Katy Perry poses with lover Russell Brand in front of the Taj Mahal- the world's most romantic building .

Singer Katy Perry has posted a picture of herself on Twitter with boyfriend Russell Brand in front of the world's most romantic building, the Taj Mahal in India. 

A demure Princess Diana famously posed there alone to signify the end of her marriage to Prince Charles, but Katy was happy to flaunt her romance and snuggle up to her hairy lover. 

It's just the latest public step in a whirlwind romance that has seen Russell ditch his dodgy lothario past and play the perfect gentleman, wooing Ms Perry with sledging trips and movie dates.  The former sex addict has even charmed her travelling evangelical parents.

Katy Perry and Russell Brand embrace in front of the Taj Mahal in India

Of Katy, Russell has said 'She’s amazing. I’m having a right laugh. She’s a good person to spend time with and its changed me - it's made me stop doing stuff that I probably shouldn’t have been doing.'

It is indeed a poignant heartwarming tale. A seemingly jaded womanising wild-haired ex-junkie  can find love with the right woman. 

The photo fuels further rumours of an impending engagement and follows reports that Russell has bought a £2.2m love-nest for the loved-up couple.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1239323/Katy-Perry-shock-photo-Russell-Brand.html#ixzz0bFhKCvTL

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Ruchika case: Disgraced Rathore seeks anticipatory bail

Disgraced former Haryana director general of police (DGP) SPS Rathore on Wednesday sought pre-arrest bail here, following the registration of two fresh cases against him for molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra and then allegedly hounding her till she killed herself.

Rathore's petition is being heard by District and Sessions Judge SP Singh.

Carrying a file in his hands, Rathore reached the Panchkula court flanked by his wife, who is also his lawyer. The two fresh FIRs (First Information Report) registered against him include charges for attempt to murder and wrongful confinement.

In contrast to his smiling face Dec 21 when he was convicted for molesting Ruchika, Rathore on Wednesday kept a straight face and avoided answering the barrage of questions thrown at him and his wife by waiting reporters.

In first appearance since the public outcry over the quantum of sentence for molesting Ruchika, the former Haryana director general of police wore an olive green jacket over a sky blue shirt and a navy blue tie.

The government has now ordered a fresh probe into the molestation case and may also charge Rathore with abetment to suicide. Ruchika, a budding tennis player, killed herself three years after the molestation incident, as Rathore allegedly kept hounding her and her family, including the slapping of false criminal cases against her brother.

Rathore's six-month jail sentence for molestation and the Rs 1,000 fine came 19 years after the incident.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Ruchika-case-Disgraced-Rathore-seeks-anticipatory-bail/H1-Article1-491976.aspx

Facebook reunites siblings after 35 years!

Image via CrunchBase

An Indonesian woman found a brother who had been missing for more than three decades through the popular social networking site Facebook, a report said on Tuesday.

Nurlianti Dehi was separated from her elder brother Anton in 1974 when he left their hometown in Central Sulawesi province for neighbouring North Sulawesi, according to the online edition of the Media Indonesia daily.

Anton maintained contact with his family for the first two years but later cut off communication completely, she told the newspaper.

"We were separated for 35 years and now I found him through Facebook," Nurlianti was quoted as saying.

Nurlianti had virtually given up hope of finding her brother when Anton's daughter found her on Facebook and contacted her.

She said she initially doubted if the person who spoke on the phone was her brother, but became convinced after they shared some stories of childhood.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Facebook-reunites-siblings-after-35-years/H1-Article1-491983.aspx

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Vindoo wins Bigg Boss 3

He screamed, he fought, he shaved off his hair, he cussed, he cried, he spoke incessantly to the cameras, it's been an eventful 12 weeks for Vindoo Dara Singh in Bigg Boss 3. Now the actor is on top of the world having won the third season. "I also won a car which I thought was meant for the runner-up!" says Vindoo. The Kambakkt Ishq actor insists that his three-month stay in the Bigg Boss House was the most wonderful experience of his life: "It's even more valuable to me than my first film Karan."

