Youth kills father over Rs.20 (US$ 0.5)

In a weird incident, a 22-year-old unemployed man in Orissa state of India allegedly killed his father for refusing to shell out Rs 20 (US$ 0.5) for consuming liquor at Tamada village, about 80 km from Rourkela.

Souika Pond, an alcoholic, asked his father Sukuru Pond (45), to give him Rs 20(US$ 0.5) for purchasing liquor, the police said.

On being refused, Souika attacked his father with a sharp weapon, killing him on the spot.

Efforts were on to nab the son who was absconding, the police said.

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Jat body announces reward for anyone chopping Steve Bucknor's finger

In India people are really crazy about the game of cricket. Take the prevailing Indian cricket team's tour in Australia where there is an anger against the umpire Steve Bucknor for giving wrong decisions. Now the anger against the West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor today reached absurd length when a little-known caste outfit offered a reward of Rs one lakh (US$ 2500) and land to anyone chopping his finger.

Isn't it weird?

Protesting against Bucknor, who has been involved in a string of dubious decisions against India in the second Test against Australia, All India Bharatiya Jat Mahasabha Mandal President Vivek Kajla said besides the cash, hundred bigha of land would be given to anyone removing the umpire's finger.

Activists of Shiv Sena and BJP burnt effigies of the West Indian umpire and demanded that India withdraw from the Australian tour.


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Kids in place of Oxen in fields

In a bizzare incident here is a farm in Bihar's Vaishali district, where a 10 year old has replaced an ox at a plough which belongs to the family of the Union Minister for Rural Development, RJD's Raghuvansh Pratap Singh.

The minister's brother, Raghuraj Singh says that the fields are too slippery after the recent floods and its too dangerous for bullocks and a tractor would skid, so he hires children instead.

''We get children because there is a shortage of labour. The fields are too wet for the bullocks. So we have got children to plough the field before sowing,'' said Raguraj Singh, Farm owner.

The boy and his father are equally matter of fact about this. For them, it's a question of working on the fields or starving.

''We work to live. My feet and arms hurt but I still need to work if I want to eat,'' said Sonelal Kumar, Child labourer.''Bullocks can't tread on this ground. So we have to do it ourselves with the children,'' said Ramkrishna Singh, Farmer.

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Boy losses hearing after being slapped by teacher

In Jammu city in Jammu & Kashmir state of India, an eighth standard student of the Army School has lost hearing in his right ear allegedly after being beaten up by his class teacher, official sources said on Friday.

Acting on a complaint by the parents of Shubnam Manhas, police have registered a case against the teacher and started investigation into the incident, the sources said.

The boy, who was slapped hard on Thursday by the teacher for being unable to answer a question, was taken to a hospital where the doctors said that he has lost hearing in his right ear, the parents said. They also submitted a medical report.

Shubnam was also caned by the teacher, Sanjeev Bajaj, they alleged. Boy losses hearing after being slapped by teacher in J&K.


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5 year old boy accused of Eve teasing

In Bihar state of India anything is expected. Lo, a five-year old boy was made an accused of eve-teasing in Bihar's Samastipur district. In fact Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had to intervene to remove his name from the police file.

Kunti Devi, along with her son Manu Jaiswal, met the Chief Minister at his 'Janata Durbar' and narrated how her son had been falsely implicated. The Chief Minister alerted the police immediately.

The DGP later called up Samastipur Superintendent of Police and asked him to delete the name of the boy from the case.


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'Nonsense Club' demands drug-deal with US

'Nonsense Club' floated by Satirist Jaspal Bhatti has pulled a new one - this time he wants India to 'sign' a drugs deal with the US and has demanded 'subsidy' for drug peddlers and growers.

Putting up his short skit with his band of 'Nonsense Club' members at the busy Sector 17 plaza in Chandigarh city, Bhatti demanded that drug peddlers should be provided red beacons atop their vehicles and be given security cover since they are involved in a risky business.

The satire was clearly aimed at red beacons and security recently announced by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for members of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to appease them.

'Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should shift his focus from the nuclear deal with the US to a long- term drug deal,' Bhatti said as shoppers and others laughed.

Punjab has emerged as a major transit point in north India for drugs being smuggled from Afghanistan via Pakistan. Chandigarh has emerged as a major buying market for drugs.

Punjab is reported to have a high number of people hooked to drugs.

Bhatti even suggested that organic farming of drugs should be encouraged so that youngsters could get the quality product.

'It would be more profitable for the government to subsidise the drug trade instead of giving free water and electricity to farmers,' Bhatti said.


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M.F. Husain again manic about Madhuri Dixit

Maqbool Fida Husain, popularly known as M.F.Husain, is one of India's best known artists. According to Forbes magazine, he has been called the "Picasso of India". His paintings are so popular that many of these paintings have fetched millions of dollars for each of his painting.

