HYDERABAD: Krushi Bank scam prime accused K Venkateshwara Rao has reportedly refused to undergo the narcoanalysis test as he feared the drug being used in test may pose a risk to his life. However, CID officials claim Telgi’s revelations may have influenced him to do a U-turn.
As Rao refused to take the test, the CID officials brought him back to the city from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon and sent him back to the Chanchalguda jail.
"If the CID wants to conduct a narcoanalysis test at any cost, why should they seek Venkateshwara Rao’s consent? Due to the drug given during a narco test, the subject may slip into a coma and it may pose a risk to his life too,’’ G Ashok Reddy, counsel for Kosaraju Venkateshwara Rao, told TOI on Thursday.
Before conducting a surgery or a procedure on a patient, doctors take mandatory medical consent from the patient or relatives, making it clear they are not responsible for any eventuality during the event. Similarly, the CID and doctors want to escape from their responsibility by way of getting his assent, Reddy said.
CID sources said Venkateshwara Rao was all right till Tuesday night and they thought he would cooperate and undergo the test.
Suddenly, he changed his mind and refused to sign after completing the mandatory health check, they added.
"Some news channels aired fake stamp scam kingpin Telgi’s revelations during the narcoanalysis on Tuesday night and that could have scared him. He may have thought he would drop names too under the influence of the drug and that may pose a threat to his life,"the sources added. The CID officials would approach the court again for an order.
"Consent of the accused is not mandatory for conducting the truth serum test. There are several judgments delivered by courts in Karnataka and Maharashtra on this. The FSL experts might have refused to do the test because their guidelines insist on subject’s consent,"a CID officer said.
Police officers also dismissed the argument that the truth serum test drug ‘sodium pentothal’ could induce coma. "The drug is given in small doses during many medical procedures and it will not harm the person,” he said, adding it was a tactic adopted by the accused to avoid the test.
Showing posts with label Hyderabad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hyderabad. Show all posts
Friday, September 08, 2006
Hyderabad: Narco test scares Krushi scamster
[ 8 Sep, 2006 0324hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
Hyderabad: Ganguly Dada ko itna gussa kyon ata hai!
Solomon S Kumar
[ 8 Sep, 2006 0327hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
HYDERABAD: The dreadful red thing with a four-letter name irked Sourav Ganguly so much on Thursday that the rattled southpaw went marching to umpire I Sivaram.
What got Ganguly’s goat was the umpire’s decision to change the ball within the first 10 overs and then a couple of overs later during Bengal’s innings against Mumbai in the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup match at the Gymkhana here. Throughout the day Mumbai fielders were seen showing the ball to the umpires as they did not seem too happy with its shape.
As the umpires were waiting to change the ball a second time, Ganguly decided to take things in hand. The shirt-waving southpaw marched towards the umpire and after a short animated chat was seen gesticulating towards the Bengal dressing room.
Within minutes one of the players ran out with a couple of used balls. But the umpires preferred to rub a new ball to a used one.
Later, Sivaram told TOI: "He was unhappy when we had to change the ball a second time. He said there was no need to replace it with a new ball and instead an old one should be used," Sivaram said.
"I told him that there were no used balls in the association and, hence, we had to sandpaper a new ball. He insisted that we find a used ball. He said, 'An umpire of your calibre should know things better’. I told him to suggest a solution to the problem as there were no old balls. Ganguly then had some used balls brought from the dressing room. But they could not be used as they were too old."
Sivaram, one of the best umpires in the country, said Ganguly remained unhappy. "So I told him that both teams should have a level playing field. But when he inisted we continue with the same ball, I told him that once the umpires made a decision, it would be unfair to the fielding side if we did not go ahead with it."
Even when play resumed Ganguly seemed irreconcilable to the idea. "I told Ganguly that such a small issue should not affect him so much. If a player of your experience is disturbed by the change of ball then what will a newcomer do. This seemed to have an effect on him and he got down to business," Sivaram said.
The Hyderabad umpire added that the balls used in first class cricket in the country have been causing a lot of problems. "This is happening everywhere. Even in Ranji Trophy matches, umpires are having a problem with the balls, which lose shape fast." he said.
[ 8 Sep, 2006 0327hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
HYDERABAD: The dreadful red thing with a four-letter name irked Sourav Ganguly so much on Thursday that the rattled southpaw went marching to umpire I Sivaram.
