the #DelhiRapists will be hanged till death(sic).
Jaaved Jaaferi: Really shocking and sad to see the mindset (sic).
29 Dec 2012 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Travel-time reduced from 20-hrs to 8-hrs
China has opened the world’s longest high-speed rail line, which more than halves the time required to travel from the country’s capital in the north to Guangzhou, an economic hub in southern China.
Wednesday’s opening of the 2,298 kilometer (1,428 mile)-line was commemorated by the 9 a.m. departure of a train from Beijing for Guangzhou. Another train left Guangzhou for Beijing an hour later.
China has massive resources and considerable prestige invested in its showcase high-speed railways program.
But it has in recent months faced high-profile problems: part of a line collapsed in central China after heavy rains in March, while a bullet train crash in the summer of 2011 killed 40 people. The former railway minister, who spearheaded the bullet train’s construction, and the ministry’s chief engineer, were detained in an unrelated corruption investigation months before the crash.
Trains on the latest high-speed line will initially run at 300 kph (186 mph) with a total travel time of about eight hours. Before, the fastest time between the two cities by train was more than 20 hours.
The line also makes stops in major cities along the way, including provincial capitals Shijiazhuang, Wuhan and Changsha.
More than 150 pairs of high-speed trains will run on the new line every day, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Ministry of Railways.
Rail is an essential part in China’s transportation system, and the government plans to build a grid of high-speed railways with four east-west lines and four north-south lines by 2020.
The opening of the new line brings the total distance covered by China’s high-speed railway system to more than 9,300 km (5,800 miles) – about half its 2015 target of 18,000 km.
29 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Rail to Banihal soon
Finally, history was made on Friday as the trial run of the country’s longest railway tunnel, Pir Panjal tunnel, was conducted smoothly. The train covered the 11 km distance in 20 minutes. It took 30 minutes to cover the entire distance of 17.5 km from Qazigund to Banihal.
The trial had to be postponed on Thursday following protest by locals on railway tracks. They were demanding a railway station in the village.
The tunnel (11.215 km), which connects Bichleri Valley of Banihal with Qazigund area of Kashmir Valley, is the India’s first longest transport tunnel and Asia’s second longest tunnel. 6.5 km long Karbude tunnel of the Konkan railway was India’s longest tunnel so far. While the longest tunnel in Asia is Wushaoling tunnel (20 km) in Gansu, China.
“The Pir Panjal railway tunnel is a vital link connecting Udhampur to Baramulla. Train passengers in the Kashmir Valley can soon travel up to Banihal with the completion of the Qazigund-Banihal section which also comprises Pir Panjal railway tunnel,” said Sharanappa Yalal, project manager of Pir Panjal Tunnel project of Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) Ltd.
Opening of the tunnel will ease the transportation problem during winters when inclement weather forces closure of the Jawahar Tunnel and Srinagar-Jammu highway.
The tunnel will reduce distance between Banihal and Qazigund, which is also one of the most treacherous stretches in the entire Kashmir rail network project, from 35 km by road to 17.5 km on train.
“The tunnel is part of the ambitious Udhampur – Srinagar – Baramulla rail link project of the Northern Railways, whose route alignment presents one of the greatest challenges ever to be accomplished in Indian Civil Engineering history,” Yalal said.
29 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Brutal ending
The 23-year-old girl, who was gangraped and brutally assaulted in a Delhi bus nearly a fortnight ago, died at at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on Saturday. Her body will be brought back to India tonight.
“The body of the gangraped victim will be flown back to India today on a chartered plane,” Indian High Commissioner Dr T C A Raghavan said on Saturday.
Meanwhile, keeping in view the the mass protests at the Jantar Mantar and India Gate, Delhi government has heightened security at all Metro stations in the capital city.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was aware of the emotions the attack has generated and it was up to all Indians to ensure that the young woman’s death will not have been in vain.
