Devyani case: Expelled US diplomat went out of way to ‘evacuate’ maid’s kin

The parents-in-law of Sangeeta Richard, the domestic help at the centre of the India-US diplomatic spat, worked with US diplomat Wayne May who was expelled by India for his role in the Devyani Khobragade episode. This seems to be the main reason why May is said to have gone out of his way to facilitate the "evacuation'' of Sangeeta's husband Philip and children by arranging T-visas (trafficking) for them.

Many have wondered as to why US authorities approved surreptitious evacuation of Sangeeta's family even at the cost of antagonizing a strategic partner. India had said May was responsible for the unilateral action by the State Department in evacuating the family and the subsequent arrest of Khobragade. May left India on Saturday.

May worked as the chief of the embassy's security service representing US' Bureau of Diplomatic Security. He was also looking after issues related to trafficking. The diplomatic security service was responsible for the arrest and handcuffing of Khobragade before she was handed over to US marshals. There is suspicion that the counselor, who has put in more than 27 years of service, may have used his influence with the diplomatic security in New York to ensure that Khobragade was subjected to the ``standard operating procedure'' after she was picked up from outside her children's schools.

May's conduct is said to be primarily the reason for the government's assessment that the US embassy had acted in "bad faith''. The action by May disregarded prior legal processes in India, including a case of cheating against Sangeeta's husband and a non-bailable warrant against Sangeeta, which insisted that the dispute between Khobragade and Sangeeta had to be contested in an Indian court. Sources here though said the government is not looking at the alleged role of May's wife in procuring air tickets for the Sangeeta's family.

External affairs minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday blamed the US for what he described as a 'mini- crisis'' saying that the incident could have been avoided if the US had warned foreign secretary Sujatha Singh and other senior Indian officials who were in the US just before Khobragade's arrest on December 12. In a television interview, he said India's "immediate, immediate'' concerns had been addressed.

Later talking to reporters, he said there was "no stand-off'' between India and the US. "There is no reason now to feel any immediate concern about any outcome that might be adverse or particularly disturbing in nature," he said. Khurshid and Singh met Khobragade at South Block on Saturday. She told journalists that the government and her lawyer would speak on her behalf.

Speaking to Devil's Advocate on CNN-IBN, Khurshid also said there was going to be no rethink on withdrawal of privileges to the US embassy staff "at least for now''. India has said the decision to withdraw diplomatic privileges and pull out barricades from outside the embassy was reciprocal, and not retaliatory, measure.

22.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Salman Khan gets just 10% of his income to spend on himself

Here are some rare facts. From the time Salman started working, only 10% of his income went into his account, allowing him to spend it the way he wished to. Salman started operating his bank account for the first time only five months back, which is when he started signing cheques.

ALSO READ: Salman Khan to distribute his signature bracelet

Salman has taken after his father, Salim Khan, when it comes to giving. Salim sahab himself is a man of few needs and enjoys helping others, who are genuinely in need. From the beginning, he fixed 10% for Salman, that he was allowed to spend on himself. A part of the balance 90% was used for charity and now, for Being Human. Though Salman is 48 years of age, till about five months back, he had never signed a cheque in his life. Initially, while he started enjoying signing cheques, we now learn from his sister Alvira that he is already fed up and keeps wanting to write a power of attorney for even signing that amount and, of course, no one is willing to take it up. She further told us, "He doesn't even know how much money he has and is completely detached from money." Well, all we can say is, we hope we have more stars and human beings like Salman Khan.

