Archives for 2017

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police Cyber Cell on Friday registered a complaint against comedian Tanmay Bhat promoted All India Bakchod (AIB) for posting an offensive meme about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official said here.

“We have registered the FIR at the Cyber Police Station in this regard after due legal consultations. Further details will be communicated later,” said Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Rashmi Karandikar.

The AIB’s meme was seen on Wednesday in which a person resembling Modi is shown with the ears and nose of a dog, and a similar person is busy on a mobile in another picture.

Following an uproar on the social media and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) circles, the AIB deleted the meme, only to invite the wrath of Congress activists.

On Thursday, some Twitteratti vented anger and tagged the Mumbai Police demanding strictest action against the AIB for the ‘obnoxious posts’ on the Prime Minister.

Undeterred by critics, Bhat vowed he would continue to make jokes repeatedly.

“Will continue making jokes. And deleting if necessary. And making jokes again. And apologizing if necessary. Don’t care what you think,” he tweeted.

Defending the meme on the AIB website and on Twitter, Bhat termed it lack of rational reasoning.

When contacted by IANS for his comments on the FIR, Bhat did not respond to calls or messages.

(IANS)

Lucknow: A Muslim family of 10 including women, children, elders and a handicapped teenager were brutally assaulted in a train and robbed by a gang on Wednesday evening in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district.

The horrific incident took place on the Shikohabad-Kasganj passenger train when the family was on its way back from attending a marriage ceremony. A group of 35-30 men assaulted the family with iron rods and sticks between Mota and Nibkarori railway stations- some 30 km away from Farrukhabad junction.

A video of the incident showed group banging on the passenger coach in which the family was traveling and pelting stones to break the windows. They later jumped inside the train through the emergency window by breaking the glass panel.

50-year-old Mohammad Shakir, who suffered severe head injury along with fracture in right hand in the assault said, “It was a horror which I cannot forget. They attacked us with iron roads, robbed our belonging and molested our women. They didn’t even spare my 17-year-old physically and mentally challenged son.”

Horrified by the act, Shakir added, “They verbally abused us with some in the attacking group saying, “Kill them, they are Muslims”, and they continued to beat us until we went unconscious.”

According to Arsaan (22), son of Shakir, “The assailants groped my mother and sister blouse and salwar torn it. They snatched their gold chains and took our luggage and jewellery. They even attacked other passengers who came to rescue us. Later the passengers abandoned the coach leaving us behind to fight the assailants.”

“As soon the train stopped, the assailants jumped out of the train and called 20-25 youths who were already waiting on bike. We immediately locked the doors of the coach from inside and shut down the windows but the assailants started stone pelting and broke the emergency window panel. They barged inside the coach and again started assaulting us, while the other passengers abandoned the train,” he said.

“After the incident we attempted to contact police on dial 100, but every time, call was dropped. Later when the train reached Farrukhabad junction, the GRP took us to hospital,” he added.

The victims were admitted to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia government hospital, Farrukhabad, with fractured limbs and severe injuries to the head and stomach.

An FIR has been lodged under IPC section 395 and based on the video of the incident, special operation group and other police teams have detained three men and are questioning them.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Back at the helm as chief coach of the Indian cricket team, Ravi Shastri is likely to pitch for the return of bowling coach Bharath Arun despite the presence of Zaheer Khan in their ranks.

Shastri’s choice of bowling coach was always Arun and it is now apparent that Cricket Advisory Committee did not take Shastri into confidence while recommending Zaheer as the bowling coach although his role would be similar to that of Rahul Dravid — that of a consultant.

It has been learnt that Zaheer is unlikely to give around 250 days a year that a full-time bowling coach will be required to and may not be available for more than 100 days. It may also be mentioned that Zaheer’s salary package has not yet been inked as negotiations are still on.

Earlier, when Shastri was asked about his choice of bowling coach, he had said Arun but one particular member of CAC was against it. Shastri then apparently said that : “Give me Jason Gillespie then”. Gillespie is widely acknowledged as the best bowling coach in the cricketing fraternity.

The wily cricketer that he was, Shastri knew that BCCI can’t rope in someone like Gillespie, who is already contracted with Papua New Guinea. The BCCI has also kept Venkatesh Prasad’s name on stand by but it is unlikely Shastri will settle for anything less than Arun. Prasad however may not be liked by the Indian team as one complaint against him during his earlier tenure was turning quick bowlers into line and length medium fast bowlers.

According to reliable sources in the BCCI, Shastri is expected to meet the top officials and the Committee of Administrators (COA) during the weekend as he is expected to cut short his trip to United Kingdom. “Ravi has highest regards for Zaheer but he believes that a full-time bowling coach is required. Let Zak create a roadmap for bowlers and it will be Arun who will implement it.

Ravi is expected to speak to COA on Saturday and make it clear that he would like Arun to join the team from Sri Lanka tour itself,” a reliable BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. In case Shastri can get Arun on board, it will be a sweet revenge for him on his bete noire Sourav Ganguly, who had vehemently opposed his candidature. Arun had replaced Joe Dawes in 2014 and was there with the Indian team till 2016 when Shastri was dumped.

He didn’t have a distinguished playing career but has always been regarded as a great academy coach with a sound grip on the theories related to fast bowling. Arun and Shastri go back a long way having been buddies since their U-19 days back in early 80’s. It was on Shastri’s recommendation that erstwhile President N Srinivasan gave a go-ahead to Arun’s appointment with the senior team when he was the bowling consultant at the NCA.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao and his wife Tabassum on Wednesday took condemned the remarks made by MP Shobha Karandlaje for commenting on their personal life.

Both Dinesh and Tabassum made statements against the remarks made on them and said that the minister should not link their personal life to politics. Tabassum reported took it on her Facebook Page while her husband Dinesh addressed the media and spoke out on the issue.

MP Shobha had earlier made statements over Dinesh and his wife Tabassum. It was after CM Siddaramaiah recently asked BJP leaders to make their children Dalits if they really care about them.

Dinesh advised Shobha to get married when he condemned her remarks. “I got married in 1994. Everybody knows whom I have married. I think Shobha still has a chance to marry somebody,” he said.

Dinesh further said “BJP is trying to divide society on the basis of religion. The BJP leaders have realised that they cannot win the next Assembly elections.” he added.

(Agencies)