M.F. Hussain is mad about acting of bollywood star Madhuri Dixit is a well known fact. This 92 year old Painter was so entrenched with the dance movements of Madhuri Dixit in her film "Hum Aap Ke Hai Kaun", that he saw that movie 67 times & after that his name used to be called Madhuri. Fida. Hussain. Now here is another show of Hussain's infatuation with this actress from Bollywood.

Legendary Indian artist MF Husain, Madhuri Dixit's biggest fan, will welcome his muse back to Bollywood in style by booking an entire show for her latest film, Aaja Nachle, releasing in theatres in the UAE on November 29.

M.F. Hussain has reserved 194 seats for the 2pm show at Lamcy Cinema on the day for special guests from all walks of life, including members of the media.

The much-publicised film is Madhuri Dixit's Bollywood comeback vehicle. She had stopped signing films after her marriage to US-based surgeon Dr Sriram Nene. As per Husain, the movie tickets for Aaja Nachle would act as 'invites' and would have his autograph and a sketch of the Bollywood diva.

“I'll also be exhibiting paintings of Madhuri in the foyer of the theatre. I have made these paintings based on her great hits,” the artist revealed. “In fact, the paintings are a part of a series I have undertaken and will be exhibited sometime next year as my tribute to Bollywood, the biggest and greatest movie industry in the world.”

Husain is currently painting a series of huge panels that depict the glorious 100-year history of Indian cinema for the exhibition titled, 'From the Silver Silence of Dadasaheb Phalke to the Golden dazzle of Madhuri Dixit'.

“I think the Indian cinema is a great vehicle that can truly portray and carry the message of Indian culture,” said the nonagenarian artist.

Madhuri Dixit, who stormed her way into the hearts of millions in India and elsewhere with films like Tezaab, Beta and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, is poised to win the hearts of her fans all over again in Aaja Nachle after a five-year hiatus.

Talking about his muse, whose blockbuster Hum Aapke Hain Kaun he claims to have seen 67 times, the artist says, “She is the quintessence of classical Indian beauty and womanhood. I want others to enjoy the film with me. It's a tribute to not only her beauty, but also her talent as an actress.”

The artist thinks that her kind of beauty is rare. Who should know better than Husain, with a discerning eye for all that is aesthetic, and an avowed worshipper of feminine beauty?

“Why me, even Ashok Kumar, the doyen of Indian cinema once said that in his 60 years of being in films, he had yet to come across someone like her — someone with her talent, grace and looks,” gushed Husain.

When contacted, Madhuri Dixit, the actress who can light up the screen with her million dollar smile said, “I am overwhelmed by his gesture of booking a theatre for my comeback film. I feel very flattered indeed!”


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India curbs tourist dollars

In an interesting move Indian authorities have ruled that tourists visiting the country's monuments must pay at a fixed local rupee rate rather than in dollars.

Entrance to many local tourist sites is priced in dollars and then converted to rupees, causing authorities to lose money as the dollar slid more than 12 per cent against the rupee.

The Ministry of Culture said that the latest move was "to avoid any anomaly on account of falling exchange rates of dollar vis-a-vis rupee and consequent fall in revenues".

The government had fixed a $5 entrance fee for World Heritage sites like the Taj Mahal and $2 for other monuments at a time when the dollar was worth about 50 rupees.

The dollar is now worth around 39 rupees. The new rate for World Heritage Sites is fixed at 250 rupees ($6.50).


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Cops dog ‘buffalo thieves’ for 34 years

In India it is not uncommon that legal court cases go on for years together & earlier we have known of a story in which a case is still going against a person for stealing a pair of oxen for 33 years. Now here is a case of the Punjab Police, who since 1973, have been pursuing a case of buffalo theft till three months ago when the two accused, natives of a village near Jalandhar, were sent behind bars. But it was also not correct & the Punjab and Haryana High Court came to the rescue of the two after it discovered that the stolen cattle had been traced the same year.

Earlier, the police had taken the plea that the two buffaloes were never recovered and the challan was yet to be presented to ensure that the trial court dismissed the bail of the two accused, Mohan Singh and Jodha Singh.

The case dates back to February 9, 1973 when the police booked the two residents of Malsihan village on charges of theft after a resident of Dhakha complained that two of her buffaloes had gone missing. A man said he had seen Mohan Singh and Jodha Singh with the buffaloes.

But when the police party reached the spot, the two fled, following which they were declared proclaimed offenders. The duo was finally arrested from a petrol pump three months ago and sent to the Ludhiana Central Jail.


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Sachin Tendulkar, Astrology & his missing 90s

Sachin Tendulkar the great Indian Cricketer is a really unlucky man when it comes to completing his centuries. In ODIs, he has got out in the 90s as many as 16 times and in Tests seven times.