ALSO READ: I don't want my films to flop, says Salman Khan

22.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kapil Sharma case: Why so serious, ask comedians

After the recent case filed against Kapil Sharma, for misrepresentation of women, stand- up comedians react and say that the Indian audience needs to lighten up

Recently, a complaint was filed against comedian Kapil Sharma's show Comedy Nights With Kapil. Some women activists in Maharashtra thought that his jokes were offensive to pregnant women. Purportedly, Sharma joked about how a road full of potholes can help a poor man with a pregnant wife, as once they hit a big pothole, delivery would inevitably happen. While the women's NGOs seek legal redress, comedians in the capital say that if everybody who is made fun of by a comedian starts taking offence, then there can be no comedy. The intention behind the joke, they say, is what counts. We spoke with some popular stand-up comedians and here's what they said:

"The comedians I have worked with so far have become very careful about women-related jokes. They have become conscious and don't want to sound misogynistic or anti-feminist. These days, society is at least starting to make the right noises. Sensitivities have increased, but we all need to relax a little. We need to take comedy with a pinch of salt. With his Dadi and Palak, he (Kapil) can do the sort of comedy where he can kick them on their butts, but with his bua, he can't. So that's the advantage of cross-dressing. Plus, stereotypes are born out of truth. Punjabis are loud. Bengalis are lazy. And we laugh because we recognize the truth in them. Comedy is an exaggeration of the truth, but there is a fine line. For instance, rape jokes have never been funny and they will never be funny. But there's a whole bunch of people jinka job profile hi hai bura manna. You can't put so many shackles on comedy. Warna main bolti hun main pravachan karke, apna naam bolkar, stage se utar jaungi!"
- Neeti Palta, Delhi-based stand-up comedian

"I have never been a big fan of Kapil Sharma but I am a respecter of his work. He makes my nana laugh. He is the positive part of my grandfather's evening... comedy v/s women will always be an issue. Comedy and women don't seem to mix of late. And I really want to find a middle ground. It is not like he is a guy constantly out to offend. If it were Honey Singh, I would have still understood. But that said, you can't take people's right to be offended. But, again, people need to grow the f*** up. I think the comedians are going to have to take precautionary steps because women are not going to come around soon. If someone needs to be checked, it's probably the standard and practices guy of the show, not the comedian. In our country, people even censor the word sex. That's a little too far. I will be very disappointed if he (Kapil Sharma) loses money on this. Does the country have no sense of humour? National integration is going to become a major issue if every group starts having a problem with every joke. I guess it is a challenge to the comedians as well to be funny without being offensive. And that's probably why they don't like it, because it makes them work harder."
- Raghav Mandawa, Delhi-based stand-up comedian

"I went to Canada and my relatives were like, 'chal, Kapil Sharma dekhte hain.' Offence is not given, offence is taken. Comedy is generally a very edgy business.And gender has always been an issue. It has to be funny but not every joke is written for everyone. I don't do edgy comedy - my style is very clean, rounded and happy. But comedy is a very hit-and-run situation, even after 100 or 1000 years of experience, the only way to find out whether a joke is funny, is to take it on stage. I think everybody needs to lighten up. They need to realize it is all said in jest. It is a learning experience for both the comedian and the audience. " - Abish Matthew, Delhi-based stand-up comedian

"Yaar 6-7 log toh hai jo rulane wale daily soaps ke beech mein hassane ka try kar rahe hain. Mujhe nahi pata hua kya hai, par main kehna chahungi ki agar Kapil bhai ke muh se koi aisi waisi baat nikal gayi hai, toh hurt toh nahi karna chaha hoga. Mere toh woh guru hain, mujhe college mein aakar sikhate the, toh unki taraf se main maafi maang leti hun. Mujhe toh lagta tha ki ladkiyan aajkal bahut mast ho gayi hain. Main kahungi ki 2014 mein, aap sab bilkul cool ho jaiye. Gussa chhodo, pakore shakore banao - bahut thand hai. Humara comedy toh ek mixed fruit platter ki tarah hai. Aapko jo bhi fruit passand hai, jiska act passand hai, woh dekho - beech mein Uttaran shuttarn dekh lo" - Bharti, TV comedian

"Sometimes it is very difficult to do comedy and not be crude. Crudeness and vulgarity is the easiest way to be funny. But in India, at a lot of places, vulgarity is curbed. And I always believe that if you don't like watching the show, then don't. It's humour, it's comedy - nothing is to be taken seriously. Even serious shows are for entertainment. The kind of comedy I am doing (in FIR) is 'veg' comedy, because it is a family oriented channel... but haan joh bhi hai, limit mein hona chahiye. That said, you can't control comedy, it's all for entertainment" - Aamir Ali, actor

22.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Yaariyan

Story: Hormonal groans and first-kiss misses. Pyjama parties and lessons in puberty. Big dreams, desires and ambition - all the stuff that youth is made of - packed in a college drama.

