Almost the whole of 2014 Sheetal Mafaftlal was splashed in the news all over for the theft of paintings worth Rs 100 crorer. She accused her three friends – transport magnate Areef Patel, one of his company director’s Farukh Wadia, along with the latter’s friend Yasmin MY – of stealing her paintings worth Rs 100 crore, a total of 41 masterpieces (including 31 reported missing by Sheetal in her complaint) were recovered by the Mumbai Police.
The missing paintings were recovered from a flat which was rented by her own Man Friday and long-time manager, Manoj Shah.
As the paintings were discovered by the police she immediately left the country and went missing till recently. She was compelled to come back for the court hearings. If Sheetal is found guilty she may be sentenced to six months of imprisonment.
With the accuser herself turning out to be the prime suspect, the police have been unsuccessfully chasing her for months for questioning, but Sheetal has neither responded to repeated summons from the Crime Branch, nor attended any court hearings. Sheetal plotted it all, “right from shifting the paintings out of the bungalow till the police seized the originals”, the police said. They said, “Sheetal submitted false documents, including emails, declaring the painting to be gifts to prove that she owned them.”
Vikram, a prime witness in the case, told the cops he thought Sheetal was making copies of her valuable paintings by renowned artists to keep them on display so as not to destroy the originals.
“She did the work quickly. I was not aware of her intention,” he said, adding that he had even referred her to his regular frame-maker and to another photographer when she wanted more paintings copied.
Sheetal Mafatlal had removed 48 paintings from Mafatlal Bungalow in July 2011, without informing anyone. Her step-daughter Marushka filed a complaint with the Gamdevi police of theft against her. Of these 48, Sheetal stored 31 at her friend Yasmin M Y’s two houses in Khar and Bandra, after saying that she had no funds to store them at the art warehouse. The police verified their presence during the probe but allowed them to remain in the flats “for safety”, with instructions that they cannot be removed.
In August 2012, the Bombay high court allowed consent terms to be signed between Sheetal and her husband Atulya and other family members that gave Sheetal ownership to the paintings and dropped cross-complaints.
Sheetal then sought and got an order from a magistrate for possession of the 31 seized paintings. While taking the paintings back from Yasmin’s Bandra flat in October 2012, she declared they were fakes and refused to take possession. They were then kept at the police station.
The police said Sheetal, soon after removing the paintings in 2001 from the bungalow, kept them at a Wadala art warehouse and then sought help from her friend, Arif Patel, to store them elsewhere, as she “had no funds to afford the warehouse”. Patel sought Yasmin’s help as she had two flats. But Sheetal shifted the originals from Yasmin’s house to Crystal Mall, Bandra, made fakes with the help of fashion photographer Vikram Bawa and provided them as originals at Yasmin’s house when the cops came for a panchnama while investigating Marushka’s complaint. The cops seized the fakes, believing them to be genuine. Sheetal then shifted the originals to the office taken on rent at Princess Street. She tried to make the family believe that the originals were forged though they were in her custody, the police said.
She feared that the three may expose her if they came to know and as the paintings’ ownership was not proved, she may lose them, so she hatched a plot to capture the originals, the police said.
‘Goat’, a painting by Manjit Bawa, also nailed Sheetal’s scheme, the cops said. She had sent it and another by Gaitonde, ‘Red’, for restoration to the Pundole art gallery after removing it from the bungalow, but later mentioned it as one of the 31 seized by police during the probe.
With the Bombay High Court having earlier directed a time-bound investigation and closure of the matter, it appears that there is little choice left for Sheetal other than to file a protest petition before the Magistrate at 37 Court Esplanade – popularly known as Qilla Court.
New Delhi, Feb. 9 — American singer-actor Jennifer Lopez will reportedly perform at UK-based billionaire Sanjay Hinduja and designer Anu Mahtani’s wedding, to be held from Feb 10-12, in Udaipur.
Designer Manish Malhotra, who is designing for the wedding, told us, “If JLo does perform, I’d love to meet her and design for her, too.” Actor Akshay Kumar is also expected to perform.
New Delhi, 16 Feb 2015: Calling people ‘Chinese’, ‘Chinki’ or making other derogatory remarks relating to race, culture or physical appearance may land you in jail for up to five years, according to a proposal which the Centre is mulling.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said his ministry was considering the proposal made by a high-level committee that looked into the attacks on people from North East in Delhi and some other parts of the country.
A bill may be brought for amending the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013 for safety and security of the people of the Northeast in Delhi and others parts of the country, he said.
“There is no need to bring a standalone law and provisions can be incorporated in the existing statutes through an amendment,” he said.
As per the proposal, the government may add two provisions in the Indian Penal Code by amending the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013.
The Bezbaruah Committee, in its report, has noted that there was the “most common demand” from people from North Eastern region was to make words like ‘Momos’, ‘Chinkis’, ‘Chinese’, ‘Chichi Chu Chu’ or any other derogatory remarks relating to race, culture, identity or physical appearances to be made punishable”.