He has 78 centuries to his credit -- 41 in ODIs and 37 in Tests, and the 23 missed ones would have taken his tally to 101. Unbelievably, he has fallen in the 90s seven times this year.

Asked about these surprise failures, Tendulkar laughingly disclosed a solution offered by his son. " My son told me why don't you hit a six when on 94".

Now the well known astrologer Bejan Daruwala has suggested him a four-step therapy that includes cooking burgers to get rid of his problem of missing centuries.

It’s well known amongst the astrology community that Sachin Tendulkar is a Taurus and that numbers 3, 6 and 9 apply to him.

But according to Chinese astrology, Tendulkar is also a Buffalo, a cousin of the bull — and these two systems combined make him a Double Bull.

Now here is the most interesting thing that Bejan Daruwala has to say,

"Because he is a loving and faithful husband, to get out of his nervous 90s, I would suggest that Tendulkar follow four steps":

1.Sleep in the lap of his wife and tell her to love him sweetly and gently

2. Cook his own mutton cheese burgers and eat them

3. Have a terrific bath

4. Jump in his Ferrari and go for a drive

The above things will help him in automatically releasing his nervous energy. As Ganesha means Mars, I would suggest he chants the mantra ‘Om Gan Ganpataye Namaha’ on Tuesdays (it’s the day of Mars).


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Python dies after having swallowed goat

At Vellore in Tamil Nadu state of India a 12-feet-long python has died after having swallowed a 15-kg weighing goat at Rangampettai village in Pernamput, 70 kms from here.

According to forest officials, the python which had strayed out of the nearby forest in search of food on Friday, swallowed a goat which was grazing along the forest fringes.

The python, unable to digest its huge catch, was seen lying still for almost 24 hours with a bloated stomach.

The forest officials who reached the village on Saturday after coming to know about it, saw a dead python. Officials said they could even feel the legs and horns of the goat inside the snake's stomach.

The python was later buried by the forest personnel.


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Man marries dog

In southern India a 33-year-old man in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu has married a dog in a bid to ward off the "curse" of a canine couple he had killed 15 years ago.

Selva Kumar tied a 'mangal sutra' on the animal, named Selvi, at a Ganesh temple in Manamadurai, about 50 km from Madurai on Sunday.

The 10-year-old saree-clad "bride" was brought to the temple in a grand bridal procession. After the function, the bride was feasted with bread.

Kumar, who vowed to protect Selvi all through its life, said he married the animal as per the advice of an astrologer.

"I will take care of it till its death."

According to him, he had clubbed to death a dog-couple when they were mating and hung them on a tree when he was 18-years old.

After that incident, he suffered a stroke, he could not move his left arm and legs and turned deaf, Kumar said.

"I am able to walk only with the help of a stick, he said.

Kumar claimed that the astrologer had told him that he had the "curse of dogs" after having a simple glance on him.

The astrologer advised him that all his problems would be solved once he did the penance by marrying a bitch, Kumar said.


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Elopement Marriages -'Gandharva Vivah'

People in Himachal Pradesh state of India are known for keeping alive many traditions that find mention in ancient indian scriptures. "Gandharva Vivah", mentioned in epic Mahabharata, exists here in the form of an elopement marriage.

The custom has it that the young couples eager to perform "Gandharva Vivah" are expected to elope and, later, settle for a proper marriage as per traditional rituals.

In Kullu's Gramang Village, the prospective brides and bridegrooms have the liberty to choose their life partners of their choice. Following the custom, the lovers elope and on return to their homes, they are married off as per the local rituals in the presence of their Village deity.

"It has been going on since the times of the 'Pandavas' (victorious clan in the legendary Mahabharata war). We bring the girls here after running off with them and marry them. This is our tradition and everyone celebrates it with great zeal and enthusiasm," said Arun Kumar, a resident.


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Woman buried and dug up alive in Himachal village

A woman who insisted her followers bury her alive has been dug out alive hours after the incident by the police in a Himachal Pradesh village.

Sapna Kumari, 18, in Chamba valley's Khalani village some 450 km from here, had been claiming she was the snake goddess being worshipped by villagers for the past three months.

Villagers had been visiting her in large numbers to seek her blessings. She insisted they bury her alive (samaadhi) in a deep pit as hundreds -- including media persons -- watched.

A few hours later a police team led by Chamba police chief S.R. Rana dug out the woman and found her alive. They took her to a hospital.

'She was found to be in good health, but showed signs of hysteria,' the doctor who examined the young woman, Ashish Sharma, said.


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One in seven people go to bed hungry,every day in India

Today, India's benchmark Bombay Stock Excahnge Index ( BSE) crossed 19,000 & it is daily making new high records. India may be the second fastest growing economy in the world but it still has a long way to go in eradicating hunger where it is ranked at 94th position well behind neighbouring China and Pakistan, a global report says.

