Article in Mid-day on Shimla National Meet

Harassed husbands from across India will meet on August 15 to plan freedom from their wives

Harassed husbands will not celebrate a conventional Independence Day this year.

Over a hundred of them, representing more than 30,000 from across the country, will meet in Shimla to decide on strategies to take on their wives.

They believe they are trapped in a women-centric society, and say they won't celebrate Independence Day unless their demands are met.

The demands include a separate men's welfare ministry on the lines of women and child welfare ministry, equal taxation for men and women, change in inheritance laws, amendment to the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, and mandatory joint custody of children for divorced couples.

Like-minded organisations such as SIFF (Save Indian Family Foundation) and CRISP (Children's Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting) are part of the summit.

"We are fighting for independence from harassing wives," said Pandurang Katti, president SIFF. "We want to make our movement more active."

The Maharashtra's Purush Suraksha Sanstha and Uttar Pradesh's Pathi Paramesh Kendra will also converge at Shimla.

"We will be intensifying our movement after the summit," said Virag Dhulia, member, SIFF.

Participants will come from 28 cities including Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Chennai and Kolkata. They first met in Goa last year.

Husbands committing suicide because of harassment is double the number of wives committing suicide, according to SIFF.

"Over 1.2 lakh harassed husbands have committed suicide in the past four years. We will fight against such wives through this forum," Katti told MiD DAY.

 

source : http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/jul/290709-Harrassed-husbands-August-15th-Across-India-get-together-freedom-from-wives-Bangalore.htm

Recession-hit Bangalore techies settle for low-paying jobs

BANGALORE: Till a few months ago, IT professional TV George was earning Rs70,000 per month, plus perks. But after losing his high-paying job, and being unemployed for three months, George, 31, has started giving tuitions in mathematics and physics to aspiring engineering students in his neighbourhood.

"Now, I am earning Rs15,000 per month. It's been hard. I got married only a few months before losing my job. So, when I lost my job, I was in a difficult position. Thankfully, I had some savings. With the savings, I am paying my rent and for a few other necessities," George, who was employed with a top US IT company, said.

"After losing my job, I tried my best to get a new job. But I remained unlucky. So to help run my home, I decided to give coaching classes to aspiring engineering students."

George is not alone. Recession has hit the IT sector in Bangalore, with scores of techies losing their jobs. Some have been forced to take up low-paying jobs as they wait to bounce back when the recession ends.

Dipankar Dutta, 27, working with an Indian IT company as software engineer, lost his job almost eight months ago.

Today he has a job, but as a content writer in a tech firm.

"Thankfully, writing has been my forte. So, I landed this job of a content writer. Otherwise I would have been in a soup. Since I cannot afford to stay in Bangalore without a job, I compromised and settled for the new job with a much lower pay package," said Dutta.

Scores of IT and ITES professionals in Bangalore have lost their jobs in recent times, an effect of the global economic meltdown. But there is no precise count of the numbers.

According to the latest employment and business outlook report by Bangalore-based staffing firm Teamlease, at 23%, the attrition rate in this city is higher than in any other city in India.

The report was based on interviews with HR heads, CEOs and senior executives of 495 companies in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune.

"The city accounted for the highest attrition rate. IT accounts for over 80% of the city's total labour pool. The attrition rate was 23% in the last quarter, against the previous quarter's 16%. Much of the attrition could be involuntary attrition (or layoffs)," Teamlease general manager Surabhi Mathur-Gandhi said.

India's Silicon Valley has seen thousands of people getting pink slips in recent months. And many more are under the threat of losing their jobs.

"It's painful to lose your job, in today's expensive world. Those who have lost their jobs are desperate now, thus they are settling for low paying jobs," Karthik Shekhar, general secretary of UNITES-Professionals, an unrecognised union of IT/Call Centre/BPO employees, said.

"Every day we meet young men and women who have lost their IT jobs recently. All they want is a job. But getting a job in the IT sector is very difficult. So, they have no option but to settle for jobs outside their fields and that too with low paying packages," Shekhar added.

"It's encouraging that today's youths are ready to move ahead in their lives. Instead of waiting for the economy to revive, IT professionals have started exploring other fields and this is a positive sign," said BN Gangadhar, professor of psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans), Bangalore.

Mohammed Khan, a trained software engineer, told IANS: "Initially it was difficult, but I am happy with my choice. After losing my job with an IT firm, now I am working as a sales executive. I am hoping the economy will recover soon and all the techies who have lost their jobs will get new jobs in their field."

 

 

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Bangalore/Recession-hit-Bangalore-techies-settle-for-low-paying-jobs/articleshow/4818925.cms

Divorce cases on rise in Bangalore

Divorce cases on rise in Bangalore
IANS 22 July 2009, 11:32am IST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Bangalore/Divorce-cases-on-rise-in-Bangalore/articleshow/4806322.cms
 

Bangalore, July 22 (IANS) Marriage to a successful techie, beginning a new life in a new city -- it seemed like a beautiful dream for Poonam Nath. But within a year, everything turned bitter and the couple separated. Poonam is not alone. The city sees an average of 25 divorce cases filed every day.

According to a recent survey by the Children's Rights Initiative For Shared Parenting (CRISP), around 13,000 cases of divorce are pending in various family courts in Bangalore. Of these 5,000 were filed in 2008.