It wasn't a smooth stay. Singh talks of how he was in a spot of trouble during the first few weeks of the game. "But I never lied even once. That's what helped me," he says.
A vivid memory of Vindoo in the House is that of him bursting into tears every other day. The actor claims this isn't how he normal is, saying, "I have never cried in my life. I don't get angry. The circumstances in the House are crazy. The time when I had to become the chor and steal food was the worst time ever."
Vindoo holds Bhojpuri star Kamaal Rashid Khan responsible for his unpopularity among the other inmates. "I didn't realise it, but Kamaal had started a lot of hanky panky within the first week. I was made out to be the biggest villain. When he left, he told me I'd be next to go," says Vindoo. Dara Singh's son did get nominated nearly every week, something he's almost proud of.  However, he was saved every time by viewers' votes. "I didn't understand what these guys were playing at, but the viewers did and they saved me week after week," he says.
While he admits that he had severe issues with husband-wife duo Tanaaz and Baktiyaar Iraani and Pravesh Rana, Vindoo is clear that what happened in the House is over and done with. "None of them are fools or bad people. I'll hug them all if I happen to meet them. I've promised Baktiyaar that I'll get him to meet Sunny Deol.
But apart from that, I won't really be in touch with most of them. Except for Poonamji (Dhillon). She's a wonderful person. It's because of her that I fought 10 fights lesser than I would have," he says.

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/dec/271209-vindoo-bigg-boss-winner.htm

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WorldSpace won't make music in India anymore

Image via Wikipedia

NEW DELHI: The first mail Thejaswi Udupa read on Christmas morning brought bad news. It was an announcement from WorldSpace satellite radio service

saying it was discontinuing its operations in India at the end of this year.
“WorldSpace has been the background score at my home for almost a decade. It’s really sad to see it go,” said Udupa, a 26-year-old Bangalore-based product manager at Yahoo! India.
The announcement didn’t come as a total surprise. WorldSpace India’s parent company had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US in 2008. The filings did not cover Indian operations and executives said at the time the service would continue uninterrupted. That was not to be.
Consumers who have paid up for services beyond December 2009 stand to lose their money or patiently wait for bankruptcy proceedings in the US to untangle claims. The email to subscribers said their contracts are with WorldSpace Inc, the US company. The mail includes contact details for subscribers, if they wish to be listed as creditors of the company.
“It is possible that the Indian entity was an agent that only forwarded the money and the contractual liability to provide the service was with the US company. It all depends on the arrangement. If that is indeed the case, subscribers will have no option but to stand in line with other creditors,” said Zia Mody, managing partner at law firm AZB & Partners.
WorldSpace is unique in many ways. In a country notorious for its unwillingness to pay for entertainment, the service has some 4.5 lakh paying subscribers. These consumers paid on an average around Rs 1,800 for a year’s subscription for music they could never hope to hear on a local radio station. WorldSpace operated 36 channels with a wide range of genres, including regional language music. Channels such as Maestro (western classical), Riff (jazz) and Orbit (classic rock) were hugely popular. There is no other similar service in India.
FM stations in India are all supported by advertising, which means they gain from having the most listeners. This inevitably results in nearly all the channels playing the same music — the latest tracks from new films.
For those who cared about what they were listening to, WorldSpace was a huge relief from this uniform, sometimes offensive, soundscape.
The service also provided an easy solution to small businesses such as restaurants, cafes and bars that wanted to play ambient music that was free of advertising, would suit the time of the day and the mood of the customers. This is the secret of many of Goa’s beachside shack-owners who effortlessly display an eclectic taste in music. ICICI Bank recently started placing WorldSpace receivers at its ATMs.
Airtel Digital TV, the DTH service from the telecom operator, comes with bundled WorldSpace subscription. A large portion of WorldSpace’s subscriber base comes from this bundling. It’s unclear what will happen to Airtel Digital TV subscribers’ listening options.
“We are yet to receive any communication on this matter from World Space,” a spokesman for Airtel said.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/media/entertainment-/entertainment/WorldSpace-wont-make-music-in-India-anymore/articleshow/5379418.cms

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Lady Waa Waa: Eccentric singer breaks down when presented with plaque for selling 8 million records worldwide

 

Lady Gaga broke down in tears as she received a plaque for selling 8 million records worldwide.