Review: 'Grease' was the word. Helping hormone-rushed youngsters slide into puberty and outta tight-fitting pants. 'Yaariyan' could have been the word. About friends, first-kisses and hot flushes. Peppered with candy-crushes and teenage desires furthest from reality. So we have Bettys and Veronicas crushing on extra-smiley Archies, all the while shaking their 'toohs' and 'tees' (beep, beep!) at beach parties. Of course, with thoda ambition, kuch-kuch competition, and mostly out-of-classroom lessons.

Presenting the leads of 'Gen-Y'. Lakshya (Himansh) the college casanova who spends all his time trying to get his first kiss with some sexy miss. Neil (Dev), the biker boy (minus hot babes), Pardi (Shreyas), the Jughead in the batch, but not hotdog enough for the gals. The plain-Jane, all-brain, Saloni (Rakul) who knows more about gigabytes than love-bytes. And the oomphy Jiya (Nicole), prowling all over this campus 'rompus' whipping every boy's fantasy. Their chilled-out lives go into top gear when the principal (Grover) chooses them as the 'Dream Team' to compete with the Aussie students (at sports & music), to save the pride and honour of their college. Suddenly their life is faced with new challenges, newer angles and love-triangles. To add more chapters, there are dramatic maas, horny teachers and their 'busty' subjects.

Divya's debut film 'Yaariyan', a comparatively small-budget film coming from a big banner, is mounted on a large canvas with impressive production value. The star-cast is all-new and enthusiastic; and most of all the music boasts of chartbusting numbers. Himansh's attempt is sincere, but Mr. Emoticon needs to flash his big-toothy smiley a little less. Rakul is very likeable and promising, Dev is subtle, Shreyas is good but often OTT, and Nicole fits the 'brief' (pun intended!).

Now the lows. The story has twists and turns, but no surprises. It packs in too much variety of thought bubbles (parties, patriotism, racial discrimination) in this boarding school drama. There are emotions, but the scenes or characters don't go deeper than the gloss, flipping quicker than their touch screen smart phones. The runtime is a tad long and songs (well-shot) one too many.

'Yaariyan' is nothing to gush about, but the teenies can watch this one for a lark...and some yo-yo beats!

22.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man challaned for ‘dangerously’ overtaking Robert Vadra’s car

NEW DELHI: An executive of a private firm ran into trouble when he overtook Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's car in southeast Delhi on Thursday morning. He was flagged down and nabbed at the behest of the bodyguards accompanying Vadra, police said.

Police were informed he was following Vadra's car. "The man was driving in a dangerous manner and appropriate action was taken," said an officer.

His trouble did not end there as he was handed over to police who ran a stringent background check on him. The man was booked for dangerous driving and allowed to leave hours later after police were satisfied he had no "evil intentions". TOI tried to contact the Vadras but failed to get their version.

A senior police officer told TOI they issued a challan under Sec 184 of MV Act. Delhi Police denied reports that he was manhandled after being taken to police station. "We let him go as soon as we were sure there was no foul play," he said.

The incident took place at 10.20am in Amar Colony. Saurabh Rastogi, a resident of Paschim Vihar, was driving his Ritz towards Modi Mill on Captain Gaur Marg and overtook Vadra's car.

22.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Modi presses panic button on AAP

GANDHINAGAR: It seems Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has finally realized that more than any other politician, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal has the potential to ruin his chances of becoming the country's Prime Minister. Sources in Modi's core strategy team said that the chief minister is now seriously focusing on 'strategizing afresh' for his 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign.

This comes immediately after AAP staked claim to having made over 1.25 lakh members across Gujarat in 10 days. Their membership drive was launched on January 1. AAP state convener Sukhdev Patel on Friday claimed that 5,000 members from the city enrolled with the party on a single day.