"Now, I am staying alone and have managed to get a job in a BPO and am earning my livelihood," said Poonam, 23, who belongs to Kolkata. Her name has been changed on request.

Arvind Kumar is in the same situation. He was divorced recently and his wife has moved back with her parents, who stay in Kochi.

"I keep myself busy at work. Now work is my life, as I have nothing else except for work," rued Kumar, 30, a content writer with a city firm.

"On an average, divorce cases take three to four years to get disposed of in Bangalore," Kumar Jahgirdar, president of CRISP, told IANS.

"Rise in divorce cases is a worrying statistic. When a couple decides to get divorced, many lives are affected, especially if they have any children," Kumar said.

Lawyer Bhavana. P. said: "Cases get disposed of easily if couples opt for divorce by mutual consent. Some cases are pending because as per matrimonial law a year is given for reconciliation."

Experts vary on the reasons for the rise in divorce rate in Bangalore.

"There are reasons galore for the rise in divorce cases. Urbanisation and increasing violence against women and financial stability of both husband and wife, to name a few," Dona Fernandes, a member of women rights' group Vimochana, told IANS.

"Today's empowered women are refusing to follow the traditional diktats of Indian marriages. Marriage is the biggest form of displacement for any woman as she has to shift from her home (natural habitat) to her husband's home..

"It is the wife who is supposed to adjust. But today's financially strong women are not ready to take undue pressure on their individual existence and thus marital discords are bound to increase," said Fernandes.

Echoing the view, marriage counsellor Sujit Kumar says that financial stability is a major cause of rise in divorces.

"The couples do not try to work out the marriage as they are confident they can lead a life independently as both are financially stable," he said.

Psychiatrists are of the view that with stress and long working hours with little time for each other, couples drift apart and end up being separated.

Sanjanthi Sajan, who runs a firm that handles several such cases, says at her firm the basic idea is to stop couples going to court.

"We have counsellors who talk to couples to avoid going for a divorce," said Sajan.

Vishwanath B.N., a city-based advocate who handles divorce cases, says that today's couples do not try to reconcile and are in a hurry to end the marriage.

"There is very little that can be done to save the marriage after it comes to court," he said.

Fwd: [SaveIndianFamily] Fw: DNA E-Paper : Justice for youth and women

Full Story can be found at http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?edorsup=Main&queryed=9&querypage=6&boxid=28078002&parentid=6919&eddate=07/20/2009

justice for youth and women

former judge saldanha comments on ngo's recommendations for judicial reform

vaishalli chandra. bangalore

with as many as 2.6 crore cases lying pending in courts, the wheels of justice in the country seem to be heading for a screeching halt. concerned about this, observers feel the need to introduce reforms in the judicial system as soon as possible.
it was with this objective in mind that a set of recommendations for judicial reforms, to be submitted to union law minister m veerappa moily soon, were taken up for discussion in the city recently. the recommendations had come about after an ngo, children's rights initiative for shared parenting (crisp), looked into as many as 20,000 cases.
"today, people approach the country's judicial system only as the last resort. as the process has become slow and cumbersome, the public just might start taking the law into its own hands in the near future," crisp president kumar v jahgirdar said. while there were many recommendations, dna selected the three most significant ones and spoke to retired high court judge, justice mf saldanha, on their feasibility levels.
when asked to comment on a recommendation that family courts should have younger judges, justice saldahna gave two viewpoints. "older judges have more experience in the field, and are able to take mature decisions," he said. "however, on the flip side, we are witnessing a slowing down of the process today. there is a need for dynamism that only young judges can bring in," he said.
on demands that women should avail 50% reservation as judges in courts, justice saldanha said, "in the 40 years that i spent working at matrimonial courts as lawyer and judge, i have noticed two things. firstly, women invariably find themselves at the receiving end and, secondly, the harsh attitude of male judges adversely affects the case."
he recalled how he had recommended a three-member family tribunal consisting of a legal expert, a counselor, and a medical officer. "i wanted two out these three members to be women," he said.
justice saldanha agreed with a recommendation stating that changes should be made in existing laws to prevent their misuse. "section 498a of the indian penal code (dowry harassment) states that the accused is guilty until proven innocent," he said, adding that the provision is being grossly misused against husbands and their families.
c_vaishalli@dnaindia.net

छत से गिरने से महिला की मौत, दहेज हत्या का मामला दर्ज

पश्चिमी दिल्ली, जागरण संवाददाता : निहाल विहार थाना क्षेत्र में रविवार को छत से गिरी महिला की मंगलवार सुबह मौत हो गई। पुलिस ने महिला के मायके वालों की शिकायत पर दहेज हत्या व उत्पीड़न का मामला दर्ज कर लिया है। इसमें पति, सास, ससुर व ननद सहित नौ लोगों को नामजद किया गया है। पोस्टमार्टम के बाद शव महिला के माता-पिता को सौंप दिया गया।

अशोक विहार निवासी केसी सुमन की बेटी 24 वर्षीय कविता की शादी कुछ माह पूर्व निहाल विहार निवासी परमजीत से हुई थी। दोनों ने लव मैरेज किया था। परमजीत प्लेसमेंट ऑफिस चलाता है। रविवार को कविता निहाल विहार स्थित अपने घर के प्रथम मंजिल से नीचे गिर गई थी, इससे उसके सिर में काफी चोटें आई थी। उसे निजी अस्पताल बालाजी एक्शन में भर्ती कराया गया जहां मंगलवार सुबह उसकी मौत हो गई।