Decked in another dazzlingly weird outfit, the eccentric singer spilled her emotions after receiving the commemorative plaque at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles after the last of her three sold out performances at the venue.

Earlier in the week, she had reflected on her sudden rise to the top, saying: 'A year ago this month I was opening for Natasha Bedingfield and the New Kids on the Block - at this theatre.'

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Overcome: The eccentric singer is emotional after receiving a plaque for selling 8 million records worldwide

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Meteoric rise: Lady Gaga reflected earlier this week on her overnight success

The singer declare herself a 'gothic Tinkerbell', in danger of dying unless her fans scream - and they have obliged during her ongoing Monster Ball world tour.

And she in turn, has put in a performance to remember - whether it's crawling on the floor in a glossy black bustier, or sleek in red vinyl and rhinestone glitter.

But strange as her routines have been, it would come as no surprise given her gig on The X Factor earlier this month, where she asked for a giant bathroom to be built onstage.

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The singer's performance in LA - part of her Monster Ball tour - was as bizarrely electric as ever

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The self-styled gothic Tinkerbell pulled out all the stops in this performance

In the end, she did nothing worse than cavort with a host of dancers in the huge four metre-long bath while performing her latest single, Bad Romance, but the production team behind the show had reason to be nervous.

Just a few months before, at the MTV Awards in New York in September, she had hung from the ceiling covered in fake blood after pretending to stab herself while performing her hit Paparazzi.

The 23-year-old is also notorious for performing in a conical bra that shoots out fireworks.

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A relatively sober moment on the show at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles

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And back to what she does best, in her performance of 'Bad Romance'

She also recently performed at the Royal Variety show dressed as Elizabeth I - in latex

Lady Gaga - real name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta - is also known to insist on a closed set for rehearsals, with insiders revealing she does not want anyone to see her without her make-up on.

But there's no doubt that she's here to stay for now - and the gothic Tinkerbell's light is in no imminent danger of fading.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1238307/Lady-Gaga-singer-breaks-presented-plaque-selling-8-million-records-worldwide.html#ixzz0amK6ZSRx

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Brinda Karat meets Hooda, seeks harsher action against Rathore

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Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat on Saturday met Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and demanded harsher punishment for former top cop SPS Rathore who was convicted in the 1990 molestation case of teenager Ruchika Girhotra.

"We want the state government to be proactive in getting the punishment enhanced (for Rathore) and reopen the case," Karat told reporters after meeting Hooda.

Fourteen-year-old Ruchika was molested Aug 12, 1990 by Rathore, who rose to become Haryana's police chief. The girl committed suicide three years later. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court Monday convicted Rathore in the molestation case and sentenced him to six months' imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.1,000. Rathore was immediately granted bail by the court.

Karat, who is an MP, was accompanied by the parents of Ruchika's friend Aradhana, who was the lone witness in the case.

"The chief minister listened to what we said with some sympathy. He assured us that from his opinion the case should be reopened. What he told us was that he was going to take appropriate action after taking legal advice," she said.

"We also demanded that under his jurisdiction a committee (be set up) which would go into the political patronage given to Rathore and how he got so many promotions," Karat added.

The chief minister assured us that the case would be revisited and "appropriate action" would be taken after taking legal advice.

"There are two aspects of the case - one is criminal and the other is political. Action should be taken against those who shielded Rathore and also his bail should be cancelled and he should be sent to jail," Karat added.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/newdelhi/Ruchika-case-Brinda-Karat-meets-Hooda/Article1-490729.aspx

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Ruchika molestation case needs to be revisited: Veerappa Moily

Law Minister Veerappa Moily on Friday said the molestation case of teenager Ruchika Girhotra needs to be "revisited".