What got Ganguly’s goat was the umpire’s decision to change the ball within the first 10 overs and then a couple of overs later during Bengal’s innings against Mumbai in the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup match at the Gymkhana here. Throughout the day Mumbai fielders were seen showing the ball to the umpires as they did not seem too happy with its shape.
As the umpires were waiting to change the ball a second time, Ganguly decided to take things in hand. The shirt-waving southpaw marched towards the umpire and after a short animated chat was seen gesticulating towards the Bengal dressing room.
Within minutes one of the players ran out with a couple of used balls. But the umpires preferred to rub a new ball to a used one.
Later, Sivaram told TOI: "He was unhappy when we had to change the ball a second time. He said there was no need to replace it with a new ball and instead an old one should be used," Sivaram said.
"I told him that there were no used balls in the association and, hence, we had to sandpaper a new ball. He insisted that we find a used ball. He said, 'An umpire of your calibre should know things better’. I told him to suggest a solution to the problem as there were no old balls. Ganguly then had some used balls brought from the dressing room. But they could not be used as they were too old."
Sivaram, one of the best umpires in the country, said Ganguly remained unhappy. "So I told him that both teams should have a level playing field. But when he inisted we continue with the same ball, I told him that once the umpires made a decision, it would be unfair to the fielding side if we did not go ahead with it."
Even when play resumed Ganguly seemed irreconcilable to the idea. "I told Ganguly that such a small issue should not affect him so much. If a player of your experience is disturbed by the change of ball then what will a newcomer do. This seemed to have an effect on him and he got down to business," Sivaram said.
The Hyderabad umpire added that the balls used in first class cricket in the country have been causing a lot of problems. "This is happening everywhere. Even in Ranji Trophy matches, umpires are having a problem with the balls, which lose shape fast." he said.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Hyderabad: Now, a fatwa to sing Vande Mataram
Md A Basith
[ 7 Sep, 2006 0217hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
HYDERABAD: In a volte face that will help reduce communal tension, the All India Sunni Ulema Board on Wednesday issued a fatwa saying that Muslims can sing Vande Mataram but only its first two stanzas.
Earlier in June last, the Board had issued a fatwa by which Muslims were asked not to sing Vande Mataram .
Acting suo motu on the issue, four muftis of the Sunni Ulema Board's Dar-ul-Ifta on Wednesday issued the diktat asking Muslims to sing the first two stanzas of the national song.
"Singing the entire Vande Mataram is a Shirk (unIslamic) because some of the stanzas make you believe in 'Ghairullah' (other than Allah). But the first two stanzas are just praise and respect for the land which will make you bow towards it with respect," the fatwa said.
"If you bow at the feet of your mother with respect, it is not 'shirk' but only respect," said Board president Moulana Mufti Syed Shah Badruddin Qadri Aljeelani and other muftis Naseem Ahmed Ashrafi, Hasnuddin and Sajid Hussain.
The muftis asked politicians to prefer practices which bring people of all religions closer. But insisting on something that hurts the sentiments of one religion is not proper.
"The national song should unite people and should not separate them," Aljeelani told TOI. The All India Sunni Ulema Board claims itself to be a national body.
This body formed 10 years back follows the teachings of Jamia Nizamia, the city-based religious university and they follow the Ahl-e-Sunnatul Jamaat school of thought.
The Board with head office in Andhra Pradesh has branches in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. But several religious scholars believe that the Board is a local organisation and does not have much followers in other states.
While this is so, with school education department issuing circular for compulsory singing of Vande Mataram in all the schools on Thursday and the government being firm on this issue, some Muslims have decided not to send their children to schools on Thursday.
Religious scholars gave a call to Muslim parents not to send their children to schools where children would be forced to sing Vande Mataram .
"If the government is so adamant on forcing students to commit a sin of 'shirk' then there is a need for the parents to counter it in a fitting way," said Moulana Hafez P Shabbir Ahmed, Jamiat Ulama Hind state president.
Jamaat Islami Hind state president Abdul Basith Anwaar said the country got independence long ago and now everyone should think of development rather than indulging in useless controversies.
"I don't see any controversy in not singing Vande Mataram and do not understand what our leaders want to achieve by resorting to unconstitutional practice of forcing Muslims to sing a national song," Anwaar said.