Sources said that leaders of Delhi unit of BJP, members of the Citizen for Accountable Governance (CAG), and other highly qualified young professionals roped in by Modi last year, met the Gujarat chief minister recently. "Even senior BJP leader of Delhi, Dr Harsh Vardhan, rushed to Gandhinagar last week at short notice and had a long meeting with the Gujarat CM. CAG members and other Modi strategists discussed possible ways of countering Kejriwal," said a source.

Sources said that Modi had asked CAG members and BJP workers to synchronize their efforts and launch a major campaign against AAP in Delhi from January-end or February. "CAG will focus on strategy and on attracting Delhi's educated youth to the BJP. The party also plans to hit the streets to persuade supporters common to both the parties not to vote for AAP in the Lok Sabha elections," source said.

Delhi unit of the BJP has also been instructed to attack Kejriwal and his core team on local governance issues so that they are unable to move out of the national capital and replicate their efforts outside Delhi. "The Delhi will launch an aggressive campaign against AAP soon,'' the source said. Sources said that Modi hopes to win all the seven Lok Sabha seats of Delhi which are currently held by the Congress. However, the Gujarat chief minister fears that AAP may play the spoilsport. Delhi's seats are psychologically and strategically important for Modi, sources said.

Another key source said that to counter the growing popularity of Kejriwal and AAP in the metros and towns of the country, CAG and BJP have chalked out plans for 15 states where they will organize meetings of young professionals and students in groups of 100 to 200 persons, who will be briefed about Modi and BJP's plans for the country, the source said.

New technology, different from the large public meetings organized across Gujarat using 3D technology during the 2012 Gujarat polls, will also be used. "CAG and BJP volunteers across the country will hit the streets from January-end for the Statue of Unity campaign and counter media hype around AAP,'' sources added.

22.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

First report: Fans verdict on Veeram and Jilla

The Pongal festival has begun early in Tamil Nadu with the releases of much-hyped Vijay's Jilla and Ajith Kumar's Veeram. The two star's films have hit the screen today and with a lot of fans catching up with early morning show, here is their first report on the two films.

Ajith's Veeram

#Mass commercial movie mixed with action, comedy and sentiments. Wholesome family entertainer!

# Overall it is Thala all the way. His stylish and solid performance and his dare-devil stunts are a highlight.

# Families should enjoy this, and for sure all Thala fans should too.

# Fun, romance, action, 2nd half: Sentiment & action.

# Ajith's wholesome package for the masses.

# Veeram is a typical masala with Ajith's screen presence and charisma.

# First half full mass and comedy. Perfectly packaged commercial entertainer.

Also Read: Producer attacked in Jilla case issue!

Vijay's Jilla

# Good entertainer with good songs, choreography and an awesome combo of Vijay & Mohanlal, while the second half is lengthy.

# Jilla's biggest strength are Imman's songs and BGM. Great cinematography and excellent choreography by Raju Sundaram & Sridhar.

# 1st half- mass entertainer! 2nd half- a bit lengthy, but entertaining!

# There are several scenes where fans will erupt in celebration. At the same time, some scenes are dragging.

#All the cast do their jobs well, but Vijay and Mohanlal steal the show. Both do their parts well, and show their mass.

# 3 hours too long for a mass movie. Song picturisation is a worry.

# Mass overload. Vijay and Mohanlal pack a punch, but this sure is a disappointment. D.Imman the saviour!

22.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indicted but immune, Devyani Khobragade leaves for India

WASHINGTON: The United States and India put a lid on a torrid monthlong diplomatic fiasco, agreeing on Thursday to remove controversial Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade from New York, without prosecuting her, despite a criminal indictment by US attorney Preet Bharara.

Khobragade had left for India, a statement by the ministry of external affairs confirmed, adding that she will be transferred to its headquarters in New Delhi, perhaps in a position that will allow UN-credentialed continued immunity.