He, however, added that the "rule of law should not be interfered by any one".

"The case of this nature has been mistreated and whoever is responsible has to be appropriately dealt with. And a case of this nature needs to be revisited," Moily told reporters Friday.

Fourteen-year-old Ruchika was molested Aug 12, 1990 by S.P.S. Rathore , who rose to become Haryana's police chief. The girl committed suicide three years later. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court convicted Rathore in the molestation case and sentenced him to six months' imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.1,000. Rathore was immediately granted bail by the court.

Moily said he had discussed the matter with the solicitor general of India.

"I have discussed it with the solicitor general of India and have asked him what could be done after this sentence. I told him to discuss the case with the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) director also," said Moily.

Acknowledging that justice has been delayed in the case, Moily said that the laws relating to atrocities on women needed to be revisited.

"The delay of 19 years by the judiciary is unpardonable. We have to revisit laws also in terms of punishment and the manner in which the case was treated," Moily added.

The law minister added that the cases relating to atrocities against women, senior citizens and disabled citizens will be fast-tracked.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Ruchika-molestation-case-needs-to-be-revisited-Veerappa-Moily/H1-Article1-490420.aspx

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Railway Station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province.

Chinese workers put the final touch on the interior of a new Railway Station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province. China plans to build 42 high-speed railway lines by 2012 in a massive system overhaul.

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Ruchika expulsion was against school norms ::Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, Chandigarh, Violated Norms?

CHANDIGARH: Ruchika Girhotra's alma mater — Sacred Heart — appears to have plotted her expulsion from the school.

It now transpires that the school didn't accept Ruchika's fee and later expelled her on the flimsy grounds that that she didn't pay it.
A senior Sacred Heart teacher said it was rare for the school to expel on the grounds cited in Ruchika's case. "It's uncommon that our school had expelled students on the basis of non-payment of the fees. Either, a month's notice is given or fine is imposed. In extreme situations, the students aren't allowed to take the exams," said the teacher.
A family friend Adhunika Seedhar echoes the teacher, saying Ruchika was expelled contrary to the school's norms. "The school didn't even issue a notice to Ruchika and straightaway acted against her," said Seedhar.
Sacred Heart's admission brochure buttresses the teacher's point. It says, at the most, a student wouldn't be allowed to take exams as a penalty for the non-payment of the fee. Thought the 1990 brochure contents are unknown, her expulsion certainly flouts the norms of the school's present policy.
Chandigarh home secretary Ram Niwas said the authorities would investigate the circumstances that led to Ruchika's expulsion. "We would act against the school if Ruchika's relatives complain," he said. "It must have been tormenting for a child who was up against influential people," he added.
Students at Ruchika's alma mater have begun rallying around the campaign for her justice. They have started blogging to support the cause. "Blogging is the best and quickest way of gathering support," said a Sacred Heart student. "I'm keen to trace Ruchika's batchmates and hear her story."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Ruchika-expulsion-was-against-school-norms/articleshow/5376285.cms

Ruchika is below the law, Rathore above it

Juggle-Bandhi

 

Jug Suraiya Friday December 25, 2009, 01:23 PM

If you were to drink and drive on New Year’s eve – or on any other day, for that matter –  (not that you’re silly enough to drink and drive, of course) and were stopped by a cop, you’d likely face a stiff fine up to Rs 5,000 and a possible night in jail. Compare this with the case of Haryana DGP, SPS Rathore, who in 1990 sexually molested a 14-year-old girl, Ruchika, who three years after the incident committed suicide as a direct result of the psychological trauma she had suffered. Her family was persecuted by members of the Haryana police; her brother had 11 false cases made against him, and the family eventually had to leave the state. Almost 20 years later, the perpetrator of this crime gets a jail sentence of six months and a 1,000 rupee fine. He leaves the court smiling, saying he will appeal.