कविता की मौत के बाद उसके माता-पिता ने ससुरालियों पर दहेज हत्या का आरोप लगाया। एसडीएम ने जांच के बाद ससुरालियों के खिलाफ मामला दर्ज कर लिया गया। इसमें पति परमजीत, सास, ससुर, ननद, जेठ, जेठानी, देवर व दो मौसी को नामजद किया गया है।

केसी सुमन ने बताया कि विवाह के एक हफ्ते बाद से ही कविता को दहेज के लिए प्रताड़ित किया जाने लगा। ससुरालियों ने दो लाख रुपये व बाइक की मांग रखी थी। विवाह के समय हैसियत के हिसाब से हर रस्म निभाई थी। उन्होंने बताया कि हादसे वाले दिन कविता ने मां को फोन पर बताया कि उसे यहां मार डालेंगे। जब हम सभी वहां पहुंचे तो वह नीचे गिरी हुई थी। बाद में उसे बालाजी अस्पताल ले जाया गया।

 

source : http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/delhi/4_3_5642531_1.html

Wife gives supari to get man killed

Wife gives supari to get man killed

 http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_wife-gives-supari-to-get-man-killed_1275563

The Antop Hill police have arrested a 51-year-old woman who had allegedly planned to give a contract to get her husband killed. The co-accused in the case is a 41-year-old man with whom she was allegedly having an extramarital affair.

According to police, the accused Ratnam Devendra and co-accused Arumugam Harijan had planned to get Ratnam's husband Vadiwel killed.

In November last year, the two contacted a common friend Pirmai Devendra to get him killed by a tantrik. Pirmai then called Suresh Pujari, a tantrik, at her residence. When he came to Pirmai's residence, he heard Ratnam and Arumugam telling Pirmai about their plan to get Vadiwel killed by him. For the job, they had also brought Rs20,000 and were going to pay Rs1.8 lakh after the job was done. But Suresh refused to do the job.

Arumugam and Ratnam then threatened Suresh that if he told anyone else about the plot, they would get him killed as well. Suresh could not keep mum for long and told Vadiwel about it in May this year. Vadiwel then filed a complaint application with the Antop hill police.

After conducting enquiries, a case was registered against Ratnam and Arumugam. Ratnam was arrested on Saturday, while the other accused has been absconding.

Man fights dowry case by a woman he claims he never married

Man fights dowry case by woman he claims he never married
Mumbai Mirror, Mumbai edition, 20 July 2009, Page 4
ANAND HOLLA
Thane resident presses for discharge from case; provides evidence his alleged 'wife' married another man recently while claiming to be a spinster

  A marriage has been likened to a battlefield by pessimists, but few can detail the trauma it can bring when the 'marriage' itself had, apparently, not even taken place.
  For the last two years, Thane resident Abhishek Tiwari, 33, has been fighting for discharge from a case of dowry harassment and bigamy filed by his alleged 'wife', whom he claims he never married. Now, on learning that she recently married another man by declaring her marital status as 'spinster', Tiwari has added the fresh evidence to further press for his discharge.
  In April 2005, the Samata Nagar police, on a complaint filed by one Aarti Srivastava, arrested Tiwari and his parents for dowry harassment, cruelty, criminal breach of trust and bigamy.
  In her FIR, Srivastava, 31, claimed that she married Tiwari on April 4, 2004, according to Hindu vedic rights.
  Their relationship ran into rough weather due to Tiwari and his parents allegedly demanding money from her and torturing her mentally. Srivastava claimed Tiwari took a lot of money in dowry and later allegedly married a second time.
  For Tiwari, who along with his father spent 10 days in prison before getting bail, his discharge plea has been getting adjourned since April 2007. In his discharge plea before the Borivali metropolitan court, Tiwari claimed that Srivastava lodged the FIR with mala fide intention of damaging his reputation. He cited references to emails exchanged between him, Srivastava, and friends, to show he had never married her.
  To substantiate his stand in court, Tiwari provided copies of Srivastava's two passports, a tatkal passport issued in April 2004 and another issued in June 2006. Tiwari's lawyer Junaid Shabwany argued that in both passports, Srivastava has left the 'Name of spouse' column empty.
  Shabwany contended, "In the passport application form of March 14, 2006, Srivastava has not mentioned her spouse's name, clearly showing that she never married him and hence the alleged offences don't stand. Strangely, the same police station which registered Srivastava's complaint against the Tiwaris, later verified her as single for her passport."
  On learning that Srivastava had married somebody else in a Marol church this April, Shabwany recently filed another plea before the court, attaching her marriage certificate.
  "Even in this certificate, she has mentioned her marital status at the time of marriage, as spinster, thereby clarifying that she never married Tiwari," said Shabwany, adding that her Orkut and Facebook accounts have photographs of this marriage.
  Last week, the prosecution sought time to trace Srivastava and present her in court to answer the allegations on Wednesday, the next hearing date. While refusing to elaborate, Public Prosecutor Neeta Pasarkar who is handling Srivastava's case, only said, "The court will decide on the documents and arguments advanced by the defence."