It has recommended a provision in Section 153 of the IPC to provide for imprisonment up to five years with a fine to “whoever, by words, either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise attempts or promotes to attempt on the ground of race or place of origin or such other grounds relating to racial features or to racial behaviour and culture or to racial customs or participates in such activity intending to use criminal force or violence…”
The provision for imprisonment will be there even if any person is “likely to cause fear or alarm or a feeling of insecurity amongst the members of that racial groups”. PTI [file photo]
Kanchanpur (North Tripura): Troopers of the 30th battalion of Assam Rifles have arrested an alleged arms peddler from the Tripura-Mizoram border, based on specific intelligence information.
The arrested person has been identified as Bualmanga who was hiding in the Naisingpara refugee camp of Mizoram displaced people under Kanchanpur sub-division in North Tripura district.
An M16 rifle has been found from his possession.
The troops later handed over Bualmanga to the police for further interrogation.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had last week visited Kanchanpur and interacted with the representatives of Bru migrants living in relief camps at Kanchanpur.
During his visit, Rajnath Singh had discussed with the BSF officials the issue of fast completion of the border fencing with Bangladesh to stop smuggling, infiltration and the movement of militants.
He also met the Chief Minister of Tripura, Manik Sarkar and reviewed the security situation in the state.
ANI
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi announced, Wednesday, that it plans to bid for coal block to achieve its target of generating 4,000 MW of power for the city.
The AAP had made power tariffs in the national capital a key poll issue and promised 50% cut in electricity bills in its manifesto.
As per reports, AAP plans to tie-up with a private company to set up an ultra mega power plant to ensure adequate power to the city at cheap rates.
The decision came days after the Delhi government directed finance and power departments to immediately send their proposals for implementation of the election promises to slash the electricity tariffs by 50 per cent till the audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of the private power companies (discoms) is completed.
The Kejriwal-led government has also directed the Delhi Jal Board to prepare a proposal on providing free water up to 20,000 litres to every household per month.
During its previous 49-day stint, the AAP-led government had announced a 50 per cent subsidy on power consumption up to 400 units in the national capital due to which power bills of the consumers were cut by half. The then AAP government had also ordered a CAG audit into the finances of three private power distribution companies in the national capital.
The new government also has major plans to improve power generation from renewable sources like solar power.
Delhi has a power demand of about 5,000 MW and is largely dependent on other states to meet its requirements.
Earlier, in an apparent dig at AAP over its poll pledge to reduce power bills, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wondered how such promises could be made by political parties in states which are dependent on electricity supply from outside.
“During every election, political parties promise free power… People need to think about these promises,” said Modi at a renewable energy conference in Delhi on Feb 15.
“The parties make these promises in such states who rely on electricity supply from other states, he added.
“Water accounts for a major chunk of the input cost of farmers. The cost of water is basically due to cost of power. We have to understand the problems farmers are facing,” said Modi.
Reacting to Modi’s apparent dig at AAP, senior party leader and AAP’s Delhi Convenor Ashutosh urged the Prime Minister to help the state government to make power affordable.
“I don’t want to make any adverse comment on the Prime Minister. I just want to make a request to him on behalf of the party that he should help us to make electricity affordable and cheaper because that will do a lot of good to the people of Delhi and I hope that he also wants goodness of people of state,” he said.
Surat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pinstripe monogrammed bandhgala suit, which hogged limelight during President Barack Obama’s visit, went up for auction in the diamond city on Wednesday.
As the auction is underway in the diamond city, Rajesh Juneja from Surat bid a whopping Rs 1.21 crore for Modi’s Navy blue suit. Juneja gave a written bid offering Rs 1.21 crore for the suit which was the star attraction at the three-day auction which opened today.
Earlier, NRI businessmen Viral Chowksi offered Rs 1.11 crore, while before him textile trader Suresh Aggarwal made an offer of Rs one crore for the two-piece suit.
The first bid was made for Rs 11 lakh by a Surat-based chartered accountant Pankaj, while few minutes later, second bid of Rs 51 lakh was made by Raju Agarwal, an estate dealer.
“I have offered Rs 1 crore. This is work of charity and when the Prime Minister is doing for a great cause like cleaning of Ganga, I decided to go ahead and buy the suit,” said Suresh Aggarwal.
Giving a new dimension to the controversy, NRI Gujarati businessman Ramesh B Virani, who had participated in the Gujarat Vibrant Summit, said he had gifted the suit to Modi when had he gone to invite the Prime Minister for his son’s wedding.
“At that time, he (Modi) told me that he has a very busy schedule ahead and also that he will be donating the suit. I said there is no problem with that. I told him that I want him to wear the suit on the day of my son’s wedding as a blessing,” he said.
The suit that created waves and kicked up a political storm was auctioned today along with 455 items that Modi had received as gifts during his nearly nine-month long tenure to generate funds for the Prime Minister’s ambitious ‘Clean India Mission’.
Among other items up for auction are two T-shirts presented to Modi in Australia. The tees with Modi written over them were presented to the PM by the cricket board.
Meanwhile, reacting to the auction, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’ Brien termed the exercise as damage control public relations and said it has nothing to do with Ganga cleaning.