Moulana M A Raheem Qureshi of All India Muslim Personal Law Board also gave a call to Muslims not to send their children to school on Thursday.
But MBT leader Amjadullah Khan said students must go to schools and strongly oppose if they were asked to sing the "objectionable song".
[ 7 Sep, 2006 0217hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
HYDERABAD: In a volte face that will help reduce communal tension, the All India Sunni Ulema Board on Wednesday issued a fatwa saying that Muslims can sing Vande Mataram but only its first two stanzas.
Earlier in June last, the Board had issued a fatwa by which Muslims were asked not to sing Vande Mataram .
Acting suo motu on the issue, four muftis of the Sunni Ulema Board's Dar-ul-Ifta on Wednesday issued the diktat asking Muslims to sing the first two stanzas of the national song.
"Singing the entire Vande Mataram is a Shirk (unIslamic) because some of the stanzas make you believe in 'Ghairullah' (other than Allah). But the first two stanzas are just praise and respect for the land which will make you bow towards it with respect," the fatwa said.
"If you bow at the feet of your mother with respect, it is not 'shirk' but only respect," said Board president Moulana Mufti Syed Shah Badruddin Qadri Aljeelani and other muftis Naseem Ahmed Ashrafi, Hasnuddin and Sajid Hussain.
The muftis asked politicians to prefer practices which bring people of all religions closer. But insisting on something that hurts the sentiments of one religion is not proper.
"The national song should unite people and should not separate them," Aljeelani told TOI. The All India Sunni Ulema Board claims itself to be a national body.
This body formed 10 years back follows the teachings of Jamia Nizamia, the city-based religious university and they follow the Ahl-e-Sunnatul Jamaat school of thought.
The Board with head office in Andhra Pradesh has branches in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. But several religious scholars believe that the Board is a local organisation and does not have much followers in other states.
While this is so, with school education department issuing circular for compulsory singing of Vande Mataram in all the schools on Thursday and the government being firm on this issue, some Muslims have decided not to send their children to schools on Thursday.
Religious scholars gave a call to Muslim parents not to send their children to schools where children would be forced to sing Vande Mataram .
"If the government is so adamant on forcing students to commit a sin of 'shirk' then there is a need for the parents to counter it in a fitting way," said Moulana Hafez P Shabbir Ahmed, Jamiat Ulama Hind state president.
Jamaat Islami Hind state president Abdul Basith Anwaar said the country got independence long ago and now everyone should think of development rather than indulging in useless controversies.
"I don't see any controversy in not singing Vande Mataram and do not understand what our leaders want to achieve by resorting to unconstitutional practice of forcing Muslims to sing a national song," Anwaar said.
Moulana M A Raheem Qureshi of All India Muslim Personal Law Board also gave a call to Muslims not to send their children to school on Thursday.
But MBT leader Amjadullah Khan said students must go to schools and strongly oppose if they were asked to sing the "objectionable song".
Hyderabad: Ganesha laddu fetches Rs 9.01 lac
[ 7 Sep, 2006 0224hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
HYDERABAD: A Ganesha laddu at Tummuluru village in the "happening" Maheshwaram mandal was reportedly bought for a record Rs 9.01 lakh in an auction on Wednesday.
Most of those who bought the laddus for huge amounts are real estate dealers and farmers who made it big by selling their land after prices hit the roof when several projects landed in Ranga Reddy district.
There are reports that in Maheshwaram another laddu was auctioned for Rs 7.22 lakh while at other places in the mandal also laddus were sold for lakhs of rupees.
The Ganesha laddu auction at Badangpeta at Saroornagar on the city outskirts also fetched a whopping Rs 6.25 lakh. In all this is hidden the tale of prosperity of people on the city outskirts, thanks to the fast-paced development there.
With projects such as the outer ring road, Shamshabad airport and Fab City coming up, real estate prices have rocketed skywards turning landowners into crorepatis overnight.
In the last several years, the only talked about laddu has been the Balapur laddu, the auction of which is watched keenly. The main Ganesha nimmajan day starts at Balapur beyond the Old City every year.
Even this year, the Balapur laddu weighing 21 kilos fetched a record price of Rs 3 lakh. But this paled in comparison to the price laddus fetched at Ganesha pandals on the city periphery.
It's believed that these laddus bought in auctions from Ganesha pandals can bring good fortune to the family, village and even improve the fertility of farmland.