Follow provisions of Dowry Act strictly, HC tells officials

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Chennai/Follow-provisions-of-Dowry-Act-strictly-HC-tells-officials/articleshow/4800750.cms

CHENNAI: In order to ensure that the provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act are not enforced arbitrarily and people are not arrested on frivolous grounds, the Madras high court has asked the competent officials to follow the provisions of law strictly.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice HL Gokhale and Justice D Murugesan passed the order on a public interest writ petition filed by R Natarajan on behalf of N S Malini recently.

The petitioner, lamenting that police resorted to instantaneous arrests in case of dowry-related complaints, said that the force committed procedural violations in bypassing the mandatory provisions of the Act. Once a dowry complaint is received, police must communicate it to the dowry prohibition officers. As per Rule 5 of the Tamil Nadu Dowry Prohibition Rules 2004, the dowry prohibition officers themselves can receive, register and investigate complaints.

While so, the practice of police officials receiving complaints and straightaway seeking to arrest the in-laws has been continuing in the state, the petitioner said.

When the matter was taken up, the court was informed that the government had completed appointment of dowry prohibition officers in all the districts in Tamil Nadu.

Recording the statement, the judges said the officers must conduct surprise checks and discreet inquiries before taking appropriate action. Noting that the officers must ensure full compliance of the provisions of the Act.

4 divorces per 10 marraiges in the Indian Army

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS-India-New-Age-Army-wives-take-aim-at-old-mindset/articleshow/4794134.cms

Is it time for change in the hierarchy-conscious Indian Army? Some Army wives are gunning for it. Alleging harassment because they refused to work for the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), the wives of two officers say they have been forced to kowtow to the same hierarchical rules as their spouses.

Savneet Paul, who has sent a legal notice to the Army and is waiting for a response, alleges that her husband (a Major) was given below-average ratings in the annual confidential report based on the couple's social interaction at AWWA activities. In other words, it's not merit but what the wife does that counts. Rosme Chaube, also the wife of a Major, has written to the Army chief expressing similar grievances.

The Indian Army is an institution that dates back to the Raj and some commands - such as the Eastern Command set up in 1920 - originated long before Independence. Its mindset, some say, is a hangover from colonial times and modern-day wives are rebelling.

``If I had known how old-fashioned it was, I would never have married an Armyman,'' says Chaube, who insists she did her best to adjust.

But the blind adherence to hierarchy got to her. ``When I was newly married, I was told by one of my husband's seniors at one of those mandatory AWWA parties that if I wanted my husband to become a General or Brigadier, then I would have to do well in AWWA,'' she says.

Retired Brigadier Anil Kumar admits the Army is a tradition-bound institution, but reasons that wives become part of the 'family'. He says,``Soldiering is a hard task, so it's only natural that a defence job is not just a job, but like joining a family.'' He says it is understandable "this can be difficult for the younger generation. We now have more wives who are MBAs, doctors and architects. Even if they were to understand the defence culture, it's practically impossible to live by it.''

The problem, explains Paul, is not working with AWWA, but the kind of work they are expected to do. ``Welfare for the jawan's wives should not mean forcing them to sing and dance. In this day and age, instead of training them in software and other professional skills that they can actually put to use, AWWA teaches them to make sandals, stuffed toys, bangles etc. Which woman can get by with only these skills?'' she asks. Paul now plans to approach the National Commission for Women.

The tensions are evident from the dwindling number of families living together on campus because many wives now have full-time civilian jobs.

Another noticeable change, says Guneet Chaudhary, Supreme Court advocate and ex-Army official, is the rising divorce rate in the Army. For every 10 married couples, there are four divorce applications pending. Separations are more common too. ``Most women complain that their major problems are because of AWWA dictating their lives,'' says the lawyer who is fighting Paul's case.

The voices of discontent are getting louder online. The blog pragmatic.nationalinterest.in started by an anonymous blogger is flooded with complaints about AWWA and the wives of senior officers. The association's functioning had come under scrutiny about two years ago when a Comptroller and Auditor General report questioned unauthorized expenditure of Rs 75 crore by the presidents of AWWA and AFWWA, who are the spouses of the Air Force and Army chiefs. The report also indicted the Army for irregularities in the hiring of light vehicles and their misuse by AWWA.

But all is not lost. Chaudhary cautions that AWWA is not all bad. It has done some great work in the past. All it needs is an overhaul to be in tune with changing times.

Wives tale

* AWWA was founded on July 1, 1966 by the wife of the then Chief of Army, G N Chaudhary, for the welfare of wives and widows of jawans
* What began with one centre in Delhi has become an independent organization with eight `commands' in the country
* Though it is widely believed to be funded by the Army, in response to an RTI filed by Supreme Court advocate Guneet Chaudhary, Information Officers of Army said that AWWA is a non-governmental organisation
* As part of its work, AWWA claims to be helping over 10,000 widows in the country

Wife, lover murder youth in Amreli

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS-City-Rajkot-Wife-lover-murder-youth-in-Amreli/articleshow/4790771.cms
 

AMRELI: In yet another gruesome murder, a youth was killed by his wife and her paramour in Amreli. The body was hidden in a sack for 20 hours before it was dumped in a river.