The victim “passed away peacefully” with her family and officials of the Indian Embassy by her side, Dr. Kevin Loh, the chief executive of Mount Elizabeth hospital, said in a statement.
After 10 days at a hospital in Delhi, the woman was brought on Thursday to Mount Elizabeth hospital, which specialises in multi-organ transplants. Loh said the woman had been in extremely critical condition since Thursday, and by late Friday her condition had taken a turn for the worse, with her vital signs deteriorating.
“Despite all efforts by a team of eight specialists in Mount Elizabeth Hospital to keep her stable, her condition continued to deteriorate over these two days,” Loh said. “She had suffered from severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain. She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome.”
The woman and a male friend, who have not been identified, were travelling on a bus after watching a film on the evening of December 16 when they were attacked by six men who raped her. The men also beat the couple and inserted an iron rod into the woman’s body, resulting in severe organ damage. Both were then stripped and thrown off the bus, according to police.
Police have arrested six people in connection with the attack, which left the victim with severe internal injuries, a lung infection and brain damage. She also suffered from a heart attack while in the hospital in India.
Indian High Commissioner, or ambassador, T.C.A. Raghavan told reporters that the scale of the injuries she suffered was “very grave” and in the end “proved too much.”
The protesters are demanding stronger protection for women and the death penalty for rape, which is now punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment. Women face daily harassment across India, ranging from catcalls on the streets, groping and touching in public transport to rape.
Singh said he understands the angry reaction to the attack and hopes all Indians will work together to make appropriate changes.
“These are perfectly understandable reactions from a young India and an India that genuinely desires change,” the Prime Minister said in a statement. “It would be a true homage to her memory if we are able to channel these emotions and energies into a constructive course of action.”
He said the government was examining the penalties for crimes such as rape “to enhance the safety and security of women.”
“I hope that the entire political class and civil society will set aside narrow sectional interests and agendas to help us all reach the end that we all desire – making India a demonstrably better and safer place for women to live in,” Singh said.
The tragedy has forced India to confront the reality that sexually assaulted women are often blamed for the crime, which forces them to keep quiet and not report it to authorities for fear of exposing their families to ridicule. Also, police often refuse to accept complaints from those who are courageous enough to report the rapes, and the rare prosecutions that reach courts drag on for years.
Indian attitudes toward rape are so entrenched that even politicians and opinion makers have often suggested that women should not go out at night or wear clothes that might be seen provocative.
On Friday, Abhijit Mukherjee, son of President Pranab Mukherjee, apologised for calling the protesters “highly dented and painted” women who go from discos to demonstrations.
“I tender my unconditional apology to all the people whose sentiments got hurt,” he said.
Separately, authorities in Punjab state took action on Thursday when an 18-year-old woman killed herself by drinking poison a month after she told police she was gangraped.
State authorities suspended one police officer and fired two others on accusations they delayed investigating and taking action in the case. The three accused in the rape were only arrested on Thursday night, a month after the crime was reported.
“This is a very sensitive crime, I have taken it very seriously,” said Paramjit Singh Gill, a top police officer of Patiala.
The woman was raped on November 13 and reported the attack to police on November 27. But police harassed the girl, asked her embarrassing questions and took no action against the accused, police sources said.
Authorities in Chhattisgarh also suspended a police officer on accusations he refused to register a rape complaint from a woman who said she had been attacked by a driver.
28 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
Anil and Sonam Kapoor: We are not saying that Anil Kapoor isn’t hot – but we just cannot compare him to his daughter – Sonam, one of the most fashionable stars in Bollywood
Shraddha and Shakti Kapoor: Shakti Kapoor has over the years been the ‘ideal’ villain on screen and his daughter Shraddha Kapoor is one of those pretty lil things. And, we between you and me – we know where Shraddha’s ‘hot’ genes come from!
<Sonakshi and Shatrughan Sinha : He is known for his power packed performances. When it comes to looks, we would consider him more rugged than hot. Sonakshi, his daughter has lost oodles of weight and looks sizzling since she started acting.