According to the latest Global Hunger Index 2007 from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), although India has improved its score of 25.03 on the index compared to 33.73 in 1990, it is lagging behind China and Pakistan ranked at 47th and 88th positions, out of the total list 118 countries, respectively.

The index is mainly based on proportion of undernourished in the population, prevalence of underweight in children under five years and those under-five mortality rate.

"One in seven people go to bed hungry every day. That's 854 million people worldwide. Hunger is one of the world's major problems and therefore one of its most important challenges," say the report's authors.


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Beauty pageant to find Miss & Mr. Donkey

At Looniyawas, around 20 km from Jaipur in Rajasthan state of India, a donkey fair is held every year & it's on nowadays. It's a 500-year-old traditional donkey fair. Over here Donkeys from various parts of the country come for a three-day fair.

Traders have also caparisoned their donkeys and horses in a bid to entice the highest bidder.

"I came here on Thursday from Gujarat and since then I have been busy dressing up my donkeys. In today's world it is necessary to have good packaging to get a higher price," said Ram Singh, a donkey seller He said he must have put in at least Rs.1,000 on decking up his four donkeys.

As per Bhagwat Singh Rajawat, the vice-president of the fair organising committee, "We are trying our best to make the fair attractive, and on Saturday we have planned a beauty pageant where Miss Donkey and Mr. Donkey of the fair would be chosen by a panel of judges."


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Judge ordered back to law school

Go, learn law again. In what could be a perfect example of irony, an Additional Sessions Judge of Delhi will go back to law school to gain basic knowledge of law and its procedures.

The decision was announced by the Delhi High Court after describing Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Tewari ‘incompetent’.

The High Court ordered Judge Tewari to undergo training for three months in the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) at the Judicial Academy.

"Since the Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Tewari does not have even elementary knowledge of the CrPC, it would be appropriate if he undergoes a refresher course at the Delhi Judicial Academy for the law at earliest for three months,” Justice V B Gupta said in an order.

Irked over a wrong judgement given by a Sessions Judge, the High Court Judge said, “It also seemed he did not know that the subordinate courts are constitutionally bound by the decisions of the High Courts.”

The case was of Rohit Kumar, an accused of power pilferage. Kumar had moved the High Court after Judge Tewari issued non-bailable warrants against him.

According to his lawyers, the High Court had stayed the arrest of Kumar till September 19. Despite it, the trial court took the petitioner into custody and denied him bail.


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Teacher's face blackened by Students

Activists of a student organisation today blackened the face of a school vice principal in Gujarat state of India and also ransacked his office for punishing a student in the class, police said today.

The incident occurred in the Academy School in Udhna area when around 15 activists reportedly belonging to one of the factions of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) barged into the campus, heckled Dinesh Chauhan and blackened his face with ink, they said.

No one was injured in the fracas when the activists ransacked Chauhan's office. When contacted, Chauhan said NSUI activists had humiliated him after one of the students in class eleventh complained against him for being punished for misbehaviour.

"The student and his friends misbehaved in the class and the administration decided to make them seat at a distance from each other during class examination a few days ago. The student objected to this and complained to the NSUI activists", Chauhan told reporters.

The student countered Chauhan's statement by saying "when I was seated in the last row of the class he approached me and said that I was seated in the last row as I was from the minority community."

The school authorities, who refused to be quoted, said the students were seated separately as they were mischievous.


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Non-stop 'nonsense' for 25 years!!!!!!

Jaspal Bhatti & his band of faithful friends have been successfully selling 'nonsense' for the last 25 years. Welcome to the mad world of the 'Nonsense Club' founded and run by satirist-actor-director-engineer Jaspal Bhatti who hails from Chandigarh.

The unique thing about Bhatti's Nonsense Club is that it has no building, no permanent or life members, no venue and does not even hold regular meetings. Yet it has done well in these 25 years, delivering social messages every few months to highlight the plight of the middle class through street shows.

'We started on a small level with just a few friends to highlight social evils with a lot of satire. There has been no looking back,' as per Mr. Bhatti.

Among the issues Bhatti's club has highlighted are bride-burning, bridegroom sale, fuel price hike, Diwali gifts, black-marketing of cinema tickets, adulterated food, high onion prices, heavy school bags and sycophancy.


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Journalist 'told man to kill himself'

AN Indian journalist who allegedly persuaded a depressed businessman to kill himself on camera, before police stopped him, has been charged with abetting suicide.

The video journalist, identified only as Vipin, urged Tilak Raj to drink poison outside a police superintendent's residence in northern Punjab state yesterday.

"Tilak Raj was extremely depressed after losing a property case in court,'' the superintendent, R.K. Jaiswal, said.

"He approached Vipin for help and Vipin told him to kill himself to attract public attention to his plight.''