The woman came to the police and confessed a day after the body was discovered. Police have arrested her and started hunting for her lover. She has been remanded to police custody till July 21.

Amreli police officials said Hansa Vala, 30, married Amru Vala 13 years ago.. It was a love marriage. But, as Amru dealt in liquor and was a habitual drinker, the couple fought often. Hansa had left their home a few years ago with her two children, now aged 10 and 7.

She got into a relationship with Raju Bhaiya. As Amru threatened to kill her, she registered a police complaint and he was sent to jail. On the night of July 5, when Hansa was at her home in Baharpura area of the city with Raju, Amru appeared and picked up a fight.

After a scuffle, in which Amru's throat was slit by Raju, Hansa and Raju fled leaving Amru's body in a sack in the house. On July 6, Raju returned with his friend Montu Bharti and took the sack on a bike and dumped it in Thebi river.

Police found the body on July 15 after locals of nearby Fatehpur village informed them. Police have arrested Montu for aiding the murder but Raju is still at large. "We have allowed Hansa to keep her two children with her till the remand is over. Then we will send them to an orphanage," said investigating officer of Amreli police BB Sonara.

Article in Mid-Day - Hard times for software guys

Hard times for software guys

By: Chetan R   Date:  2009-07-17   Place:Bangalore

About 40 per cent of harassed husbands in the city are techies, study finds Techies earning fat salaries are the most harassed among Bangalore husbands. A study carried out by Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), a city based NGO, reveals that software professionals make up about 40 per cent of the total number of harassed husbands. Huge pay packets make techies soft targets, say members of the foundation who carried out the study over 15 months. "The study is shocking," said Panduranga Katti, president of SIFF. "Software professionals getting huge benefits from companies is a known fact and wives are misusing this every day. In most cases, wives demand money and threaten to complain to the police." The share SIFF, which works to empower harassed husbands through its website and branches across the nation, studied about 1,100 cases in Bangalore from January 2008 to April 2009.   After the techies, came men with private businesses. They constituted 11.7 per cent of the cases. Husbands from administration and the military made up about 10 per cent of the cases. Legal help for hassled hubbies Men in government service, heavy engineering and management, and the finance sector made up 7.8, 7 and 6.3 per cent of the total cases respectively. The study included professionals, who approached the NGO through the internet. While 73 per cent of the cases approached SIFF through its website http://www.saveindianfamily.org/, the rest approached them through friends. Help SIFF plans to empower harassed husbands by providing them with legal support based on court judgments. "Besides legal help, we will empower husbands through sessions of basic strategies and tactics. This will be done step by step," said Virag Dhulia, member, SIFF. What women want This is how wives harass husbands, according to the study: >>Demanding money and threatening to file police complaints >>Wanting parents to be sent away from the house >>Forcing the husband to buy property >>Adultery

Source : http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/jul/170709-Techies-Harrassed-Husbands-40-percent-Save-India-Family-Foundation-Bangalore.htm

Renuka amongst 36 ex MPs occupying 'unauthorised' govt bungalows in Delhi

 
So Ms. Renuka Chaudhury is also amongst 36 ex MPs occupying 'unauthorised' govt bungalows in Delhi.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS-India-36-ex-MPs-occupying-unauthorised-govt-bungalows-in-Delhi/articleshow/4785044.cms

36 ex-MPs occupying 'unauthorised' govt bungalows in Delhi
PTI 16 July 2009, 03:52pm IST

NEW DELHI: Former defence minister George Fernandes, Jagdish Tytler and Kanshiram Rana are among 36 former ministers and MPs whose cases have been referred by Ministry of Urban Development to litigation division for unauthorised occupation of government bungalows in Delhi's posh Lutyen's zone.

The Department of Estates has prepared a list of 36 "unauthorised" occupants of General Pool bungalows which includes names of several former ministers such as Ram Vilas Paswan, Mahavir Prasad, Kanti Singh, Jagdish Tytler, Kashiram Rana among others.

The cases came to light after an RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal filed an application under the Act seeking list of unauthorised occupants in government accommodation including parliamentarians retired after recent Lok Sabha elections.

In his questions pertaining to the procedure and present status of getting government accommodation evacuated from such unauthorised occupants, the Department of Estates said "cancellation of allotment is made against the allottee in case of unauthorised occupation and eviction proceedings under the P.P. Act 1971 is initiated to get accommodation vacated."

"All such cases have been referred to Litigation Division for necessary action," it said.

Other names which figured in this list include former Members of Parliament and ministers A Narendra, L Ganesan, Saleem I Sherwani, Basangouda R Patil, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Jual Oram, Santosh Gangwar, Vallabhbhai Khathiriya, Charanjit Singh Atwal, S N Jatiya, S S Badal, Subhash Maharia.

The reply also includes names of TDP leader Yarran Naidu, V Radhika Selvi, Naranbhai Rathwa, Raghunath Jha, Renuka Chowdhury, Shankarsinh Vaghela, Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Taslimuddin, Mani Shakar Aiyar, Suryakanta Patil, Santosh Mohan Dev, Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, Md Ali Ashraf Fatmi, Jaiprakash Nayarayan Yadav, Shakeel Ahmed and P R Kyndiah.

The Directorate of Estates in its reply has also stated that national political parties are eligible for allotment of one housing unit from General Pool in Delhi for their office use as per policy guidelines.