The weight of laddus vary from pandal to pandal but the price is not fixed according to the weight. A laddu weighing 111 kilos could fetch only Rs 25,000 in an auction at Secunderabad.
One had never heard so much of the auction at Saroornagar before but this time, a laddu fetched Rs 6.25 lakh.
In the auction in which 12 people participated, the winner was Peddabavi Parvathamma, whose family reportedly owns considerable land in Badangpeta village.
The auction was organised by the Veeranjaneya Bhaktha Samajam. Last year, the laddu was sold for Rs 1.5 lakh. While at the auction at Nammeta in Chevella in neighbouring Ranga Reddy district, the laddu fetched Rs 5.11 lakh.
In another auction at Maheshwaram, which is near the proposed Fab City, the laddu fetched Rs 4 lakh. The auction of laddus on the city periphery began only in recent times after the attention the Balapur auction got.
When it was conducted for the first time in 1994, the Balapur laddu fetched Rs 8,000. In 2003, it got as much as Rs 1.55 lakh and in 2004, it fetched Rs 2.01 lakh.
In 2005, the laddu was sold for Rs 2.08 lakh to the village sarpanch Ibrahim Sekhar. This year the laddu weighing 21 kg was bought by Chiruginti Tirupati Reddy for Rs 3 lakh.
Reddy, who is a farmer and real-estate dealer said he bought the laddu because money was not an issue for him. "Moreover, the sprinkling of the laddu in the fields results in a good yield," he claimed.
HYDERABAD: A Ganesha laddu at Tummuluru village in the "happening" Maheshwaram mandal was reportedly bought for a record Rs 9.01 lakh in an auction on Wednesday.
Most of those who bought the laddus for huge amounts are real estate dealers and farmers who made it big by selling their land after prices hit the roof when several projects landed in Ranga Reddy district.
There are reports that in Maheshwaram another laddu was auctioned for Rs 7.22 lakh while at other places in the mandal also laddus were sold for lakhs of rupees.
The Ganesha laddu auction at Badangpeta at Saroornagar on the city outskirts also fetched a whopping Rs 6.25 lakh. In all this is hidden the tale of prosperity of people on the city outskirts, thanks to the fast-paced development there.
With projects such as the outer ring road, Shamshabad airport and Fab City coming up, real estate prices have rocketed skywards turning landowners into crorepatis overnight.
In the last several years, the only talked about laddu has been the Balapur laddu, the auction of which is watched keenly. The main Ganesha nimmajan day starts at Balapur beyond the Old City every year.
Even this year, the Balapur laddu weighing 21 kilos fetched a record price of Rs 3 lakh. But this paled in comparison to the price laddus fetched at Ganesha pandals on the city periphery.
It's believed that these laddus bought in auctions from Ganesha pandals can bring good fortune to the family, village and even improve the fertility of farmland.
The weight of laddus vary from pandal to pandal but the price is not fixed according to the weight. A laddu weighing 111 kilos could fetch only Rs 25,000 in an auction at Secunderabad.
One had never heard so much of the auction at Saroornagar before but this time, a laddu fetched Rs 6.25 lakh.
In the auction in which 12 people participated, the winner was Peddabavi Parvathamma, whose family reportedly owns considerable land in Badangpeta village.
The auction was organised by the Veeranjaneya Bhaktha Samajam. Last year, the laddu was sold for Rs 1.5 lakh. While at the auction at Nammeta in Chevella in neighbouring Ranga Reddy district, the laddu fetched Rs 5.11 lakh.
In another auction at Maheshwaram, which is near the proposed Fab City, the laddu fetched Rs 4 lakh. The auction of laddus on the city periphery began only in recent times after the attention the Balapur auction got.
When it was conducted for the first time in 1994, the Balapur laddu fetched Rs 8,000. In 2003, it got as much as Rs 1.55 lakh and in 2004, it fetched Rs 2.01 lakh.
In 2005, the laddu was sold for Rs 2.08 lakh to the village sarpanch Ibrahim Sekhar. This year the laddu weighing 21 kg was bought by Chiruginti Tirupati Reddy for Rs 3 lakh.
Reddy, who is a farmer and real-estate dealer said he bought the laddu because money was not an issue for him. "Moreover, the sprinkling of the laddu in the fields results in a good yield," he claimed.
Bangalore best to live in ?