Police managed to thwart the suicide bid.

"Raj was on his way to my house when he was caught near a shopping mall. Now both men have been arrested and cases have been registered against them,'' the senior officer said.

Vipin was charged with abetting suicide "in search of an exclusive'' while Mr Raj was being held for attempting suicide.

"Both are crimes under Indian law,'' Mr Jaiswal said.

"These days, all journalists want an exclusive. This was Vipin's way of trying to get one,'' said a local district administration official, asking not to be named.

Numerous fabricated stories have undermined the image of India's booming television media.

Last week, a television reporter in New Delhi was charged with fomenting riots after the LiveIndia station aired a sting operation that allegedly exposed a school teacher forcing female students into prostitution.

Furious parents of the supposed victims publicly stripped 42-year-old teacher Uma Khurana and went on a rampage. The sting was later found to have been faked.

At least 40 Indian cable news channels are battling for ratings today.


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Shirt as tall as two-storeyed building

You can easily go in its pocket and take a nap, enter from its neckline and sneak out of its sleeves accompanied by a friend. Welcome to the 'biggest shirt' in India, as tall as a two-storeyed building.

This 20-feet-long and over 10-feet-wide shirt is the realisation of a big dream by Mahtab Alam, a small businessman in Phusro, a small town in Jharkhand.

"I always wanted to do something different. I often read in newspapers and watched on television about people doing something unique and I wanted to be one of them," Alam, who was in the capital to apply for a place in the Limca Book of Records, told media.

Its pocket measures 3.4 x 4.2 feet, collar 7 feet, sleeves 14 x 5 feet and cuffs 5 x 1.8 feet. The shoulders are 6.8 feet long. For buttons, 17 carom board strikers have been drilled into the cloth.


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Celina Jaitley Turns Prankster

Here is Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley who played a practical joke on an unsuspecting New Zealand director by teaching him insults in Hindi language.

At a party during the recent filming of "Love Has No Languages" in New Zealand, Jaitley urged Kiwi director Ken Khan to greet Indian guests by saying: "Namaste, tera baap chor hain," or "Greetings, your father is a thief."

Khan fell for it.

"You should have seen the expression on the guests' faces when Ken actually said that to them. They were just stunned and did not know how to react," Jaitley told the Mumbai Mirror newspaper. "Of course, later I told the guests that it was a prank that I had played on him."

The movie about cross-cultural romance has Jaitley playing an Indian girl brought up in New Zealand who falls in love with Kiwi actor Ben Mitchell. The romance sets Jaitley on a collision course with her conservative parents who want her to marry an Indian.

Jaitley is among a growing number of Indian actors starring in overseas productions.

Jaitley won the Miss India contest in 2001 as a beauty queen and made her Bollywood debut two years later. She has since acted in more than 10 Hindi-language movies.


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Deer, foxes, pigeons, crows wait for this 'friend' to bring food

Here is 60 years old Chaganlal Mali, from Bikaner in Rajasthan state of India. Whenever, he reaches the woods every evening, there is a crowd eagerly waiting - deer, foxes, pigeons, crows - for the food that he unfailingly brings them.

Chaganlal, who runs a betel nut shop in the city, has been taking grain and leafy vegetables for his bird and animal friends for the past seven years, undeterred by sweltering heat or severe cold.

He arrives at 4 in the evening and spends four to five hours feeding wild animals and birds in the forested area between Murlidhar Vyas Colony and Naal, about four kilometres from Bikaner, in the Indian desert state of Rajasthan.

'I am doing this for over seven years. I began this when this part of Rajasthan was passing through one of the worst droughts in 2000,' as per Chaganlal.

'I saw many animals dying because of lack of water and food. So I decided to bring these things for them. And since then, it has become a ritual for me.'

He begins his day arranging for the food and water he has to carry for the animals.
'Three or four people help me. We do this out of our love for these birds and animals,' Chaganlal said. 'As soon I reach the forest with food in my hand, the animals and birds, especially the deer and crows, come close to me.

'The animals are able to smell the food and turn up in good numbers.

'I usually take rice, jowar, pearl millet and green vegetables, and they love it. I thank god for giving me the power to do this.

'When I started coming there, a lot of rabbits would come for the food. But now I don't see any. Only the deer, foxes, wild cats, blue bulls and birds come. Maybe the rabbits have fallen prey to poaching,' Chaganlal said.


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Who cancelled the flight? It was Rat

Just the presence of a rat inside a flight led to it's cancellation. A Port Blair-bound "Indian" flight cancelled its journey minutes before take off from here today as the pilot noticed a rat inside the aircraft.

All 142 passengers had boarded the Airbus A-320 aircraft when the rat was found, airport sources said.

As the pilot refused to take off with the rat onboard, all passengers were disembarked and a thorough search was launched for the "ticket less passenger", the sources said.