The list of political parties given in the reply shows that while Congress (I) has been allotted four bungalows for their offices, BJP has two.

Congress has been allotted 24, Akbar Road, 5, Raisina Road, 26 Akbar Road and CII/109 Chankyapuri. The BJP has been allotted 11, Ashoka Road and 14 Pandit Pant Marg for their offices in the Lutyen's zone

Army court martial orders dismissal of woman officer

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/2009/jul/11/army-court-martial-orders-dismissal-of-woman-officer.htm

Army court martial orders dismissal of woman officer

An Army court martial has ordered the dismissal of a woman officer who had accused her seniors of sexually harassing her, but her allegations were found to be false.

"The court martial has ordered her dismissal from service. Captain Poonam Kaur had been charged on 11 counts including disobedience, making false allegations against superior officers and addressing the media pertaining to service matters," Kaur's counsel, Colonel (retired) S K Aggarwal said.

Kaur had alleged that three officers of her unit -- the Army Supply Corps in Kalka, Haryana -- had physically and sexually harassed her and confined her illegally when she resisted their advances.

A court of inquiry had then been ordered an investigation into the allegations of physical and mental harassment leveled by Captain Kaur against her superior officers.

She had accused three of her seniors, including her commanding officer, the unit's second-in-command and adjutant, a Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel and a Major rank officer respectively, of harassing her over a few months.

However, in an immediate reaction, the Army had denied the charges.

"The court martial proceedings, which were initiated last year against Captain Kaur, in its order at Patiala on Friday, have ordered her dismissal from service, which will be subject to confirmation by the Western Command chief, a process which may take two months," Aggarwal said.

The counsel termed the judgment as "too harsh even if the counts on which she has been charged guilty are considered to be true".

Kaur was posted to Kalka on October 18, 2007 from the North-East. She had claimed that she had been placed under house arrest in her quarters in Kalka, which was denied by the Army.

According to the Army, on June 30, Poonam was ordered to move to Pathankot for commanding one of the detachments of her unit located there, but she sought deferment for the move citing personal reasons.

She was again instructed to move on July 11, and she requested that she be permitted to leave on July 12, which was granted.

However, she refused to go and later allegedly refused to meet a Major General rank officer, who visited the unit to listen to her grievances. On September 1 last year, Captain Poonam Kaur was attached with 5 Armoured Regiment at Patiala after the Army Commander, Western Command, issued an order for action against her.

She was earlier posted with the ASC unit at Kalka and had leveled her allegations on July 15.

--
Atit
Pune
--
A tree never hits an automobile except in self-defence.
http://siff-pune.blogspot.com/
http://ivf-498a.blogspot.com/

She cheated on hubby by bedding his son

American actress and former *Playboy* model Shauna Sands has been revealed
to have cheated on her ex-husband and soap opera star, Lorenzo Lamas, with
his then-18-year-old son, A J Lamas.

Lamas, 51, had at the time thought it was all motherly love on Sands' part,
and did not realise what was going on.

"He thought Shauna was acting like a mom to A J. He had no clue that she was
his son's lover!" Fox News quoted a friend of Lamas as telling Star
Magazine.

The *Bold and The Beautiful* star filed for divorce in 2002, months after
the romance between Sand and his son reportedly heated up.
http://sify.com/movies/hollywood/fullstory.php?id=14898849

Pune woman techie murdered, husband suspected

Pune woman techie murdered, husband suspected

*New Delhi:* A 32-year-old software engineer has been found murdered in
Pune. Police say Urvashi Dhavale was stabbed to death with a sharp weapon.

Urvashi Dhavle working with a company as quality control officer was heading
home on a scooter when she was stopped and attacked by unidentified
assailants on busy Sus Road, police said.

She was working for a BPO firm called WNS, and was a divorcee. There was an
property dispute between Urvashi and her former husband over a flat and just
two days ago, a local court had ruled in her favour.

The couple had a history of marital discord, police added.

Police said they had detained the victim's husband for interrogation after
her parents suspected him to be behind the murder.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/pune-woman-techie-murdered-husband-suspected/96810-3.html

Clean chit to murdered techie's husband

Clean chit to murdered techie's husband
PUNE: The Chatushrungi police are
still clueless about the motive behind the murder of electronics engineer
Urvashi Laxman Dhavale (32)
on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the police on Friday afternoon brought The deceased's husband
Arvind Waman Ghadole (43) from Nagpur to Pune for questioning him. However,
the police said that his involvement in the murder was not confirmed and are
now investigating into the other possible reasons.

Dhavale, a resident of Shree Swami Samarth Society on Sus road was assaulted
to death with sharp weapons late on Wednesday night. Her body was found
lying in a pool of blood in a secluded lane near her residence. Dhavale's
parents suspect her husband's involvement in the crime.

After marriage, Dhavale had discovered that her husband was already married
and had two children from his first wife. Following differences over several
reasons the couple started staying separately and eventually filed separate
petitions for divorce, property etc, in the court at Nagpur. On Monday (July
6), the Nagpur court had passed a judgement in Dhavale' favour.

Deputy commissioner of police (zone-III) Mahesh Patil said, "On Friday
afternoon Ghadole was brought to Pune from Gondia and interrogated. We do
not suspect his involvement in the crime. We have also interrogated some
employees from the software company where Dhavale worked."