GEETHA RAO
[ 6 Sep, 2006 2239hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
This city tops the list for quality of life. Is that really true?
A recent study across Indian cities had people saying Bangalore's the best city to live in and the second best to earn in. Is that really so? BT asked Bangaloreans who'd lived in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.
Wildlife expert Saad Bin Jung lived in Hyderabad for 22 years, followed by Bangalore for 22 years, and says, "The weather in Bangalore was fantastic then. And the quality of life, the best. Now, the very people who have destroyed Bangalore are making politically correct noises about putting it back on track again. It's like wildlife. First you finish the animals and then try to bring them back again. Bangalore's been destroyed by a small percentage that's gained dramatically by it, but there's nothing for the common man, like me, today. You can't change Bangalore because those who have benefitted by it are extremely powerful. Bangalore was a thousand times better than Hyderabad earlier."
Hyderabad, he says, is a very old and civilised city and the people care enough for the city to reinvent it. "But in Bangalore, there are too many people from outside who have settled here, and don't care for the city." Opportunities-wise, Bangalore and Hyderabad are similar.
Chippy Gangjee, who's lived in Kolkata before he moved to Bangalore 22 years ago says Bangalore weather's the best.
"But if the infrastructure was as good as in SM Krishna's time, it'd be even better to live here. We may crib like hell about the traffic, but go to another city, and you just want to come running back."
Gangjee deals with some of the worst roads in LB Shastrinagar where he lives: "They are horrendous, I travel on them some four times a day, yet the amount of peace that Bangalore offers is something you can't get anywhere."
And the people. In Chippy Gangjee's apartment block, there are a dozen Bengali families among the 200 living there and 30-40 more in the locality, but both Bengalis and non-Bengalis have decided to celebrate Durga Puja together. "People are so cosmopolitan," he says.
However, Kolkata is less expensive: "a great city, costwise, whether it's vegetables or rentals or eating out."
Gagan Bindra, marketing manager with a multiplex, who's lived in Delhi for seven years, and Bangalore for six, says Delhi being the capital, has the edge in terms of infrastructure.
"I'm not saying Delhi's perfect, but you can see a lot of development. Now with the Commonwealth Games coming to Delhi, there's even more focus on infrastructure."
And traffic? Bindra says, "Even if you are caught in a traffic jam in Bangalore, it's much better than being caught in the scorching heat in Delhi."
And the people here are welcoming of outsiders, he says. In Delhi, more or less, the attitude is we belong here, may be we know better than you do. Danseuse Vani Ganapathy who's travelling constantly to Mumbai says what we lack here is discipline.
"I was in Mumbai during Janmashtami, which is celebrated in a grand manner there. Despite that, there was disciplined traffic movement. I stay in Chennai only for two days so I don't really know, but my cousins there say it's quite calm. Here, though, I was caught in the traffic jam during Sonia Gandhi's visit, and there was chaos. Some hooligans actually turned on the police."
[ 6 Sep, 2006 2239hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
This city tops the list for quality of life. Is that really true?
A recent study across Indian cities had people saying Bangalore's the best city to live in and the second best to earn in. Is that really so? BT asked Bangaloreans who'd lived in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.
Wildlife expert Saad Bin Jung lived in Hyderabad for 22 years, followed by Bangalore for 22 years, and says, "The weather in Bangalore was fantastic then. And the quality of life, the best. Now, the very people who have destroyed Bangalore are making politically correct noises about putting it back on track again. It's like wildlife. First you finish the animals and then try to bring them back again. Bangalore's been destroyed by a small percentage that's gained dramatically by it, but there's nothing for the common man, like me, today. You can't change Bangalore because those who have benefitted by it are extremely powerful. Bangalore was a thousand times better than Hyderabad earlier."
Hyderabad, he says, is a very old and civilised city and the people care enough for the city to reinvent it. "But in Bangalore, there are too many people from outside who have settled here, and don't care for the city." Opportunities-wise, Bangalore and Hyderabad are similar.
Chippy Gangjee, who's lived in Kolkata before he moved to Bangalore 22 years ago says Bangalore weather's the best.
"But if the infrastructure was as good as in SM Krishna's time, it'd be even better to live here. We may crib like hell about the traffic, but go to another city, and you just want to come running back."
Gangjee deals with some of the worst roads in LB Shastrinagar where he lives: "They are horrendous, I travel on them some four times a day, yet the amount of peace that Bangalore offers is something you can't get anywhere."