The reason given for this gross travesty of justice is that the 150-year-old law relating to sexual molestation, short of rape, of a minor prescribes a maximum sentence of only two years, as against 10 years for rape. This antiquated law – which takes no account of that most repugnant of crimes, that of child molestation – is in the process of being reviewed.

In the meantime, will Rathore walk virtually free?

A number of other questions arise. Why did it take almost 20 years for the sentence to be awarded? Why did the Haryana high court strike down that part of the charge against Rathore which made him culpable for his victim’s suicide, and which would have invited a far stiffer sentence for him? Why did the judge impose a sentence of only six months, when even the flawed law as it stands allows for a maximum sentence of two years?

Has there been—or will there be – any inquiry into allegations made by the victim’s family of prolonged police harassment, amounting to criminal misconduct?

An uproar has been created in the media and in Parliament by the Ruchika case. But like so many other cause celebres will this too prove to be a nine-day-horror, soon wiped out from public memory by a more topical scandal, a more recent and more gory crime?

Once again, Ruchika’s tragic case exposes the glaring anomalies and shortcomings of our outdated, overburdened and severely flawed legal system. Even when the perpetrator is belatedly brought to book – as Rathore has been, almost two decades after he committed his criminal act – the punishment rarely fits the crime. The rich or the powerful – like Rathore with his top cop connections – get off lightly; common citizens bear the full brunt of a legal system seemingly skewed against their favour.

There has been much talk of a judicial review, of making our judiciary more accessible to public scrutiny. The Ruchika case is a challenge. A challenge for all those concerned about the deep-seated malaise in our system of jurisprudence, which not only allows but promotes repeated miscarriages of justice, to seek not only a more fitting punishment for Rathore but also to raise fundamental questions regarding the many weaknesses and perversities in the laws of our land. And, indeed, in many members of our judiciary, which presides over and interprets those laws. Judges have been asked to declare their assets. And the definition of the assets they declare might be expanded to include their IQs. Otherwise, the public at large – shocked by cases like that of Ruchika – might perforce deem the law to be not only an ass but a criminally culpable one at that.

In the meanwhile, don’t drink and drive on New Year’s eve, or any other time (not that you would; you’re far too sensible and law-abiding for that) or you may face the full force and fury of the law. Unlike DGP Rathore, who seems to be above, or beyond, it.

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi/entry/ruchika-is-below-the-law

Vatican drama: Pope attacked at Midnight Mass by SAME 'mentally unstable' woman who jumped barrier last year

Pope Benedict was attacked by a disturbed woman who jumped over the barrier at the start of his Christmas Eve mass in St Peter's Basilica last night.

The 82-year-old Pontiff was not harmed and went on to finish the two-hour service, but an elderly French cardinal in the papal procession fell to the floor and was taken to hospital with a broken leg.

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The woman jumps over the barricade towards Pope Benedict XVI as he walks down the main aisle

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The woman is pulled back by a guard as she tries to grab Pope Benedict

This sequence of images taken from amateur video obtained by APTN shows an unidentified woman jumping over a barrier and grabbing Pope Benedict XVI

Television pictures showed the woman, dressed in a red top, jumping over the barricade and hurling herself at the pope, provoking screams from members of the congregation.

The woman was tackled by a security guard and she and the cardinal fell to the marble floor.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the woman, who he described as 'unstable,' was the same person who tried to jump a barricade to get close to the pope at last year's Christmas Mass.

The Pope, dressed in gold and white vestments, continued the procession up the centre aisle to celebrate the Mass. He seemed calm and unfazed during the rest of the ceremony.

 

Scary: The woman gets over the barrier and grabs the 82-year-old pontiff

But French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 87, who has been in frail health recently, fell to the floor and was taken away in a wheelchair. He suffered a broken femur, Lombardi said.

The woman was detained for questioning by Vatican security police and was not immediately identified.

There have been relatively few security breaches in Benedict's pontificate, which began in 2005. In 2007 a German man jumped over a barricade in St Peter's Square as the pope's jeep was passing during a general audience and tried to board the vehicle.