As the search proved fruitless for hours, the flight was cancelled and the passengers were accommodated in various city hotels, Indian sources said.


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Japan Airlines fined for serving Beef

A consumer court in New Delhi has imposed a fine on Japan Airlines for serving beef to a devout Hindu during a flight, a newspaper reported Friday.

The State Consumer Redressal Forum on Thursday slapped a fine of 50,000 rupees (1,258 dollars) on Japan Airlines for serving beef to a Delhi resident, GL Aggarwal, who had taken a flight to San Francisco on September 13, the Hindustan Times reported.

"The hurting of sentiments cannot be measured in terms of money. However taking into consideration the deficiency of service on part of Japan Airlines, we have to compensate in terms of money," the forum's president KK Chopra was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

The order comes three months after another consumer court in Delhi asked a domestic airline to pay a compensation of 20,000 rupees to a vegetarian who had a similar experience.

Aggarwal had complained to the court that though he had specified that he wanted an vegetarian meal on the flight he was given beef as there were no more vegetarian meals.

Hindus worship and respect the cow as a matriarchal figure for her gentle qualities and providing milk and dairy products for a largely vegetarian diet. The cow holds a honoured place in the Hindu society and the consumption of beef is prohibited.

Cow slaughter is currently banned in all Indian states except Kerala in the south and Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura in the north-east.


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Fatwa against Salman Khan

It seems Muslim Clerics in India are in a habit of issuing "Religious Decrees" / "Fatwas" every now & then which at times seem amazing & weird. Earlier, once they said Mobile ringtones are un-islamic, read "Quran Verses As Ringtones, Not Allowed". Then they declared Suicide is 'Un-Islamic'. Then it was which said that Co-education system is “unlawful” . Then there was another one which called for banning photography for Muslims.

Now here is another Fatwa that has been issued against Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan. Salman Khan came into trouble following issuance of a fatwa by Ifta-Manzar-e-Islam of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh state of India against idol worship.

Mufti Fakir Qadri Mohammad Farukh Gafrutula had issued the fatwa early this week on behalf the Ifta-Manzar-e-Islam on worshipping of idols by any Muslim.

The Mufti, while talking to UNI from Bareilly, stressed that the fatwa was not particularly against Salman Khan.

Under the fatwa, a Muslim will have to read the 'Kalma' again to re-enter Islam if he or she worships an idol.

The fatwa was sought by Maulana Adnan Raza Kadri of All India Raza Action Committee.

On Sunday last, media reports said that Salman Khan and his family members worshipped the idol of Lord Ganesh and danced during the immersion of the idol.




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Free-for-all fight between the bride and bridegroom's relatives

It was a free-for-all fight between the bride and bridegroom's sides with the latter being beaten and chased by the bride's relatives after the bridegroom's family asked for a car as dowry. Incident happenned in a village near Tanda town in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district.

Relatives of the bride, Jaswinder Kaur, had decided to call off the wedding before the ceremony began but not before teaching a lesson to the family of groom Gurvinder Singh, an army solider. On Tuesday, when the groom's wedding party arrived at the venue of the wedding near Miani village, about 200 km from Chandigarh, the bride's party started raising slogans against them for demanding dowry. Even Jaswinder, dressed in her bridal finery, joined her relatives in sloganeering.

The groom's party tried to flee from the spot but were chased by village youths. Though the groom managed to escape in one vehicle, the bride's side caught his mother and some other relatives and they were given a sound thrashing.

The groom's mother was forced to bow before the bride and seek her forgiveness by touching her feet repeatedly.


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Loudspeakers used for news updates

Newspapers read over the loudspeaker in a remote village in Manipur state of India keep villagers updated about current events.

The Paothang Channel is the only source of news for the thousands of villagers in Takhel village situated in the Baruni hills in Imphal district.

The villagers have thanked K. Biren Singh, a farmer, for deciding to launch the loudspeaker news reading programme.

Every morning, Singh and another villager, Romita Devi, read out the news from regional newspapers through a microphone. It reaches villagers via loudspeakers.

Singh initiated the programme with the help of the district council, which made arrangements for microphones and other equipment.

The news is read out from the Takhel Primary School. "Though sometimes the news is dated, it has made people more aware," said L. Irabanta Singh, the headmaster of school.


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All the men in Village, pl. strip off

In a bizzare incident, every man in Boraj village in Rajasthan state of India was made to strip to his underwear for inspection before village leaders investigating the rape and murder of a woman, as per police and villagers.

Members of the village council publicly inspected the bodies of around 1,500 men and boys one by one for signs of a violent struggle in Boraj village in Rajasthan state of India.

"This is a very old tradition of the panchayat," Tara Rawat, the village's elected leader, said.

Every male between 10 and 60 was inspected, Rawat said.