And the people. In Chippy Gangjee's apartment block, there are a dozen Bengali families among the 200 living there and 30-40 more in the locality, but both Bengalis and non-Bengalis have decided to celebrate Durga Puja together. "People are so cosmopolitan," he says.
However, Kolkata is less expensive: "a great city, costwise, whether it's vegetables or rentals or eating out."
Gagan Bindra, marketing manager with a multiplex, who's lived in Delhi for seven years, and Bangalore for six, says Delhi being the capital, has the edge in terms of infrastructure.
"I'm not saying Delhi's perfect, but you can see a lot of development. Now with the Commonwealth Games coming to Delhi, there's even more focus on infrastructure."
And traffic? Bindra says, "Even if you are caught in a traffic jam in Bangalore, it's much better than being caught in the scorching heat in Delhi."
And the people here are welcoming of outsiders, he says. In Delhi, more or less, the attitude is we belong here, may be we know better than you do. Danseuse Vani Ganapathy who's travelling constantly to Mumbai says what we lack here is discipline.
"I was in Mumbai during Janmashtami, which is celebrated in a grand manner there. Despite that, there was disciplined traffic movement. I stay in Chennai only for two days so I don't really know, but my cousins there say it's quite calm. Here, though, I was caught in the traffic jam during Sonia Gandhi's visit, and there was chaos. Some hooligans actually turned on the police."
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Hyderabad: Maid for each other?
Chandreyee Ghose
[ 3 Sep, 2006 0310hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
HYDERABAD: Padma (25) shifted uncomfortably inside a packed bus taking her all the way from her village in Ranga Reddy to the posh house in Banjara Hills where she works as a domestic help.
Leaving her two helpless kids to the care of a drunk abusive unemployed husband was not easy initially, but then someone had to keep the hearth burning.
Only, if she had as much money as her employers she could also get a life ...Swamy (13) also wants a life. A bright kid who dreamt of being Amitabh Bachchan one day found himself in the big bad city of Hyderabad after the crops failed in his village and there was nothing to eat. Now Swamy swabs, sweeps and cleans utensils in a household where the employer's son of his age plays computer games and goes to school. Swamy feels angry and frustrated but then he has to send money back home .
There are several such Padmas and Swamis working as domestics in the city. Many work for families with double-earning members, who have little time to spare at home and all the money to splurge.
As the family's dependency on the servant grows, the latter too gets tempted to lead the life of his/her employers. The easiest way is to fleece them of a hundred or two when they are not looking.
Sometimes things get worse, especially when the employer oblivious to the fact that the servants are stealing would even cough up the legitimate dues of the latter. A frustrated servant can rob or even murder.
In fact, the bad news is that crimes by servants are on the rise in the twin cities. It is not just in prosperous Banjara Hills or Jubilee Hills but even the middle-class Secunderabad that is seeing explosion of such crimes.
But Nikita Ahuja of Banjara Hills and her husband both of whom work in the BPO sector and have little time for housework, couldn't care less about this rising trend of servant crimes.
Not only do they leave the home to the care of their servants, they are not too careful about their belongings either.
"I know my maid steals from my wallet when I am not around. I have lost count how much cash I have lost this way. But then with both of us working we can't afford to lose this maid. So we just overlook such petty thefts on her part,"said a somewhat apologetic Nikita.
[ 3 Sep, 2006 0310hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
HYDERABAD: Padma (25) shifted uncomfortably inside a packed bus taking her all the way from her village in Ranga Reddy to the posh house in Banjara Hills where she works as a domestic help.
Leaving her two helpless kids to the care of a drunk abusive unemployed husband was not easy initially, but then someone had to keep the hearth burning.
Only, if she had as much money as her employers she could also get a life ...Swamy (13) also wants a life. A bright kid who dreamt of being Amitabh Bachchan one day found himself in the big bad city of Hyderabad after the crops failed in his village and there was nothing to eat. Now Swamy swabs, sweeps and cleans utensils in a household where the employer's son of his age plays computer games and goes to school. Swamy feels angry and frustrated but then he has to send money back home .
There are several such Padmas and Swamis working as domestics in the city. Many work for families with double-earning members, who have little time to spare at home and all the money to splurge.
