Mumbai: A special CBI court here on Friday acquitted Sooraj Pancholi in the abetment of actor Jiah Khan’s suicide a decade after she was found hanging in her Juhu apartment.
Special CBI court judge A S Sayyad said due to paucity of evidence, the court holds Sooraj Pancholi not guilty.
It is, however, not the only case where an actor’s former partner has been accused of abetment of suicide.
Some of the high profile cases that led to legal battles are:
Sushant Singh Rajput: The Bollywood star died on June 14, 2020, at his home in Bandra Mumbai. At the time of his death, Rajput was in a relationship with Rhea Chakraborty, also an actor.
His father, KK Singh, filed an FIR against Rhea and her family members accusing her of abetment of suicide and siphoning off money from the late actor’s account, among others.
After the CBI registered the FIR, a case was lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Rhea to look into the money-laundering angle. The NCB also stepped in after WhatsApp chats revealed that the actor was given drugs. A 12,000-page chargesheet was filed by the NCB in drugs probe. The case is still under investigation.
Tunisha Sharma: The 20-year-old TV actor was found hanging on the sets of a TV serial near Valiv in Palghar on December 24, 2022.
Her co-star Sheezan Khan was arrested the next day for abetment of suicide on a complaint lodged by Tunisha’s mother.
A court in Vasai, Maharashtra gave bail to Sheezan in the case on March 5, 2023, and said there was no need to keep him in jail since the probe was complete and chargesheet filed.
Tunisha and Sheezan were in a relationship but had broken up two month’s prior to the former’s death.
Pratyusha Banerjee: The popular TV star of “Balika Vadhu” fame was found dead at the Mumbai apartment on April 1, 2016. Her parents alleged that she was murdered by her boyfriend, actor-producer Rahul Raj Singh, who later applied for anticipatory bail avoiding arrest in the case. It is reportedly still active in the court.
Vaishali Takkar: A noted TV actor Vaishali Takkar allegedly committed suicide at her house in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on October 16, 2022. The 30-year-old actor left a note in which she accused her former partner Rahul Navlani and his wife for harassing her.
A case was registered against Navlani and his wife Disha under Indian Penal Code Section 306 (abetment of suicide). He was arrested days after Vaishali’s demise and was released three months later on bail.
Disha went absconding after the incident. However, a court granted anticipatory bail to Disha in November last year. The case is ongoing.
India’s defence minister has accused China of border aggressions that have “eroded the entire basis” of their relationship, as negotiations over the line of actual control (LAC) remain deadlocked.
On Thursday, China’s defence minister, Li Shangfu, landed in Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. It is the first visit to India by a Chinese minister since 2020, when 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died in clashes along the Himalayan border in Ladakh and the two sides came the closest to war for almost 70 years.
A screengrab from footage recorded in mid-June 2020 showing Chinese and Indian soldiers during an incident where troops clashed on the border in the Galwan Valley. Photograph: Tengku Bahar/AFP/Getty Images
Since then, according to Indian former army officers and defence experts, the situation along the 2,100-mile (3,500km) disputed LAC, remains on a knife-edge. It continues to be militarised on both sides, with 18 rounds of military talks having failed to de-escalate the tension, and many still fear the possibility of large-scale conflict.
India’s defence minister, Rajnath Singh, told Li during the talks on Thursday that the deployment of large numbers of Chinese troops and the “violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations”. Li, however, called the situation “generally stable” and sought to distance bilateral relations from the border dispute.
Rajnath Singh, right, talking with Li Shangfu, second left, at the SCO summit in New Delhi. Photograph: Manish Swarup/AP
Among both India and China watchers, there is not much optimism that Li’s visit will do anything to resolve the tensions. Some reports estimate that India has lost 40% of patrolling points in the region of Ladakh to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The Indian government has denied any loss of territory.
“There is a huge discrepancy in the narrative of both sides,” said Pravin Sawhney, an Indian army veteran and author of The Last War: How AI Will Shape India’s Final Showdown with China. “There cannot be rapprochement between the two sides because it is a fact that the Chinese are sitting on Indian territory.”
The SCO meeting is taking place amid growing concern in China over India’s relationship with the US and a converging of their strategic interests when it comes to China. According to a report in March, India was able to ward off a potential Chinese military border incursion as a result of real-time intelligence and satellite imagery provided by the US about Chinese border positions. It was said to have enabled India to “catch Chinese armed forces off guard” and reportedly enraged Beijing.