PM Modi wore the deep blue bandhgala suit for a joint appearance with US President Barack Obama at Hyderabad House when he stepped out for a ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ meet and a press conference with the US President in New Delhi last month.
Surat Municipal Commissioner Milind Toravane said the event is being organised at SMC’s Science Convention Centre at city-lights road in Surat as the Prime Minister’s Office(PMO) had decided to hold the auction event in the city.
Modi, during his chief ministerial tenure in Gujarat, had initiated a trend to auction the gifts that he received in a year and it was donated to Kanya Kelavani Yojna for girl child education, he said.
Whether it is with his well-fitted bandhgala suits, his half-sleeved kurta and brightly coloured Nehru jackets or his choice of an orange shawl — Modi’s style statements have always been eye-catching — so much so that during the Obamas’ visit for the country’s 66th Republic Day celebrations, he stole the thunder from the US First Lady as far as fashion was concerned.
The Indian railways canteen has been ripping off passengers by charging them more than the printed MRP rates with some products do not have any printed rates. Rates are fixed randomly.This information has been revealed by a passenger travelling from Goonda to Mumbai by Khusi Nagar Express by train no 11016 on 11/02/2015.The Meals on Wheels canteen of the India railways have been always charging more than the MRP rate of any product sold by them.
According to Nasir Manihar who was travelling by sleeper class had bought a bottle of mineral water of one liter, for RS 20. There was no MRP rate published on the bottle. In the next bottle he bought the MRP rated was printed of RS 15 but was again charged RS 20.. Only when he raised a voice did they returnRSs 5 on a 20 rupee denomination.
Now on the third bottle purchased Nasir warned that he would only pay on the MRP rate the canteen man brought a bottle of the same company where the MRP was printed RS 20. The name of the company printed on the bottle was Oasis. As per our research the company itself is fake as the print does not match with the original bottle. Three different rate for three bottles of mineral water. One could imagine the corruption going on. Tea was charged Rs 10 when the actual rate is Rs 7 that is also assumed price as there is no provision was producing a menu before an order is taken.. A Seven Up bottle of MRP Rs 34 was charged RS 40. It is also to be noted that the canteen staff do wear any uniform and badge which is difficult for the passenger to find out if he is genuine canteen staff or not.
As the rates were going haywire Nasir demanded the complaint book of the railways. The canteen manager came and pleaded with Nasir to not file a complaint. He promised to refund his money that was charged extra, at this point Nasir demanded to return the extra amount taken from all passengers on board. He refused this condition so Naseer finally lodged a complaint.
The mineral water company Oasis’ is not a popular brand in the market . How can a company have different rates for the same quantity of one liter. What is nexus between Oasis Mineral Water Company and the Indian Railways Canteen. Charging extra amount on every product sums up to a big amount of money. The quality of the water needs to be checked by the quality control. We bring the attention of the railways authority to seriously look into the water.
70%he catering service of the Indian Railways is covered by this particular catering service. When Nasir demanded to lodge a complaint the canteen staff replied that there would no hearing on this complaint as the canteen management would bribe the railway authorities with a big amount of money
These varying rates in small commodities amount to a huge sum when calculated in a big volume. Passengers would normally not complain for small amounts which would make his trip unpleasant.
Longlit: The Army on Tuesday expressed hope that it would be able to wipe out the NDFB-Songbijit from Assam as operations were on against the underground outfit that had massacred 81 persons in December last year.
Over 171 cadres of the NDFB-S have been arrested so far during continuing successful operations against the group, GOC Red Horn Division Maj Gen C P Mohanty said.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here in Karbi Anglong district, he said though some of the top NDFB-S leaders fled outside the state, efforts were on to apprehend them to neutralise the outfit.
The Army today organised an event to distribute bicycles to school girls, weaving looms to women, wheel chairs to physically challenged people and also held a medical camp in remote Siloni Gaon of Longlit area.
The event, which was part of the Army’s efforts to bring peace and harmony in East Karbi Anglong, was inaugurated by Gen Mohanty who emphasised on the need to improve infrastructure facilities and reach out to people in the remote areas.
PTI
Mumbai: Shiv Sena’s youth wing president Aditya Thackeray Aditya Thackeray sees the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is considering to contest 2017 Mumbai civic polls, as a healthy competition.
Shiv Sena, in coalition with BJP, has been in power in Asia’s richest civic body for the last two decades.
“Not in terms of the work we have done now and what we will achieve by then, but there must be healthy competition always,” Aditya told NDTV in an interview today when asked if he saw AAP as a competition.
The 24-year old son of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said his party had already congratulated AAP for its astounding victory in the Delhi assembly polls.
“We have already congratulated them as it is the vote of the people. The 95 per cent victory margin is huge and as from any government, there are lots of hopes from them. Every state government should succeed well,” he said.
Replying to a question on whether he had learnt anything from the stunning electoral success of India’s youngest political party, Aditya said, “There is a lot to learn from every victory and defeat. Every party should learn from victories and defeats and that’s what we are doing.”
PTI
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