As the family's dependency on the servant grows, the latter too gets tempted to lead the life of his/her employers. The easiest way is to fleece them of a hundred or two when they are not looking.
Sometimes things get worse, especially when the employer oblivious to the fact that the servants are stealing would even cough up the legitimate dues of the latter. A frustrated servant can rob or even murder.
In fact, the bad news is that crimes by servants are on the rise in the twin cities. It is not just in prosperous Banjara Hills or Jubilee Hills but even the middle-class Secunderabad that is seeing explosion of such crimes.
But Nikita Ahuja of Banjara Hills and her husband both of whom work in the BPO sector and have little time for housework, couldn't care less about this rising trend of servant crimes.
Not only do they leave the home to the care of their servants, they are not too careful about their belongings either.
"I know my maid steals from my wallet when I am not around. I have lost count how much cash I have lost this way. But then with both of us working we can't afford to lose this maid. So we just overlook such petty thefts on her part,"said a somewhat apologetic Nikita.
Hyderabad: Immersion takes life of 14-yr-old
[ 6 Sep, 2006 0300hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
HYDERABAD: A 14-year-old boy met with watery grave when he went to immerse a Ganesha idol in a tank at Nadergul village on the city outskirts.
The boy, A Arvind, was a resident of Pragathi Nagar, Meerpet, and a student of the government-run social welfare school at Nadergul, according to the police.
The students of the school installed a pandal on the school premises. On Monday, the students took out a procession from the school to the tank to immerse the idol, the police added.
After reaching the tank, the school watchman asked five students, who can swim, to enter the tank for the immersion of the idol. However, Arvind, who doesn't know swimming, went to immerse it.
In the process, he slipped and fell into the waters and could not come out of it as it was filled with plaster of paris. The four others and the watchman swam to the shore safely. Police fished out the body late on Monday night.
Hyderabad: Helmet fails to save rider's life
[ 6 Sep, 2006 0300hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
HYDERABAD: A 27-year-old person was crushed to death by an RTC bus at Nalgonda crossroads on Tuesday morning. The victim was wearing a helmet but it could not save his life as he came under the rear wheels of the bus.
M Kumara Swamy, who was a purchase manager with a software company at Banjara Hills, left his house at Gautham Nagar in Dilsukhnagar at around 9 am for his office. As he reached Nalgonda crossroads, an RTC bus coming from the rear knocked him down.
The bus (AP 28 U 6599), belonging to Hayathnagar depot, was proceeding towards Koti. Kumara Swamy died on the spot. Kumara Swamy got married to Hima Bindu one-and-a-half years back. Hima Bindu is reportedly pregnant.
In another incident, a cameraman of a film production company, died on Tuesday after being hit by an unidentified vehicle near Begumpet. P Shankar Rao, 25, was crossing the road near Begumpet when a vehicle hit him and fled away.
Shankar Rao died instantly. The deceased was a resident of Shyamlal Buildings. A heavy vehicle crushed to death a motorist at Sanathnagar late on Monday night.
M Keshavulu, 25, a stone-cutter was travelling on a scooter along with his friend, Tirupati, when a trolley coming from the opposite direction hit their vehicle.
The trolley driver lost control over the vehicle after overtaking a lorry, police said. Keshavulu died on the spot, while Tirupati was undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
HYDERABAD: A 27-year-old person was crushed to death by an RTC bus at Nalgonda crossroads on Tuesday morning. The victim was wearing a helmet but it could not save his life as he came under the rear wheels of the bus.
M Kumara Swamy, who was a purchase manager with a software company at Banjara Hills, left his house at Gautham Nagar in Dilsukhnagar at around 9 am for his office. As he reached Nalgonda crossroads, an RTC bus coming from the rear knocked him down.
The bus (AP 28 U 6599), belonging to Hayathnagar depot, was proceeding towards Koti. Kumara Swamy died on the spot. Kumara Swamy got married to Hima Bindu one-and-a-half years back. Hima Bindu is reportedly pregnant.
In another incident, a cameraman of a film production company, died on Tuesday after being hit by an unidentified vehicle near Begumpet. P Shankar Rao, 25, was crossing the road near Begumpet when a vehicle hit him and fled away.
Shankar Rao died instantly. The deceased was a resident of Shyamlal Buildings. A heavy vehicle crushed to death a motorist at Sanathnagar late on Monday night.