However they found no marks that might connect any of the men with the crime.


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Behind every successful Man there is a Woman

For a Punjab engineer from Mohali in Punjab state of India, it was his wife who proved to be the woman behind this man's success as he won a bounty of Rs.10 million(US$ 2,50,000)in the state lottery as his wife forced him to buy a ticket.

The man, Kulwinder Singh, won the Rakhi bumper of Punjab State Lottery and he says his wife Maninder Kaur proved lucky for him. They were married in April.

'I was never interested in buying a lottery ticket. But this time my wife insisted that I buy a ticket. And to make her happy I bought it,' a visibly happy Kulwinder said after winning the lottery.

He now plans to buy a house from the money he has won.

Originally hailing from Kashmir, Kulwinder's family settled in Mohali, a suburb of Chandigarh, a few years ago.

The Punjab State Lottery is quite popular in the state and other parts of the country. Lotteries are, however, banned in neighbouring Haryana and Chandigarh.


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Tea vendor paid Rs 8 lakh as income tax

A vendor who sells tea and snacks in Pali district paid Rs 8 lakh ( US$ 20,000) as income tax after officials found undeclared assets worth Rs 25 lakh(US$ 62,500). The vendor, whose stall is in Rohit village on the Jodhpur-Pali road in Rajasthan state of India, paid the amount yesterday.

The officials also seized Rs 1 crore in cash during a raid on a gutkha manufacturer’s premises.

The raids were conducted at the premises of the businessman located in Jodhpur, Mumbai, Udaipur, Kota, Bikaner and Ajmer

During the raids, jewellery worth several lakh rupees were also found from four lockers owned by the businessman.


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A village where houses have no doors

Recently Sanjay Dutt, the famous bollywood star visited the “Shingnapur Shani Temple”. He has been facing the legal problems from sometime and had to stay in jail. He visited the temple to pray for getting relieved from his problems. Now here below is about the “Shingnapur Shani Temple” where the temple is without a roof & the villagers of Shingnapur have their houses without doors and without any glass panes on the windows.


In today’s scientific world, the inexplicable events of God Shani in Shingnapur in Maharashtra state of India leave his devotees bewildered. No matter how much staunch an atheist one is, in the presence of Shani, one’s head automatically bows in reverence. Though there are many sacred places in Maharashtra devoted to God Shani, Shingnapur holds a unique significance. Shingnapur is situated on the Pune-Aurangabad Highway, about 70 kms far from Shirdi. Its unusual qualities make it a distinct place of pilgrimage any where in the world; one can realize it only after a personal visit.

Over here women are not allowed to worship the deity. Women are not allowed to touch the deity but they can have darshan from some distance.

God without a dwelling:

The swayambhu (natural-formed) idol of Lord Shani is of a natural black color. Standing eternally open on an altar for around 150 years, it is 5'-9" high and 1'-6" broad. Lord Shani never accepts any chhatra (shelter). This abode of Shani Dev is a massive roofless structure built on a square platform. It is open from all sides. This can well be witnessed as even in hot sun, whirlwind, rain, heat or cold, whatever the weather the deity stands here without a shelter. Many people in the past and even in the present have tried to raise a temple for the deity but in vain. "Lord Shani has invariably appeared in the dreams telling them, ‘I do not need any shelter’. He prefers to stay in the open and protects his devotees", believes a member of the Trust. It is an irony that even though Shingnapur is a very popular and important place of pilgrimage, it has to date no temple to house the unusual deity and to enhance its beauty.

Village having houses without doors:

Shingnapur, a sleepy village of around 3000 people, has no doors and no glass panes on the windows of the local houses. One uses either wooden planks or curtains on the doors just to ward off stray animals. The practice of bolting or locking the houses is conspicuous by its absence. And this all is reportedly done at the "command of Lord Shani". No theft ever occurs here, as the Lord Shani, the guardian deity of the village is always there to mete out instant punishment” so claim the residents of Shani-Shinganapur and this claim has become its claim to fame.

As per the villagers: "We don’t find this practice strange anyway. We have been doing it for thousands of years. We keep our money and valuables in a bag or a box; they are never stolen. Even the devotees who come here for darshan are told not to lock their vehicles. There are no thieves. If anyone steals he will have to pay for his misdeed by the miracle of God Shani."


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How to catch Snakes? Join Classes now

Wanna learn how to catch snakes, here is a teacher who teaches this trick. Meet Chaman Singh Chauhan from Udaipur, the city of lakes in India's desert state of Rajasthan, who takes classes on snakes, their habits, their habitats and even how to catch them!!!!!!!!

Everything and anything on snakes is taught in his class - their identification, their ways, antidotes to their bites and also anecdotes associated with the slithering beings.