Border provocations from China have continued despite strong condemnation from India. In December last year, more than 20 Indian soldiers were injured in a clash with Chinese troops in the eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, in what India described as a Chinese attempt to “transgress the border”.
Indian activists protesting against China in New Delhi in December last year after the clashes in Arunachal Pradesh. Photograph: Rajat Gupta/EPA
In March, China announced it was “renaming” 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh that it claims as part of Tibet. India’s home minister visited the border region that same week, stating that “times when anyone could encroach on Indian land have passed”. Beijing hit back, calling the visit a violation of its territorial sovereignty.
While there has been disengagement in some areas, Indian army officers and defence experts said about 1,500 sq km in Ladakh taken over by the PLA in 2020 remained under Chinese control. Two main areas of contention in Ladakh are Demchok and Depsang, which were previously patrolled by Indian troops but are now occupied by PLA soldiers.
Deependra Singh Hooda, the Indian army’s former chief of the Northern Command, described the situation there as tense.
“Depsang and Demchok areas are tactically important for India; but after so many rounds of talks there is no move forward and there does not seem any inclination from the Chinese side to resolve it quickly,” he said.
“The Chinese are preventing the Indian soldiers access to a large number of patrolling points,” Hooda said. “By sitting in this area, China is denying India access to a fairly large area.”
People living near the border in Ladakh allege that in the disengagement negotiations, New Delhi has ceded land to Beijing by agreeing to the creation of buffer zones – where neither side can patrol – in land that was previously claimed by India, specifically in the disputed Pangong Tso and Chushul areas.
“These buffer zones have been created exclusively in the Indian territory ,” said Konchok Stanzin, a local councillor. “Chinese troops are still patrolling up to their claim line.”
Motorbike riders cross into the Himalayan Sela pass in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. Photograph: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images
Even officers who have been part of the military negotiations allege there is an intransigence on the Chinese side to defuse the situation. In the latest round of military talks this week before the SCO summit, “no mutually acceptable solution could be reached”, according to the Indian side.
“The PLA officers are generally curt to us during these meetings,” an Indian army officer, who has been part of several negotiations, said on condition of anonymity. “These meetings turn frustrating for us as the Chinese officers speak mostly Mandarin, which we cannot understand. They remain very economical with English.”
The tensions are most visible in the frenzied infrastructure race along the border. China has been building new highways, railway lines, bridges, air strips and sophisticated military bases, modern housing and 5G towers, while India – which historically avoided developing areas near the Chinese border in order to prevent any provocation – has been left behind, with many of its border areas still impoverished.
While India might have passed China in population size, it is nowhere close in terms of its economy and military spending. In 2022, China spent $230bn (£184bn) on the defence budget; three times more than India.
“China has used infrastructure development as an excuse to escalate conflict and make incursions into Indian land,” said Maj Gen Amrit Pal Singh, the retired former head of army operational logistics for Ladakh. “In this kind of situation we have to react so that they cannot take any piece of our land. So India has doubled its focus on infrastructure near the border with China.”
Indian security forces accompanied by a sniffer dog clear an area near the Zojila tunnel. Photograph: Farooq Khan/EPA
In January, Rajnath inaugurated 27 infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening the border infrastructure, and India is speeding up the construction of 37,500 miles of roads, 350 miles of bridges, 19 airfields and a few tunnels near, or leading to, the border. It is also strengthening aerial connectivity, with at least four new air strips and about 40 helipads being built in Ladakh.
The scale and speed of this infrastructure push can be seen in an ambitious 8-mile tunnel being built in the Himalayan range, at an altitude of about 3,000 metres, to provide all-weather connectivity to Ladakh. Even as temperatures have dropped in winter, hundreds of workers and engineers have been instructed to work day and night to complete the $1.4bn Zojila tunnel.
“We are building this tunnel as swiftly as possible, keeping in mind that this is important for the defence of our country as there is a looming threat on the border from China,” said Harpal Singh, the head of the project.
Hooda was among those who believed the border situation was nowhere near being resolved. “Both sides are looking at each other with a great deal of suspicion,” he said.