Meanwhile, assistant commissioner of police (Crime) Sangramsinh Nishandar
and police inspector Nandkishore Bhosale-Patil of Chatushrungi police
station also questioned Ghadole. "We do not suspect his involvement. We
initially suspected that the murder was done with the intention of robbery,
but the police found all her belongings and nothing was stolen."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/Clean-chit-to-murdered-techies-husband/articleshow/4764592.cms
Atit
Pune
--
A tree never hits an automobile except in self-defence.
http://siff-pune.blogspot.com/
http://ivf-498a.blogspot.com/

Woman arrested with her friend for killing husband

NEW DELHI: A 29-year-old woman and her divorced "close friend" were on
Friday arrested for allegedly stabbing her businessman-husband to death at
their house in west Delhi, a senior police officer said.

The woman allegedly wanted to get rid of her husband who was keeping a close
watch on the relationship with her friend, who thought that the murder will
lead to his marriage with her as well as a 'bounty' of Rs five lakh she
promised.

Jagmohan Singh Kohli (32), who owns a rubber factory in Anand Parbat, was
found dead with multiple stab injuries and a scarf around his neck by police
in his Rajouri Garden home at three am on Thursday after his wife Sumit Kaur
informed them about the killing.

Kaur and her close friend Puneet (31) were arrested after their role in the
murder was "ascertained", Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sharad
Aggarwal said.

The arrests were made after intense interrogation of Kaur as police found
"many holes" in her statement on the sequence of events. Puneet was known to
Kaur since the last five years after she was married to Kohli.

"Their fondness for each other grew and during that time and Kaur brought
him in her influence stating that she is being harassed by Kohli and they
could have lived a better life, had he not be in their life. She promised
Puneet to give Rs five lakh if her husband can be done away with," Aggarwal
said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Delhi/Woman-arrested-with-her-friend-for-killing-husband/articleshow/4763528.cms

विवाहिता की संदिग्ध हालात में मौत

नोएडा ।। सेक्टर-15 में रहने वाली एक विवाहिता की संदिग्ध हालात में मौत हो गई। बत
ाया जाता है कि गुरुवार रात उसने कथित रूप से फांसी लगाकर आत्महत्या कर
ली। घटनास्थल से मिले 'स्यूसाइड नोट' से पता चला है कि विवाहिता ने
लोकलाज के डर से यह कदम उठाया।

पुलिस के अनुसार, पड़ोस में रहने वाले एक कॉल सेंटरकर्मी व ट्यूटर से
अवैध संबंध के बारे में परिजनों को पता चल गया था। इस वजह से वह मानसिक
रूप से परेशान हो गई थी। इससे छुटकारा पाने के लिए आखिरकार उसने मौत को
गले लगा लिया। मृतका के पति ने ट्यूटर पर ब्लैकमेल करने और आत्महत्या के
लिए उकसाने का आरोप लगाते हुए सेक्टर-20 थाने में रिपोर्ट दर्ज कराई है।
पुलिस ने आरोपी ट्यूटर को अरेस्ट कर लिया है। हालांकि 'स्यूसाइड नोट' की
हकीकत की पुलिस ने अभी कोई जांच नहीं कराई है।

गिरफ्तार ट्यूटर विकास ग्रोवर है। वह दिल्ली स्थित एक कॉल सेंटर में
कार्यरत है और ट्यूशन भी पढ़ाता है। पुलिस के मुताबिक विवाहिता पूजा
(परिवर्तित नाम) अपने दो बच्चों और पति के साथ सेक्टर-15 में रहती थी।
बताया जाता है कि गुरुवार रात जब पूजा के प्रॉपर्टी डीलर पति घर पहुंचे
तो दरवाजा अंदर से बंद था। काफी देर तक दरवाजा खटखटाने के बाद भी नहीं
खुला तो उसने दरवाजा तोड़ दिया। कमरे में घुसा तो देखा कि पूजा चुन्नी से
फंदा लगाकर पंखे से लटकी हुई थी। उन्होंने तुरंत उसे फंदे से उतारा और
पड़ोसियों की मदद से कैलाश अस्पताल ले आए, जहां डॉक्टरों ने मृत घोषित कर
दिया। देर रात करीब 12 बजे इस बारे में पुलिस को सूचना मिली। पुलिस ने जब
घटनास्थल की छानबीन की तो कमरे में रखे एक रजिस्टर के पेज पर लिखा हुआ
स्यूसाइड नोट मिला।

स्यूसाइड नोट में लिखा है कि आर्थिक तंगी की वजह से बच्चों की पढ़ाई में
दिक्कत आ रही थी। इससे वह परेशान हो गई थी। इस दौरान विकास नामक युवक
बच्चों को फ्री में पढ़ाने के लिए तैयार हो गया। इस तरह विकास की तरफ
झुकाव बढ़ता गया और बाद में संबंध बन गए। घरवालों और बच्चों को जब इसकी
भनक लगी तो वह शर्म महसूस करने लगी और समाज में बदनाम का डर भी सताने
लगा। लिहाजा, आत्महत्या करना ही अब आखिरी रास्ता बचा था। स्यूसाइड नोट के
आखिर में यह भी लिखा है कि ट्यूटर विकास पर वह कोई कार्रवाई नहीं चाहती।
वहीं, पूजा के पति के मुताबिक ट्यूटर विकास ग्रोवर ब्लैकमेल करने लगा था।
इस वजह से वह परेशान रहने लगी थी।

http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4735526.cms

ग्वालियर में बहू ने सास को गोली से उड़ाया

ग्वालियर।। सास और बहू के बीच पारिवारिक विवाद इतना बढ़ गया कि बहू ने
तैश में आकर सास को गोली मार दी। सा
स की अस्पताल पहुंचने से पहले ही मौत हो गई। पुलिस ने बहू को गिरफ्तार कर लिया है।