Karisma, Kareena and Randhir Kapoor: Karisma is a mother of two and Kareena is one of the top heroines of Bollywood and both of them as you can see are real stunners. We, however cannot say that their dad Randhir Kapoor is hot. Handsome in the Kapoor Khandaan way is the best we can say for Randhir.
Tamara and Bernie Ecclestone: Let’s face it; Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone is not really a good-looking guy, which is why we were shocked to learn that he has a super hot daughter. The 28-year-old Tamara is a socialite, TV personality and model. Clearly,
ROWAN AND LILY ATKINSON: Yes, we know: how on Earth did Mr. Bean’s daughter turn out so hot, right?. Lily, only 17, is an aspiring actress and has appeared several times in some of daddy’s movies. We’re not putting our money on her being the next Bean, though.
ALEC AND IRELAND BALDWIN Ireland Baldwin, daughter of ’30 Rock’ star Alec and actress Kim Basinger, is only 16-years-old, but it’s obvious that she inherited her mother’s stunning good looks. She’s gonna be a heartbreaker, this one.
Bruce and Kendall Jenner: Move aside, Kim Kardashian! Former US Olympian Bruce Jenner’s eldest daughter with Kris Kardashian (Kim’s mom), Kendall, is only 17 and an upcoming model. Between you and us; we know where she gets her good genes from.
Steven and Liv Tyler: In another classic case of “where did she get her genes from”, Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler’s offspring looks nothing like him! Super hottie Liv is an accomplished Hollywood actress, and was named one of the most beautiful people
DONALD AND IVANKA TRUMP: Donald “Big Daddy” Trump is known for many things, but good looking is not one of them. His daughter Ivanka, on the other hand, is a model and one of the most beautiful women in the world. Stark contrast, if you ask us.
Jon Voight and Angelina Jolie: Jon Voight is one helluva actor, that we admit, but we can’t figure out how his daughter Angelina turned out to be one of the most desirable women in Hollywood history. We are not saying that Jon is not good looking, but look at Angie!
BRUCE AND RUMER WILLIS Bruce Willis is not really a bad looker, but for someone with such manly and intimidating genes, it came as a surprise that his 23-year-old daughter Rumer is growing up to be quite a looker. And thankfully so.
Courtesy: http://in.omg.yahoo.com
28 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
From his Maine Pyar Kiya co-star Bhagyashree to his Dabangg 2 director and brother Arbaaz Khan – many celebrities from the Hindi film fraternity have wished “happiness” and “good health” for superstar Salman Khan, who celebrates his 47th birthday Thursday.
Here’s what Bollywood’s twitterati has wished for Salman:Arbaaz Khan: Happy Birthday Salman! Wish you good health and happiness always. Thanks for being a great brother. Love you.
Karan Johar: Happy birthday Salman Khan. May the force be with you always!! Have a blessed year.
Sonakshi Sinha: Happy birthday Pandeyji
Sonu Sood: Salman Khan – Happy birthday bhai.
Kunal Kohli: Happy birthday to Salman Khan, who has entertained us through so many of his films. Here’s to many more.
Bhagyashree: Salman Khan – To a special person who is a part of my fondest memories: Wish you a very happy birthday. Keep shining.
Rannvijay Singha: Bhai!! Salman Khan, happy birthday!!
Kabir Sadanand: Happy birthday to the man who outclasses the rest.
Neha Dhupia: Happy birthday Salman Khan… simply the best!
Divya Dutta: Happy birthday Salman Khan! Have a great one!
Mini Mathur: Happy birthday Salman Khan. The most real, fun person of all time.
28 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Fast track trials for rapists
As the chorus to put into effect stronger deterrents for rapists grows stronger, one would be shocked to discover that in reality, scores of rape cases still remain pending in courts across the Capital .
According to the latest data, as of October, a good 963 rape cases were yet to be brought to their logical conclusion, as their trial dragged on in six lower courts.
