HYDERABAD: Veteran actor Chalapathi Rao passed away at his Hyderabad residence after suffering a cardiac arrest in the wee hours of Sunday. The actor was said to be battling age-related complications over the last two years. He was 78.

Born on May 8, 1944, Chalapathi Rao made his acting debut with Goodachari 116 in 1966 and went on to have a flourishing career. He acted in more than 1,200 films in a career spanning over 50 years, leaving a lasting mark as a villain and in supporting roles.

Some of his most prominent films include Annadammula, Anubandham (1975), Manushulanta Okkate (1976), Yamagola (1977), Daana Veera Soora Karna (1977), Yuga Purushudu (1978), Driver Ramudu (1979), Vetagadu (1979), Gandeevam (1994), Bobbili Simham (1994), Arundhati (2009), Kick (2009), Ek Niranjan (2009), Legend (2014), Sathamanam Bhavati (2017), and Vinaya Vidheya Rama (2019). This year, he was seen in Bangarraju, and his final film appearance was in a film titled Oh Manishi Neevevaru. Chalapathi Rao also produced films such as Ardharathri Hatyalu (1985), Kaliyuga Krishnudu (1986), and Kadapa Reddamma (1990), to name a few. He is survived by two daughters and a son. His son Ravi Babu is a well-known actor and director.

T-wood will miss ‘Babai’

Chalapathi Rao was synonymous with cruel, ferocious villains, and he did such an excellent job on-screen that he once joked that women would stay wary of him in real life. After all, he committed over 90 on-screen rapes as a villain. So the fear is understandable. That doesn’t mean he restricted himself to negative roles. This generation of moviegoers has seen him in many supporting roles alongside contemporary actors such as NTR Jr, Mahesh Babu, and Allu Arjun.

Some of his most popular performances in the 2000s came from three films directed by VV Vinayak. As a caring guardian to Jr NTR, he was dearly called ‘Babai.’In the past decade, he mostly appeared in supporting roles, often playing a family member of the protagonist. There are stories about his tiffs with co-stars; some of them went to physical altercations too. Yet, his place in Telugu cinema remained unscathed because he was considered a family member off-screen.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed condolences on the demise of the noted film actor. He said that Chalapathi Rao, who acted in hundreds of movies in diversified roles, made his own mark on the silver screen. The CM said that the passing away of Chalapathi Rao, who worked with three generations of actors as an actor and producer, is a big loss to the film industry. He conveyed his deepest condolences to the bereaved family members.

NEW DELHI: The CBI on Monday arrested Videocon group founder Venugopal Dhoot in connection with the ICICI Bank loan fraud case, officials said.

The 71-year-old Dhoot was arrested from Mumbai, nearly three days after former CEO and MD of the ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar were taken into custody by the CBI, they said.

The CBI had named the Kochhars and Dhoot, along with companies Nupower Renewables (NRL) managed by Deepak Kochhar, Supreme Energy, Videocon International Electronics Ltd, and Videocon Industries Limited, as accused in the FIR registered under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2019, they said.

The CBI had alleged that ICICI Bank had sanctioned credit facilities to the tune of Rs 3,250 crore to the companies of Videocon Group promoted by Dhoot in violation of the Banking Regulation Act, RBI guidelines, and credit policy of the bank.

It was also alleged that as a part of the quid pro quo, Dhoot made an investment of Rs 64 crore in Nupower Renewables through Supreme Energy Pvt Ltd (SEPL) and transferred SEPL to Pinnacle Energy Trust managed by Deepak Kochhar through a circuitous route between 2010 and 2012, the FIR has alleged.