“There is greater aggressiveness in patrolling. Physical clashes are taking place, soldiers are getting injured though no shots are being fired. These local incidents could spiral out of control; that is the big worry.”
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
Mumbai: Despite limited staff, the Indian embassy in Sudan operated round-the-clock to evacuate those stranded in the war-torn country, said some of the people who arrived in Mumbai from the African nation under ‘Operation Kaveri’ mission.
These passengers, who landed in Mumbai on Thursday, narrated their harrowing experiences of the last seven days. Abdul Kadir, a 39-year-old businessman, said after the situation in Khartoum worsened, India’s ambassador B S Mubarak and his team of eight officials worked tirelessly.
“With limited staff, they did unlimited work,” he said, adding that the Indian embassy was operating 24×7 during this period. Mubarak himself was stuck in the worst-affected part of the city, but he was continuously in touch with the staff and volunteers, he said.
The ambassador created WhatsApp groups of Indians in each locality and ensured that every person got help, Kadir added. Defence attache Gurpreet Singh took risk and brought Mubarak to a safe area, he said.
Kadir, who was living in Sudan since 2017, said they were used to the tense situation in the country, but this time things took a bad turn unexpectedly, though they were hoping that tensions would decrease in the holy month of Ramadan.
“Within one hour, the situation went out of control,” he said, adding that they did not get a chance even to buy food and groceries. “We got the benefit of being Indians. We were allowed to pass peacefully through numerous checkpoints,” Kadir said, adding that the Indian community at Port Sudan not only opened their homes but also their hearts for the rescued compatriots.
Another passenger said the situation was very bad, and the work done by the embassy staff could not be described in words. “I only pray to Allah that all our stranded brothers and those in the embassy reach home safely,” he added.
Many people were still waiting for their relatives to reach Mumbai from Sudan. Anita Pandey, a resident of Kalyan, was one of them.
Her husband had been working as a fitter in Khartoum for the last one year. “My husband’s friend told me that he has been rescued and is safe. I don’t know where he is at present, but we are waiting for his arrival….,” Pandey said.
Jeddah: Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received the eighth batch of 121 Indians at the Jeddah airport evacuated from the conflict-hit Sudan. This batch also included the family members of the Indian Embassy officials, MoS wrote on Twitter.
“A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna, Sudan. This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome. #OperationKaveri,” Muraleedharan tweeted.
A daring rescue!
8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna,Sudan.This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum.
Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group.
#WATCH | “Another IAF C-130J flight under #OperationKaveri arrived at Jeddah with 128 Indians, the fourth aircraft from Sudan. Efforts are on to ensure that all Indians, who arrived in Jeddah will be sent to India at the earliest,” tweets MoS MEA V Muraleedharan pic.twitter.com/SFYLKJCzg7
Calling it a daring and complex rescue, Muraleedharan informed that evacuees of this batch were located in the vicinity of the Sudanese Capital Khartoum, from where the violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces erupted. Earlier, on Thursday, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received rescued Indians from Port Sudan at Jeddah under ‘Operation Kaveri’.
A total of 135 passengers were onboard the IAF C-130J aircraft that landed in Jeddah from Port Sudan.”Delighted to receive 7th batch of stranded Indians at Jeddah from Port Sudan, 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J aircraft,” MoS Muraleedharan tweeted. Informing of the evacuation of the stranded Indian nationals from Port Sudan, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Thursday saying the Indians left for Jeddah on a flight.
“7th batch of stranded Indians departs from Port Sudan. 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight leave for Jeddah under #OperationKaveri,” Bagchi tweeted.
Continuing with the rapid mobilisation of naval and air assets for a quick and safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan, INS Teg on Anti Piracy patrol was diverted to Port Sudan, to help with the evacuation process. INS Teg is the fourth Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy.
Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence.
Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country
Chennai: With all her money and valuables taken away during the conflict in Sudan, Divya Rajasekharan who arrived from the African country, said she lost all hopes of returning to Sudan.
“A pair of dress and passport is all that I have now,” she said displaying them at the airport here on Thursday afternoon after she was flown to Chennai from the national capital.
Divya, among the first batch of 9 Tamils who were evacuated from the conflict-hit Sudan under Operation Kaveri, said the image of Sudan that she cherished during eight years of her life in that country took a steep plunge since the last 15 days.