M Keshavulu, 25, a stone-cutter was travelling on a scooter along with his friend, Tirupati, when a trolley coming from the opposite direction hit their vehicle.
The trolley driver lost control over the vehicle after overtaking a lorry, police said. Keshavulu died on the spot, while Tirupati was undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Bangalore: The best place to live in India
Rema Nagarajan
[ 4 Sep, 2006 0019hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
NEW DELHI: When it comes to choosing the city you would like to work and live in, it seems you cannot have it all. If a city is great for earning and investing in, it is not necessarily the best for living, as in the case of Surat.
On the other hand, there is Kolkata that ranks quite high as a city to live in but is the worst when it comes to making money or investing it.
Your best bet for a city that ranks fairly high on all three counts — living, working and investing — is Bangalore. It ranks as the top city to reside in and second best to earn.
As an investment destination, however, it's mediocre, ranking sixth. Delhi, by contrast, ranks high — fourth — only for earning.
Analysis of the top 10 cities of the country for earning, investing and residing is given in a study, The City Skyline of India 2006, published by Indicus Analytics.
The study is based on official statistics and online surveys conducted by Indicus in these cities. It yields interesting information on how often a citizen would have to haggle with an autowallah, what percentage of people own invertors, the city’s water and power supply, public transportation etc.
Surat with its low unemployment rates, high job growth rates and one of the highest per capita small business credit is the top destination for seeking jobs and business.
However, it is at the bottom in the list of Alpha cities (the top 10) in terms of good living, with nearly half the people expressing the need for more entertainment and better educational facilities.
It also has the lowest share of households in the top socio-economic category (SEC A) among the Alpha cities. One third of its households fall in SEC C.
Coimbatore strikes a decent balance: it's the best city to invest in but ranks fifth on the earning and good living front. The most pressing problem for residents seems to be water supply — which comes just once in two days.
On most other counts, the city offers a decent life though with relatively few avenues for entertainment.
With one of the lowest unemployment rates in this group of cities and per capita income comparable to the highest in the group, Pune too does well on all three counts of earn-in, invest-in and reside-in indices.
The metros, interestingly, are not the best performers in this list. Chennai is high up as a place to invest in and to live in.
The citizens are satisfied with the educational infrastructure, low crime level and efficient management of infrastructure. But with unemployment rate as high as 27%, do not head there if you are looking to earn good money.
[ 4 Sep, 2006 0019hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
NEW DELHI: When it comes to choosing the city you would like to work and live in, it seems you cannot have it all. If a city is great for earning and investing in, it is not necessarily the best for living, as in the case of Surat.
On the other hand, there is Kolkata that ranks quite high as a city to live in but is the worst when it comes to making money or investing it.
Your best bet for a city that ranks fairly high on all three counts — living, working and investing — is Bangalore. It ranks as the top city to reside in and second best to earn.
As an investment destination, however, it's mediocre, ranking sixth. Delhi, by contrast, ranks high — fourth — only for earning.
Analysis of the top 10 cities of the country for earning, investing and residing is given in a study, The City Skyline of India 2006, published by Indicus Analytics.
The study is based on official statistics and online surveys conducted by Indicus in these cities. It yields interesting information on how often a citizen would have to haggle with an autowallah, what percentage of people own invertors, the city’s water and power supply, public transportation etc.
Surat with its low unemployment rates, high job growth rates and one of the highest per capita small business credit is the top destination for seeking jobs and business.
However, it is at the bottom in the list of Alpha cities (the top 10) in terms of good living, with nearly half the people expressing the need for more entertainment and better educational facilities.
It also has the lowest share of households in the top socio-economic category (SEC A) among the Alpha cities. One third of its households fall in SEC C.
Coimbatore strikes a decent balance: it's the best city to invest in but ranks fifth on the earning and good living front. The most pressing problem for residents seems to be water supply — which comes just once in two days.
On most other counts, the city offers a decent life though with relatively few avenues for entertainment.
With one of the lowest unemployment rates in this group of cities and per capita income comparable to the highest in the group, Pune too does well on all three counts of earn-in, invest-in and reside-in indices.
The metros, interestingly, are not the best performers in this list. Chennai is high up as a place to invest in and to live in.
The citizens are satisfied with the educational infrastructure, low crime level and efficient management of infrastructure. But with unemployment rate as high as 27%, do not head there if you are looking to earn good money.
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