The Enforcement Directorate has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to prosecute Delhi transport minister Kailash Gehlot under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code for allowing his official bungalow to be occupied and used by a private person, Vijay Nair, who has emerged as the key dealmaker in the Delhi liquor scam. According to ED, Vijay Nair gave a statement under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, that he had been functioning from Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s camp office and residing in a government bungalow allotted to Delhi minister Kailash Gehlot, who was part of the Group of Ministers that cleared the controversial Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

The ED said Vijay Nair does not have any other residence in Delhi and Gehlot lives in a private residence in Najafgarh. Spelling out the offence committed by Gehlot, the ED said “when a person, who is a minister, is allotted a bungalow for the purpose of his residence, he is entrusted with the dominion of the property which is meant for his personal use as his residence. But when he dishonestly uses this property and allows someone else to use the same, it is a criminal breach of trust u/s 405 of IPC, punishable u/s 409 of IPC, since the minister is a public servant.

Similarly, when a minister is allotted a government accommodation, he makes a representation that it will be used by himself, and allowing someone else to use the residence, who is not entitled to the same, amounts to false representation, an offence u/s 415 of IPC punishable u/s 420 of IPC.” Since the ED is not empowered to investigate, it has furnished the information u/s 66(2) of PMLA to the CBI in consonance with the Supreme Court judgement in the matter of Vijay Madanlal Choudhary Vs Union of India.

The ED chargesheet filed in the Special Court of Judge M K Nagpal is full of interesting nuggets of information that throw light on the relations between the key accused. In a statement dated 10.09.2022, accused Sameer Mahendru, who held wholesale and retail licenses and is a beneficial owner of Indo Spirits, gave graphic details of a meeting called by Manish Sisodia, who holds the excise portfolio. “There was a meeting that was chaired by Manish Sisodia, Dy CM, wherein many retailers were present. When all the members reached and the convening officer asked the Dy CM to start the meeting, Sisodia said that they should wait for Dinesh Arora.

Dinesh arrived late and was gestured by Sisodia to sit next to him. After that day, a message was received by the market that Dinesh Arora was close to the AAP, especially the Dy CM.” Dinesh Arora figures as accused number 11 in the CBI’s chargesheet in the liquor scam. The agency has found him to be involved in handling/transferring kickbacks. He was also summoned by the ED for examination under PMLA. In a statement dated 01.10.2022, Arora told the ED that “he had met Sanjay Singh through whom he came in contact with Manish Sisodia at a party in his (Arora’s) restaurant Unplugged Courtyard.” Arora told ED that before he was roped in for a role in liquor trade, he had raised Rs 82 lakhs from restauranteurs known to him and gave it to Sisodia as party funds.

The ED claims that Arora has also admitted to hawala transactions in association with Vijay Nair. These transactions, running into crores, were carried out using currency note numbers and hawala traders in Delhi and Hyderabad whom he has named. Arora also worked closely with Nair to create partnerships/cartels for the South Group, which includes K Kavitha, daughter of Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao. He has given details of his meetings with Kavitha in connection with Delhi liquor trade.

NEW DELHI:  The outgoing year 2022 has been inspirational and wonderful for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in his last  ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episode of the year.  Expressing gratitude to the people, PM Modi said that it was the strength of the people of the country, their cooperation, their determination and success that made the outgoing 2022 an inspiring year.

The PM also made an appeal to the people to be more cautious as Covid-19 has again started spreading in many countries. Lauding the country’s performances in 2022, the PM said: “In 2022, India completed 75 years of Independence and started observing the ‘Amrit Kaal’. This year the country gained new momentum.”

He also said it attained the status of the world’s fifth largest economy, achieved the record surpassing “incredible” figure of 220 crore Covid vaccine doses and crossed the “magical” export figure of $400 billion.

The country adopted and lived its resolution of ‘self-reliant India’ and welcomed its first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and also attained glory in space, drone and defence sectors in the year, he added. Extending the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ (one India, great India), many events were organised, he said, citing the Madhavpur Mela in Gujarat and the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi.