“We thought that the war would end in a couple of days but our miseries increased from the third day,” she said accompanied by Sophia from Vellore. Her house was located close to the office of the para-military head. “My car, dollars, and other valuables were taken away and on the eighth day of the conflict we became nomads,” she said narrating her ordeal.
Fortunately, the Indian embassy got in touch with her and other Indians living in similar conditions and evacuated them to New Delhi.
While four who were from Madurai left directly for their hometown, five from Chennai and Vellore were flown to the airport here. “Now I have to start my life from scratch. I have no hopes of returning to Sudan,” Divya who hails from Madipakkam, here, said and thanked the central and state governments for their valuable help in rescuing them.
“We managed with curd rice and pickles but later got stranded without food and water. I am pregnant… It was at this juncture, the Indian embassy officials contacted us and advised us to reach the outskirts to remain safe till we were taken to port Sudan,” Sophia said.
Rajasekharan was shocked to see the military forces banging on his door. Anticipating trouble if he did not open, Rajasekharan mustered courage and opened the door. “I was asked if I was Indian. They assured that they would not harm us. They asked for food, water, and money and took our car away,” the IT professional said.
For its part, the State government set up control rooms at the Tamil Nadu House in Delhi and at the Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of non-resident Tamils, Chennai, to facilitate the rescue operation.
Those from the State stranded in Sudan or their relatives could contact the Commissionerate on phone number: 9600023645 or mail to nrtchennai@gmail.com, it said.
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Police have registered a case against a person, who cheated Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and his son, Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs Udhayanidhi Stalin, by claiming to be the captain of the Indian cricket team for persons with Disabilities.
The wheelchair-bound person, Vinoth Babu met the Chief Minister and later Udhayanidhi Stalin and claimed that he was the captain of the Indian cricket team for persons with disabilities. He also got his pictures clicked with the Chief Minister and Sports minister with a fake trophy.
He had claimed that his team had won the world tournament for the Disabled hosted in Pakistan. The photograph of Vinoth Babu with the Chief Minister and Udhayanidhi Stalin went viral and led the original Indian team members to sound an alert.
Following an investigation, the Ramanathapuram police registered an FIR against Vinoth Babu under Sections 416, 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Wednesday.
Police said that he had taken money from several persons claiming that he was the captain. The police on verification found that he has never been abroad.
New Delhi: Ace choreographer Geeta Kapur, who is seen among the panel of judges with Terence Lewis and Sonali Bendre on the dance reality show, ‘India’s Best Dancer Season 3’, shared how she felt about judging the show along with Sonali whom she had previously choreographed.
Geeta also talked about the newness she is looking at in the third season and her friendship with Terence.
Talking about working with Sonali, she said: “Working with such an artist is always a humble experience. Sitting next to her is a mix of unreal and surreal because I feel like I really came to this place to sit next to her. I will say that I am always humbled to sit next to those who are so great in their own way, and I feel like I didn’t get there, but I have the opportunity to sit next to them.”
After having judged the previous seasons of ‘India’s Best Dancer’, she was asked what new she is looking at the contestants in this season.
She said: “I think many dancers get lost in just learning art or dance forms and lose their personality somewhere in between when we watch our Bollywood movies and look at ionic characters like Madhuri Dixit or SRK. That’s why I want to see a dancer who also brings out his unique personality through the dance form.”
Speaking about judging the show with Terence again and her friendship with him, she said: “The equation is different because we are friends, we grew out of two random people who came from two different places and are now very close. We did so many shows together and also created a nice bond. We try to create a nice bond in the meeting and I like to sit in the panel and love pulling his leg. He doesn’t mind me joking with him.”
When it comes to the global dance scene, how do you map Indian dance styles?
She replied: “I am happy to say that we are now on the world map because people welcome us, our artistes and our dance form. And we are really happy to see our culture projected all over the world.”
New Delhi: The Delhi University (DU) will release a ‘Panchang’ (religious almanac) prepared by it on April 28, which will be shared among the students across the country with an aim to connect the youth to the rich ancient Indian knowledge system and tradition.
The Panchang will be released by DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh in the presence of several personalities from the fields of literature and culture, including the varsity’s department heads, teachers, students, and researchers, among others.
The chief guest at the programme will be Ramlal, the all-India Sampark Pramukh of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The varsity will release the Panchang with a focus on the theme ‘Indian Knowledge Tradition’ on the occasion of its centenary year.
