New Delhi: Asian Games gold medal-winning former boxer Dingko Singh died on Thursday after a long battle with liver cancer. He was 42 and had been fighting the disease since 2017.

“I’m deeply saddened by the demise of Shri Dingko Singh. One of the finest boxers India has ever produced, Dinko’s gold medal at 1998 Bangkok Asian Games sparked the Boxing chain reaction in India. I extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved family. RIP Dinko,” Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted.

The Manipur-based former boxer endured a long battle with cancer and even fought COVID-19 last year.

“My sincerest condolences on this loss May his life’s journey & struggle forever remain a source inspiration for the upcoming generations. I pray that the bereaved family finds the strength to overcome this period of grief & mourning #dinkosingh,” tweeted India’s first Olympic-medallist in boxing Vijender Singh.

Dingko won the Asian Games gold in 1998 and was bestowed the Arjuna award the same year. In 2013, he was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to the sport.

Dingko, who was employed with Navy, had taken to coaching after hanging up his gloves.

Kochi,: The 45-year-old Indian recently freed from death row in the UAE after an NRI businessman paid “blood money” arrived here on Wednesday and said his release was a “second life” for him.

Becks Krishnan,who was on death row in the United Arab Emirates for killing a young Sudanese boy in a road accident in 2012, was freed after prominent NRI businessman and philanthropist M A Yusuff Ali helped pay his “blood money” amounting to nearly Rs one crore.

The Thrissur resident arrived at the international airport here early on Wednesday morning from Abu Dhabi.

His wife Veena and son Advaith, along with other relatives and friends, received him at the airport.

“I was relieved when I heard that Yusuff Ali had intervened…This is my second life.

I am thankful to Yusuff Ali. He was holding discussions with the victim’s family for many months,” Krishnan told the media.

Meanwhile, Ali in a statement, said he had deposited 500,000 Dirhams in January at the Abu Dhabi court after convincing the Sudani boy’s family to pardon Krishnan.

“We had to convince both the parents and the negotiations went on for several months.

It was difficult initially because the boy’s mother wanted the law to take its own course.

Convincing them to pardon Krishnan was the difficult part,” Ali said in a statement.

Krishnan was sentenced to death by the UAE Supreme Court after he was found guilty of killing a young Sudanese boy when he recklessly drove and rammed his car into a group of children in September 2012.

Ever since, his family and friends had been trying hard for Krishnan’s release without any success, especially as the victim’s family had already gone back and settled in Sudan, putting an end to any discussion or pardon.

The Krishnan family then approached Yusuffali, Chairman of the Lulu Group, who went about getting the details of the case and got in touch with all stakeholders.

Ultimately in January 2021, the victim’s family in Sudan agreed to pardon Krishnan.

Subsequently, Yusuffali paid 500,000 Dirhams (Rs one crore approximately) as compensation in the court to secure the man’s release.

Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group that owns Lulu Hypermarkets and shopping malls, is one of the top retailers in the Middle East and North African region (MENA).

Kolkata: Popular Tollywood heroine and Trinamool Congress MP Nusrat Jahan on Wednesday claimed her marriage with businessman Nikhil Jain was not a legal marriage but a live-in relationship as their wedding in Turkey did not have recognition in Indian law.

Jahan, who is reportedly dating actor-assembly poll candidate Yash Dasgupta in recent times, said in a statement that since her marriage ceremony with Jain had taken place in accordance with Turkish Marriage Regulation, the marriage is invalid here.

Commenting on Jahan’s statement, Jain told reporters: “I don’t want to say anything. Everything will be decided by the court. The matter is in court.”

Jahan, in her statement also claimed, “Since it was an interfaith marriage, it requires validation under Special Marriage Act in India, which did not happen. As per law, it is not a marriage, but a relationship or a live-in relationship.”

Referring to Jain’s recent statement to the media that he sought divorce from Jahan, the MP from Basirhat constituency said, “The question of divorce does not arise due to above-mentioned reasons.”

“Our separation happened long back, but I did not speak about it as I intended to keep my private life to myself. Thus, my actions must not be questioned based on ‘separation’, by the media or anybody I am not related to. The alleged marriage is not legal, valid and tenable; and thus, was not a marriage at all in the eye of law,” she alleged.

Jahan had tied the knot with Jain at a destination wedding ceremony in Turkey in 2019, attended by a select few.

After winning the Lok Sabha Elections in 2019 on a TMC ticket, Jahan hosted a grand wedding reception at a five-star hotel in Kolkata which was attended by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee among other dignitaries.

Nusrat issued the statement amid speculations of a rift in her marriage and reports that she is living separately and is pregnant.

“My visit to any place for business or for the purpose of leisure, should not concern anyone with whom I have separated. All my expenses have always been borne by me contrary to claims by ‘someone’,” she further said in the statement.

She added that she would never speak up about her personal life or anyone she is not related to.

“Thus, people who call themselves ‘normal people’ must not entertain anything which is not related to them.

“I would request the media to refrain from questioning the wrong person, who has not been a part of my life since long now…. I would earnestly request my friends from the media to not give unnecessary mileage to such people or situations,” the statement read.

Bengaluru: A major project of using Artificial Intelligence in state transport corporation buses for passengers’ safety and to avoid accidents will be implemented, Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi said here on Wednesday.

Savadi, who holds the transport portfolio, said the Collegian Warning System (CWS) and Driver Drowsiness System (DDS) are the two types of technologies which would be put in place.

While the CWS would give forward looking collision warning, lane departure warning and virtual bumper and other alerts, the DDS would prevent drivers from sleeping.

In addition, these technologies can transmit information to the control room, keeping the driver alert and avoiding accidents and disasters, Savadi said in a statement

He said the plans were to introduce this technology in 1,044 KSTRC buses over the next few days and increase it progressively.

New Delhi: A 23-year-old city-based rapper, who had gone missing a week ago after posting a suicide note on social media, was traced by a team of Delhi Police on Wednesday, officials said.

Police said they received information that the rapper, MC Kode, aka Aditya Tiwari, was at his friend’s house in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

A police team was sent to Jabalpur from where he was traced on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Atul Kumar Thakur said.

Tiwari is being brought back to the national capital where he will be questioned for his step, police said.

His mother Deepa Dhingra had filed a kidnap case after he went missing, police had said here.

In her report, Dhingra, a Vasant Kunj-resident, said her son had been missing since Wednesday, they said.

She also mentioned in the report filed on Friday that he had posted a suicide note on Instagram and his phone was later found switched off, a senior police officer said.