Though the Delhi High Court has commissioned five fast track courts to provide timely justice to victims of sexual assault, legal experts suggest that these 963 cases cannot be disposed of even in two years.
HC writ ignored
What is striking about these instances of drawn-out trial is the fact that they are the result of a blatant contravention of certain guidelines laid down by the Delhi High Court for quicker justice by various agencies.
For example, court sources say many cases are at the last stage of trial but their rulings have been put on hold because of a delay in getting medical evidence.
“Forensic evidence constitutes vital evidence in rape cases. It becomes useless if not preserved, but in most rape cases, the police and hospitals fail to do so as they don’t follow the guidelines set up by the high court,” a source said.
In a 2008 order, the Delhi High Court had said that the concerned station house officer (SHO) of the area where such an incident has taken place is obligated to immediately inform the Delhi Legal Service Authority (DLSA), which would then depute a social worker to provide counselling and legal aid to the victim and his/her family within a week of the commission of the offence.
But, statistics alone would explain how the directive has been ignored.
Out of the 618 cases registered this year, the police have informed the DLSA in only 72 cases. According to sources, in 2011 and 2010, the DLSA was informed in only 49 and 22 of the 572 and 507 rape cases, respectively.
The hospitals are no better. The high court had stipulated strict guidelines for central, Delhi government and MCD hospitals, as also the court prosecutors, to follow while interacting with rape victims, but to no avail.
Another act of disobedience that often leads to the loss of crucial forensic evidence is the fact that most government hospitals don’t keep sexual assault forensic evidence (SAFE) kits, which consist of a set of items used by medical personnel for preserving physical evidence following a sexual assault, and the availability of which is one of the HC’s directives.
Sensitisation
The court had also stated that rape cases should be personally supervised by the assistant commissioner of police; a rule blatantly disobeyed. In reality, the investigation into such cases is headed by officials of the rank of additional sub-inspector or sub-inspector.
Lawyers blame both the prosecution and defence for resorting to dilly-dallying tactics that cause a delay in trial.
Senior advocate Aman Lekhi pointed out the hostility of the system as the main reason behind the delay. “The system needs to be sensitised towards rape victims. The reluctance of victims to open up before the court is also a factor,” he said.
Noted criminal lawyer K.K. Manan attributed the police’s aimless probing and inefficient Forensic Science Laboratory reports as major delaying factors. “The long legal proceedings in these cases create mental agony for the victims and their family and they tend to give up after a point of time.”
28 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Online promotion rewards Kerala
Kerala has edged out the Taj Mahal to become the number one travel destination in the Google’s search trends for India this year, Kerala tourism minister A.P Anil Kumar has informed.
Kerala at number one and Taj Mahal at number two are followed by Wagah Border, Vaishno Devi and Amarnath. Kashmir came number six on the list of Top Ten Travel destinations under the Google search trends for 2012.
According to the search trends in the travel category released by Google for this year, Munnar, a hill station in Kerala is number nine, followed by the Gateway of India.
Kumar described the two listings for Kerala, including the number one spot, as a “great encouragement” for the state. “Kerala Tourism is a leader in online promotional activities of the state. We are one of the first government establishments to make use of the internet to reach out to the world,” he said.
Google’s Zietgeist, which covers all search categories, answers the question of what the world searched for in a particular year. The ‘trend for the year’ means search queries with the highest amount of traffic over a sustained period, compared to the previous year. ‘Most searched’ are the search queries with the largest volume of searches. Zeitgiest also contains highest searched subjects and topics.
The Kerala Tourism website (www.keralatourism.org) is one of the most popular tourism destination websites in India. The site attracts over 250,000 unique visitors every month. The Kerala Tourism video channle gets around 6 million views every year on YouTube.
Kerala Tourism had won the Conde Nast Travel Award in the ‘Excellence in Taking Brand India Global’ category earlier this month.
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