The US state department on Thursday accorded Khobragade full diplomatic immunity after keeping New Delhi on tenterhooks for more than two weeks, but it did not stop Bharara from indicting her on two criminal charges of visa fraud and misrepresentation in a case involving her employment of an India-imported domestic assistant aka housekeeper in New York.

Bharara told the court that there was no need for an arraignment because Khobragade had "very recently" been given diplomatic immunity status. However, he said the charges will remain pending until she can be brought to court to face them, either through a waiver of immunity or her return to the U.S. without immunity status.

"We will alert the court promptly if we learn that the defendant returns to the United States in a non-immune capacity, at which time the government will proceed to prosecute this case and prove the charges in the indictment," he said in a letter to the court.

For the record, the state department formally asked New Delhi to waive immunity for Khobragade even as Bharara filed the indictment. New Delhi refused, and therefore Washington requested her departure from the United States.

Typical of the muddled choreography and posturing on all sides, Bharara initially told the court that Khobragade had already left the United States on Thursday afternoon on the basis of what the state department had told him. But after Khobragade's attorney Daniel Arshack contested it and said she was still at home with her husband and children, the prosecution clarified that she had not departed the United States at that time.

Arshack later confirmed that Khobragade left the US "with her head held high." Sources said that meant she had not formally been expelled or declared persona non grata, which would have involved giving her a deadline to leave the country. Both sides had come to a mutual agreement that she would be withdrawn from the United States without the charges being dropped.

"We are pleased that the United States department of state did the right thing today by recognizing the diplomatic status to which Dr Khobragade has always been entitled," Arshack told Fox News in New York. "As a result of her diplomatic status having been recognized, the federal court today recognized Dr Khobragade's right to travel and she is pleased to be returning to her country."

But clearly, the issue is far from completely resolved because Khobragade is married to a New York-born Indian-American who is a US citizen. The couple has two schoolgoing children and the eventual settlement has to take into account ways to keep the family together — a personal family crisis that the current patchwork resolution did not detail.

Eventual resolution could involve periodic postings for Khobragade to the United Nations to enable her be with her family if her husband, Aakash Singh Rathore, desires or needs to be in New York City or region. It would still require state department assent, which may be easier with the passage of time, the moderation of positions, and the retirement of some people.

It could also involve postings in Toronto and other neighboring cities that are less than couple hours flight from NYC, although going by his own career path as a professor of philosophy and an oenophile closely involved with the Indian wine industry, her husband appears equally at ease in India. For now though, the Big Apple and USA is off bounds for Devyani Khobragade.

(With inputs from agencies)

22.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

After 15 years Bhansali finds his Bajirao

For almost 15 years Sanjay Leela Bhansali has nurtured a dream—to make a film on Peshwa Bajirao and his ladylove Mastani. Finally, it seems the search for the lead pair is half over. Buzz is that Bhansali has got his Bajirao in his 'Devdas'.

He had conceptualised the project with his 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' pair and then real-life sweethearts Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead. But, with the end of the love affair, Bhansali had no option but to put his dream project on hold.

READ: Shah Rukh's surprise visit to Sanjay Leela Bhansali

The latest is that Shah Rukh Khan, who worked with Bhansali in 'Devdas' (2002), has been roped in for the role. According to a source close to the film, SRK has consented in principle to do the film.

The relationship between SRK and Bhansali was cordial till 'Om Shanti Om' and 'Saawariya' clashed at the box-office in 2007. A war of words ensued and things turned bitter. So much so, that the two stopped speaking to each other.

However, the ice started melting when the two shared the stage during the poster release of Bela Sehgal's film 'Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi' (2012). After the event, Bhansali even took SRK to his new office where the two reminisced about the good old days and talks of a collaboration resurfaced.

After that Bhansali got busy with 'Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela' and even approached Ajay Devgn to play Bajirao. But one day, on the sets of Ram-Leela, SRK dropped by and while talking to Bhansali showed keen interest in playing Bajirao.

READ: Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali to team up again?