Speaking about assuming the Presidency of G20, the PM said: “In 2023, we have to take the enthusiasm of G-20 to new heights, making this event a mass movement”. Modi greeted people on Christmas and for the upcoming New Year and also paid tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “I am happy that in the era of evidence-based medicine, yoga and ayurveda are now standing up to the touchstone of tests of the modern era,” he said.

TIRUCHY:  Amid the Union government’s recent advisory to states and union territories to ramp up genome sequencing and track variants in the wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases across the globe, Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Wednesday said testing is being carried out in Chennai and assured that fresh cases are being monitored in the state.

The minister made the comment while inspecting the venue at Sannasipatty in the district where Chief Minister MK Stalin would on December 29 provide medical kit to the ten millionth beneficiary under the ‘Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam’ scheme. The chief minister is also expected to unveil a slew of projects, including a `1.99-crore seminar hall at Kanniyakumari Government Medical College Hospital.

Pointing out that the scheme offering medical service to residents at their doorstep was launched in the State from a village in Krishnagiri on August 5, 2021, the minister also highlighted the CM’s assurance to a 13-year-old girl undergoing treatment for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in Chennai of meeting all her medical expenses. 

The chief minister is also expected to inaugurate various units at the Villupuram Government Medical College Hospital, including a radiation oncology unit at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore and telecobalt radiation therapy unit set up at Rs 4.5 crore. 

At Chengalpattu Government Medical College Hospital, a decentralised waste treatment system at a cost of Rs 1.2 crore and a paediatric intensive care unit building would be opened. The CM would also inaugurate a Rs 1.90-crore worth building at the Kallakurichi Government Medical College Hospital. A CT scan machine purchased by the Tambaram government hospital at Rs 2.5 crore will also be inaugurated.

In Tiruppur, a new outpatient department building coming up at Rs 1.14 crore at the Nambiampalayam primary health centre (PHC), and a 30-bed facility at Vellore’s Melapatti PHC set up at Rs 2.23 crore will also be inaugurated.  Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru was present during the inspection.

CHENNAI: Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, when she was being treated at a private hospital in Chennai in 2016, turned down foreign doctors requests to get treated abroad, says VK Sasikala. 

“Though we wished that she be given treatment abroad, it did not take place because of her decision,” Sasikala said here on Friday. 
 
Breaking her silence on the report of the Arumughaswamy Commission, Sasikala said, “Doctors from foreign countries personally asked Amma about treating her abroad, but she denied saying Chennai is a medical hub and all facilities are available here. Though we all wished to take her abroad, it did not take place because of her decision. Amma was recovering well, and on the day she suffered cardiac arrest, she was watching the television.”
 
She was answering queries from reporters after celebrating Christmas with elderly people at Mercy Home on Halls Road here. Sasikala revealed that Jayalalithaa had ordered gold jewels to be presented to the doctors and other medical staff who looked after her. 

“We had fixed December 19 as the date for her discharge from the hospital, and she told the jewellery makers that the gift items should reach her by December 15. “
 
When questioned about the report of the Arumughaswamy Commission, Sasikala said, “AIIMS doctors, private hospital doctors and government doctors gave statements on Amma’s health on a daily basis, and there was nothing to hide.”

Questioned whether Jayalalithaa discussed who should lead the AIADMK after her time, Sasikala said, “Amma knew who would be best suited for that job. Even works on that count were going on. But unexpectedly, she fell. Even now, I confidently say that no one can harm the AIADMK.”

Responding to a query about the possibility of unifying the factions of the AIADMK since Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam are flexing their muscles in different directions, VK Sasikala said, “I am confident that unification of the AIADMK is possible even now I say, we will all together face the Lok Sabha elections and win.”
 
On the charge that AIADMK, though being the principal opposition party, has been facilitating another party occupying that space, Sasikala said, “In Tamil Nadu, there is no such situation.  Press and Youtube channels cannot decide who should be in power. We have witnessed this truth during the Amma (Jayalalithaa) regime. It is the people who decide, and they alone make a political party win.”