The Panchang has been prepared by the varsity’s Value Addition Courses Committee.
“Our Panchang is more advanced than the Western calendar. It is more scientific and informative. Delhi University’s Value Addition Courses Committee is all set to script a new history on this,” the committee’s president, Niranjan Kumar, told IANS.
“It is quite unfortunate that Panchang has disappeared from our homes as well as from the minds of the youth. Through this Panchang, DU is trying to connect the students to the Indian knowledge system.
“The Western calendar only provides dates and holiday-related information. But the Indian Panchang contains dates, days of the week, ‘nakshatra’, ‘karan’, ‘yog’ etc., along with all our festivals and other important dates,” Kumar added.
The Panchang will be provided for everyone free of cost during the programme at the varsity.
According to DU, it would also tell students about the importance of ‘Indian Panchang’ and the accuracy of mathematical calculations of Panchang in the Indian knowledge tradition.
Describing the launch of the almanac as a historic event, Kumar said that this is happening for the first time in the history of DU when the varsity is releasing a Panchang for the dissemination of ancient Indian knowledge.
“The Panchang will be a useful step in introducing students to the rich and ancient Indian knowledge tradition,” he said.
Mumbai: Popular Punjabi singer and actress Diljit Dosanjh has given a befitting reply to those who claimed that he disrespected the Tricolour at Coachella. He asked them to stop spreading “fake news”.
A clip featuring Diljit is doing the rounds on social media, where he is seen pointing at a woman waving Tricolour in the crowd and told audience: “Eh mere Punjabi bhain bhraawan layi, mere desh da jhanda laike khadi aa kudi, eh mere desh layi, negativity ton bacho, music saareyan da saanjha (All my Punjabi brothers and sisters, this girl is holding my country’s flag. Stay away from negativity. Music is for everyone).”
However, his comment was cut on social media and instead a hateful message was presented against India and the Indian flag. Now, Diljit has given a befitting reply .
He tweeted: “DON’T SPREAD FAKE NEWS and NEGATIVITY.”
“Mai Kiha Eh Mere Desh Da Jhanda Hai. Eh Mere Desh Lai.. Means MERI Eh Performance Mere desh Lai. Je Punjabi Nhi Aundi Tan Google Kar leya Karo Yaara Kion ke Coachella Ek Big Musical Festival Aa Othey Har desh to log aunde ne.. that’s why Music Sab Da Sanjha Hai. SAHI GAL NU PUTHI KIVE GHUMAUNA KOI TUADEY WARGEYA TON SIKHEY ENU V GOOGLE KAR LEYO.”
“I said that this is my country’s flag, this is for my country. Meaning – this performance is for my country. If you don’t know Punjabi, then Google it. Coachella is a big music festival, which is attended by people from across the world.. that’s why music is for everyone. Someone should learn how to twist a good thing to bad from you… Google this as well.”
Abu Dhabi: Following the death of a 38-year-old expat from Kerala in a vessel capsizing incident, police in Sharjah have charged the management of the tourist boat company for negligence and arrested onboard staff members on duty, a media report said.
According to Khaleej Times, authorities in Sharjah have also launched a crackdown on several other tourist boat operators violating security and safety procedures.
Abhilash had gone boating with his colleagues when the accident took place off Khor Fakkan beach last week, killing him and injuring four others, including a seven-year-old child.
“The management of the tourist boat company behind the fatal accident has been charged with negligence and referred to the public prosecution,” the Khaleej Times reported, citing Sharjah Police.
Maj-Gen Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police, said that following the incident, an emergency response team was dispatched to the site, and a probe by them revealed that overloading was the cause of the accident.
There were 16 passengers on the boat when the accident took place, whereas the vessel could accommodate a maximum of 10 people.
Multiple rescue teams, including the police and paramedics, rushed to the spot.
The investigation showed that the company took in more people to make higher profits, the Khaleej Times reported.
Following the probe’s outcome, the boat’s management and all staff on duty were arrested.
Police, meanwhile, have issued a warning to all other boat operators in the Emirate to carry out safety checks.
Maj-Gen Al Shamsi ordered the boat operators to strictly follow safety and security guidelines.
Abhilash’s body is presently being kept at the mortuary in Khor Fakkan Hospital.
He is survived by his wife and daughter.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