मिली जानकारी के मुताबिक पुरानी छावनी थाना क्षेत्र के जामर गांव में
मंगलवार की सुबह बहू भूरी बाई का अपनी सास राम बेटी से विवाद हो गया।
पहले तो दोनों एक दूसरे पर जोर जोर से चिल्लाकर आरोप लगाती रहीं तभी
गुस्से में आकर बहू भूरी बाई ने ससुर रमेश की लाइसेंसी बंदूक से राम बेटी
को गोली मार दी।

पुरानी छावनी के थाना प्रभारी बलराम सिंह परिहार ने बताया है कि गोली
लगने के बाद राम बेटी गंभीर रूप से घायल हो गई और उसने अस्पताल पहुंचने
से पहले ही दम तोड़ दिया। पुलिस ने हत्या का मामला दर्ज कर बंदूक जब्त कर
ली है और भूरी बाई को गिरफ्तार कर लिया है।

http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4750046.cms

12-yr-old girl denied relief

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=RSSFeed-India&id=d15d311d-9167-4cdc-b2ac-265878dda359&Headline=12-yr-old+girl+denied+relief+under+Domestic+Violence+Act

A 12-year-old girl who used a domestic violence law against her
divorced father, to be able to switch to a school close to her mother,
was denied her wish by a magistrate's court.

Anita (name changed on request) used the Protection of Women from
Domestic Violence Act (DV Act) against her father who wants to stop
her from moving to a school of her choice.

Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Prashant Kale on Saturday
refused interim relief to Anita, who had filed a complaint in a Pune
court against her father alleging "mental and emotional violence."

Anita filed the complaint on June 20, after her father got a stay
order from a family court on April 4, against her moving from a
boarding school in Tamil Nadu to Pune, where her mother now lives.

She has said she wanted to move to and study in Pune because she feels
"alone and home sick" after her older sister passed out of the school
earlier this year. Asim Sarode, her lawyer, said, "Her application
will come up for hearing later, but before that we plan to move the
Sessions Court."

Her father opposed her school change saying her mother had violated
conditions of the Consent Terms signed in a family court at Nagpur
(where they lived before the divorce). The consent terms say the other
parent has to be consulted before taking any decision concerning
Anita.

A Faleiro, the father's advocate, pointed out the consent terms to the
JMFC and said the mother has not consulted the father before deciding
to move Anita to a Pune school.

Anita's petition alleges that her mother had informed her father "in
good faith and as a law abiding citizen" about her intention of
studying in a school closer to her mother.

Instead, her father moved the family court and obtained a stay on
Anita moving out of her boarding school in Tamil Nadu.

After failing to get interim relief, Sarode said, "The court failed to
understand the effectiveness and the objective of the DV Act". Her
parents possess joint custody of Anita, according to a Compromise
Petition they signed five years ago at the time of their judicial
separation.

Married woman can live with her lover, says court

Jaipur, April 19, 2007
Can a married woman lawfully live with her lover against the will of her husband? The Rajasthan High Court says yes.

In a judgment on Wednesday, the court allowed a married woman, Manju, to live with her lover, Suresh. "It is improper to pass an order to hand over any unwilling married woman to her husband with whom she does not want to stay," said justices GS Mishra and KC Sharma. The court also said that nobody should consider an adult woman as a consumer product.

While dismissing a habeas corpus petition filed by Manju's husband, the court came down hard on the misuse of habeas corpus petitions by people who want to thrust their will upon adult women without their consent. The court said the husband was free to approach the family court for divorce.

Commenting on the judgment, senior Supreme Court advocate and noted women's rights activist Indira Jaising said, "Though it sounds strange, I am in complete agreement with the high court."

"At the end of the day an adult woman has a right to decide whom she wants to live with. She can't be forced to go with her husband against her will," Jaising said.

In this case, Jaising said, it is clear that the woman was prepared for divorce. She also felt that Manju's husband had abused the habeas corpus petition because such petitions were generally filed when somebody is actually missing.

Asked whether it amounted to adultery, Jaising clarified th
at the woman could not be prosecuted for this offence under the law. As for the other man, she said, "it seems he is ready to face that". National Commission for Women Chairperson Girija Vyas said that although it seemed like an important judgment, she could not comment on it since she had not seen it yet.

Manoj Chaudhry, the counsel for Manju and Suresh, had earlier rejected as baseless the allegations that Manju had been kept in illegal confinement by Suresh.

He said that the duo had been living together by their free will and that the relationship had begun even before Manju had got married.

With inputs from Satya Prakash and Sutirtho Patranobis.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=9e0b7ae6-86f2-4cb8-812e-a71677b4d729