The first schedule of Bajirao Mastani is likely to kick off in July/ August. Said the source, "Bhansali wants the first schedule in the rains. The pre-production work on the film has kicked off." The film will roll with a humongous budget, which could probably be the highest in Bollywood till date. SRK's company Red Chillies Entertainment might co-produce the film with Bhansali.

22.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Former Miss Venezuela Monica Spear shot dead in highway robbery

CARACAS, Venezuela: A former Miss Venezuela and her ex-husband were shot and killed and their 5-year-old daughter wounded when they resisted robbers by locking themselves inside their car after tire punctures disabled it on an isolated stretch of highway, police said on Tuesday.

The slaying of Monica Spear, 29, a popular soap-opera actress, and Thomas Henry Berry, a 39-year-old British citizen, was the latest high-profile crime in a country where killings are common in armed robberies and where rampant kidnapping has ensnared even foreign ambassadors and professional baseball players.

Monday's killings followed a pattern in Venezuela of late-night assaults carried out by disabling cars with obstacles placed on roadways or by removing sewer covers.

Spear and Berry were slain at about 10:30 pm between Puerto Cabello, the country's main port, and the provincial capital of Valencia. They were returning from vacation to Caracas on a badly maintained stretch of highway that is lightly traveled at that hour.

Their four-door sedan hit "a sharp object that had been placed on the highway" that punctured at least two of its tires, the director of the country's investigative police, Jose Gregorio Sierralta, told reporters.

Two tow trucks arrived almost immediately afterward, said Sierralta, and the attack occurred after the car had been lifted onto one of the trucks.

Seeing the assailants coming, the travelers locked themselves inside and the assailants fired at least six shots, he said.

"They fired with viciousness," President Nicolas Maduro said of the attackers in comments to state TV.

Police in Puerto Cabello arrested five suspects, some under age 18, Sierralta added. It could not immediately be determined if Spear and Berry had called the tow trucks, or if any of the drivers were among those arrested for suspected involvement in the killings.

The daughter, Maya, was in stable condition after treatment for a leg wound and was with relatives in Caracas, said Sierralta.

The family had spent New Year's in the mountains of the western state of Merida then traveled to the plains, said Luis Carlos Dominguez, a longtime friend and former business associate of Berry, who he said was raised in Venezuela and ran a travel agency.

"He knew Venezuela a lot better than many Venezuelans," said Dominguez, describing the slain couple as people "who really loved the country," had a good relationship despite their divorce and made it a point to vacation together.

"They weren't together," he said. "But they were very attached for the benefit of their daughter."

He said Venezuelans can only hope that their deaths bring "a bit more strength to the fight against crime."

Violent crime soared during the 14-year rule of Hugo Chavez, who died of cancer last March. Venezuelans list crime as their most pressing worry.

The country has one of the world's highest murder rates - the United Nations has ranked it 5th globally - and violent crime is so rampant that Venezuelans tend to stay home after dark.

Spear's death triggered a wave of anger on social media directed at the government's poor record on crime.

Maduro lamented "the loss of a very spiritual young woman" actively involved in various charities.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles called on Maduro to put aside political differences and unite "to win the fight against insecurity" that claimed nearly 25,000 lives last year. "It's an emergency."

In response to the killings, Maduro announced that he would convene a security meeting on Wednesday that had originally been scheduled for the end of January. The meeting will bring together state governors and mayors of Venezuela's 79 most dangerous cities.

According to the nonprofit Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, the oil-rich South American country's murder rate was 79 per 100,000 inhabitants last year. Government statistics put the rate lower. The nonprofit group says 95% of murders go unsolved.

Spear was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2004, was 5th runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant the following year and had acted in numerous soap operas, most recently in "Pasion Prohibida" for the US-based Telemundo network.

She split her time between Caracas and south Florida, said Dominguez, while the England-born Berry lived in Caracas.

Spear had more than 355,000 followers on Twitter and her feed over the last week included brief videos of vacation scenes sent on the popular Instagram service.

In one video, posted on Sunday and described as being taken on the plains of Apure state, Spear looks at the camera while riding a horse, turns away and then looks back, blowing a kiss.

22.14 | 0 komentar | Read More