The most serious attack on a pope in the Vatican came in 1981 when Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca, shot and nearly killed Pope John Paul II in St Peter's Square.

Thursday's incident, which left Vatican security guards visibly shaken and bishops stunned, happened at the start of a Mass at which Benedict led the world's some 1.1 billion Roman Catholics into Christmas.

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Injured: French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray on a wheelchair is taken to hospital at the Vatican City

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Vatican security, at centre of the aisle in black, make their way towards Pope Benedict after he was knocked down during Christmas Mass

It again raised the question of how vulnerable the pope can be if he wants to maintain contact with the public.

'It's surprising that it happened inside St Peter's, because the security there has changed a great deal in recent years and is much more tight than it used to be,' the Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, leader of Catholics in England and Wales, told the BBC.

'But there it is, I'm sure those arrangements will be reviewed and greater care will be taken,' he said.

While visitors to St Peter's Basilica must pass through metal detectors and spot checks, security once they get inside is relatively light. Vatican security is shared by a police force and Swiss Guards.  

For the first time in recent memory, the Christmas Eve mass started two hours before midnight in order to give the pope more time to rest before Friday's main Christmas event at noon.

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A 27-year-old German man (right) leaps over a barricade and tries to jump on to Pope Benedict XVI's open-topped Jeep last year

In his homily to more than 10,000 people inside Christendom's largest church, the pope urged the faithful to rediscover the simplicity of the nativity message.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1238201/Pope-Benedict-XVI-knocked-floor-mentally-unstable-woman-jumped-barrier-Midnight-Mass.html

National Commission for Women India, announces lawyers committee to probe Ruchika case

In a clear indictment of the Punjab Police and the state government, National Commission for Women chairperson, Girija Vyas set up a committee to examine the Ruchika Girhotra case.

The NCW is also examining whether it can file a case to get damage compensation for Ruchika Girhotra’s family. Vyas told reporters that she was setting up a committee of lawyers to examine the sequence of events that took place in the Ruchika Girhotra case, who committed suicide due to alleged harassment by former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore.

A CBI special court sentenced Rathore to six months imprisonment, and a fine of Rs 1000. That too, came 19 years after 14-year-old Ruchika complained that he had sexually harassed her. She had also alleged that after she complained Rathore used his influence with the state machinery to harass and threaten her family and friends in a bid to get her to withdraw the case.

Vyas said she was unhappy about the manner in which the state government had handled the case. She said she had written to the Haryana government asking it to file an appeal against the verdict. Vyas said she had learnt that the police had withdrawn the charge of abetting suicide against Rathore.

“I have taken up the issue of the judgement with the Haryana Chief Minister. I requested him to have an appeal filed against this recent judgement,” Vyas told reporters.

The NCW chairperson has also written to the Law Ministry to suggest that it could intervene in the matter if other arms of the state machinery were found wanting. Vyas said if the state government did not share her views on appealing against the verdict, the NCW too could intervene and appeal.

In a related development, Vyas also shot off a letter to the Union Home Ministry asking it to table the proposed bill against sexual assault.

The draft bill is with the Home Ministry. This bill in addition to existing provisions of rape deals with all other forms of sexual assault on women. If it becomes law, all forms of sexual assault against women, would be under a single legislation. “I have asked the Home Minister to expedite its introduction in Parliament,” Vyas said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/NCW-announces-lawyers-committee-to-probe-Ruchika-case/490344/H1-Article1-490050.aspx

Ruchika molestation case: Four CMs sat back as cop ran roughshod

CHANDIGARH: Disgraced former Haryana DGP Rathore may not be finding many friends after his conviction, but the police officer enjoyed the patronage of four sucessive Chief Ministers.

In 1990, when the molestation incident took place in Panchkula, CM Hukam Singh (Lok Dal) ignored the episode and also an inquiry report by then DGP R R Singh, which found Rathore prima facie guilty of molesting the minor girl. Hukam Singh did not allow a case to be registered.
Between March and June, 1991, Om Prakash Chautala (Lok Dal) became CM but he too did not take any action. Rathore, who was an IG at the time of the molestation incident, even got his promotion as additional DGP in 1994 when Bhajan Lal of the Congress was CM. The promotion came just a few months after Ruchika committed suicide in 1993.
During Bhajan Lal's tenure from June 1991 to May 1996, Rathore was elevated to DGP.
It was during Bansi Lal's regime in 1998 that the Punjab and Haryana HC ordered a CBI probe against Rathore.
In Oct 1999, Chautala returned and made Rathore DGP of the state. He continued to be on this top post till December 2000 despite the CBI chargesheeting him in January 2000.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ruchika-molestation-case-Four-CMs-sat-back-as-cop-ran-roughshod/articleshow/5371955.cms

Blackberry network crashes leaving users without email for second time in week

 

Blackberry users are unable to send emails

Blackberry users in the U.S. have been left unable to send or receive text messages for the second time in a week.

Canadian firm Research In Motion, which makes Blackberry mobile phones,  said its technicians are working to resolve e-mail messaging delays on its Blackberry smart phones in North and South America.

Users in the UK remain unaffected.

'Technical teams are actively working to resolve the issue for those impacted. We apologise for any inconvenience,' the firm said in a statement.

Phone calling and texting services appear to be working but users in the Americas have been unable to send or receive e-mail messages.

BlackBerry users on a number of networks, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile in the US, have been affected.

Would-be users tweeted their frustration on social networking site Twitter. Some said they also could not connect to the internet.

It marks the second time in less than a week that BlackBerry users in North America have had to deal with e-mail outages on their Blackberry devices.

Research In Motion said last Thursday that technicians had isolated and resolved the issue and were investigating the cause.

The firm did not say how many users were affected or how long that outage lasted.

Research in Motion sold ten million Blackberrys in the three months up until the end of Novemeber - a company record.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1238010/Blackberry-network-crashes-leaving-users-email-second-time-week.html#ixzz0aapwCCTA

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Law fails, Indian Parliament urged to help Ruchika !!!

New Delhi: Fast track justice was needed in sexual harassment cases involving minors, CPI-M MP Brinda Karat said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday while referring to the 1990 molestation of a 14-year-old girl for which a former Haryana director general of police (DGP) was sentenced to six months in prison.

Expressing outrage at former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore on Monday getting six months jail term for molesting the teen, who committed suicide three years later, Karat said: "A criminal who committed that crime in police uniform and escape justice for 19 years was rewarded with promotion after promotion. And, 19 years later this criminal has finally been found guilty. What is the punishment - just six months."

"And the day he was convicted, he was out on bail within 10 minutes. Isn't it a shame for all of us... how long can we tolerate this kind of action. It reveals

deep infirmities in our system of delivery of justice," the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) parliamentarian said.

Rathore was on Monday sentenced to six months in prison for molesting 14-year-old budding tennis player Ruchika Girhotra, who committed suicide in 1993 following continuous harassment of her and her family.

"It is not anybody else but a very sensitive family Anand and Madhu Prakash and their brave daughter Aradhana who were friends of the victims who stood for 19 years as witness in this case, refused to be cowed down and because of that the culprit has been punished," she said.

"My point is how are we going to tolerate these kind of cases in which our young girls have absolutely no security and when justice is denied in the way it has been in this case."

http://connect.in.com/news_article.php?pr_id=1932205&h_t=Law+fails%2C+Parliament+urged+to+help+Ruchika&news_url=687474703a2f2f69626e6c6976652e696e2e636f6d2f6e6577732f6c61772d6661696c732d7061726c69616d656e742d75726765642d746f2d68656c702d72756368696b612f3130373535362d332e68746d6c3f66726f6d3d746e

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• After 19 years, ex-DGP held guilty of molesting minor (thehindu.com)

Tiger Woods accused of $1million payoff as nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel cancels press conference about their 'relationship'

Party girl: Rachel Uchitel, centre, in Las Vegas with friends earlier this year

Tiger Woods was accused last night of negotiating a million-dollar payoff to silence a woman named as one of his three alleged mistresses.

New York club promoter Rachel Uchitel dramatically cancelled a planned press conference in Los Angeles yesterday.

The 34-year-old has adamantly denied an affair with Woods although reports suggested she was considering revealing details of her alleged month-long fling.

But, according to U.S. media stories, Woods and Miss Uchitel were in touch with each other as recently as Wednesday night.

The golfer was said to be desperate to keep Miss Uchitel from exacerbating the public relations nightmare that has developed since his early morning car crash a week ago.

 

Miss Uchitel was named as Woods' mistress in U.S. tabloid the National Enquirer last week, days before the accident.

She flew to L.A. and hired celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred as speculation about the married golfer developed into a frenzy.

Miss Uchitel then denied the affair but yesterday it was announced she would hold a press conference in L.A. and make a statement about their 'relationship'.

Hours before the appearance, the conference was dramatically cancelled.

U.S. media reported that there was a last-minute flurry of calls between Woods's representatives and Miss Uchitel's lawyer, Gloria Allred.

Jaimee Grubbs in Hollywood this week and Kalika Moquin in Las Vegas

Miss Allred refused to comment on the 'unforeseen circumstances' behind the sudden change of plan.

But one source allegedly told the New York Post's website that a $1million (£600,000) sum was being discussed as a possible inducement for Miss Uchitel to keep quiet.

Nightmare week: Tiger Woods with wife Elin

She is said to have saved 'hundreds' of text messages that Tiger Woods supposedly sent to her during their alleged five-month relationship.

Many of the messages were of a 'highly sexual nature,' claims the RadarOnline website.

However, the well-connected website TMZ today cited a 'well-connected source' who insisted Miss Uchitel had not been paid for her silence and had just decided to lie low.

Revelations about her alleged affair with the shamed golfer were followed by claims that Woods cheated on his wife with at least two other women, cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs, 24, and Las Vegas club executive Kalika Moquin, 27.

The golfer, 33, apologised to his family and supporters in a statement on his website on Wednesday, admitting to 'personal sins' and letting down his wife, Elin, and their two children.

He and Elin, 29, a former Swedish model, reportedly started 'intensive marriage counselling' after he admitted his 'transgressions' and issued the extraordinary public apology.

Miss Grubbs came forward earlier this week to say she had a 31-month affair with the married sports star.

She told her story to U.S. Weekly after reading in the National Enquirer claims that Woods had a secret tryst with Miss Uchitel in Australia last month.

'To see that he was inviting another girl to Australia, it hurts. I'm still bitter about it,' she said.

The site quotes sources as saying that Woods and Miss Uchitel were texting each other less than an hour before the accident early last Friday.

Woods' wife asked him who he was texting in the early hours of the morning and grabbed the phone and called 'the other woman' to confront her.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1232880/Tiger-Woods-Rachel-Uchitel-cancels-press-conference-relationship-star.html#ixzz0YiY8agUg

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Oops! Mallika does it again

Does Mallika Sherawat never learn? Two years back, the sultry actress performed at a New Year’s eve bash wearing a skimpy outfit that caused a huge controversy, with even an obscenity case slapped against her.

On Sunday, she seemed to have gone a step further while performing at a function in Mumbai to felicitate cricket stars. Scantily clad in a white and silver outfit reminiscent of Helen’s yesteryear cabaret dances, Mallika grooved suggestively and left little to imagination.

Despite the earlier case still pending in the court, an undeterred Sherawat boasted about her performance even before she stepped on stage. “Two factors that affect the Indian psyche — cricket n... hottie Mallika,” she wrote on Twitter. Soon after the function, the actress posted a link to the backstage picture on the same site.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/celebwatch/Oops-Mallika-does-it-again/Article1-481893.aspx

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