Chauhan, a snake lover, has been taking these classes for nearly four years now at his home in Udaipur and that too free of cost. His classes on snakes attracts 10-15 people each session. And his students could be anywhere between 9 years old and 25 years old.

While his theory classes look like any normal tuition session, his practical lessons - complete with live snakes for demonstration - could give anyone a fright. Snakes are caught for imparting knowledge to students and they are later released in the nearby forest area, he clarified.

'I tell my students that in Rajasthan over 250 species of snakes are found and of these only four are poisonous. Cobra and viper are the most poisonous and most of the snakes do not come near human territory,' explained Chauhan, who is considered an encyclopedia on snakes.

'We have a lot of misconceptions about snakes. Most of the snakes are man's friend as they save crops in the field by eating rats and other rodents,' he pointed out.


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Fire Engines are not for Film Shooting

Recently bollywood star Ajay Devgan wanted to film rain sequence for his upcoming film "U Me Aur Hum". Earlier he had attempted filming the sequence using water tankers. But he was not too happy with the results as the machines were not powerful enough and did not give the desired effect. Then Ajay approached the fire brigade department for a few fire engines.

As per one source, “The fire brigade department was taken aback at our request. After much dilly-dallying they said that they cannot give out the machines for a film shoot.”

Below was the reply of the fire brigade department:

“Devgan did come to us and wanted these fire engines for shooting. However, we maintain that these machines are used only to put out fires in the city and not for any other purpose.”


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Boy tied to Horse, dragged for two km

In a shocking incident a ten-year-old boy was tied to it and dragged for 15 minutes by the Gujjars community members. Incident happened in Jalandhar in Punjab state of India.

The ordeal ended only when the badly injured boy, Etawari Lal, cried in pain and his parents raised an alarm.

The incident took place when the boy, along with his parents, was guarding the field of his landlord and a horse belonging to the Gujjars entered in it for grazing.

The boy chased the animal away following which the owners of the horse tied the boy to the animal and brutally dragged him, according to a complaint registered by the parents.

Etawari Lal said the "horse was grazing and I went to stop it. Some boys from the Gujjar community came and beat me up. They tied me to the horse and dragged me on the ground".

The injured boy was taken to a hospital and a complaint was lodged with the police, SHO Sakkatar Singh said.

However, when the investigation was on, parents of the boy approached him for withdrawal of their complaint, most probably after striking a compromise, Singh said.

The parents have now said that it was an accident and nobody was to be blamed for it.


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Man bitten by Bear at Zoo

While at Zoo, beware of animals. A man at a zoo teasing a bear had to pay dearly as the furious animal reacted by biting his hand.

Caretakers at the zoo in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh state of India said that Mahmood, the visitor, put his hand through the cage and repeatedly touched the sloth bear.

Irritated, the bear held the man's hand in his jaws and let go only after the man screamed in pain. The bleeding man was rushed to a hospital and treated with 11 stitches.


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Photo ID cards for Cows

Till now you might have heard of Photo ID cards for humans but have you ever heard of Photo ID cards being issued for cows or other cattle? Yes, to prevent Indian cattle being smuggled along India's border into Bangladesh, authorities have come up with a solution to issue Photo ID cards for the cattle.

People of Murshidabad in West Bengal state of India, a district bordering Bangladesh, were asked by the authorities to prepare identification photos for all local cattle.

The ID cards are being issued by the local administration to help the Indian Border Security Force and police intercept cattle smuggled across the border.

According to one estimate, at least 25,000 cows are smuggled into Bangladesh every day from India, mostly through the Indian state of West Bengal.

People in border villages are busy getting their cattle photographed in local studios for the special ID cards to avoid harassment by the security force and police who often raid villages in search of cattle waiting to be smuggled to Bangladesh slaughterhouses.

Valid for two years, each laminated cattle ID card, apart from displaying the picture of the animal and its owner, carries vital information about the animal, such as its color, height, sex and length of horns. It carries the owner's name and address and sometimes descriptions of the animal like one "horn missing" or "half tail lost."


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Teen boy Marries a Hill in India

Isn't it weird that someone marries a hill so that his mother could "clear herself of a curse". The rationale behind all such things can never be ascertained as these are simply beyond any reason.

Here is this 16-year-old youth Robin from Jharkhand village in India, who was married to a hill so that his mother could "clear herself of a curse".

The marriage of Robin, a resident of Bordih village in Jamshedpur, about 170 km from Ranchi, was solemnised with Laxmi hill. Robin garlanded the top of the hill and kissed it. Laxmi hill was also decorated by the villagers. A grand feast was organised for 400 villagers. Robin's mother, Keswari Devi, once fell down and injured herself while climbing the hill.

She believed that she had been cursed by the hill, which should be appeased at any cost.


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Love Story of two Elephants

Here is the Love Story of two elephants where a wild tusker broke through the fence of a circus and eloped with a female circus elephant.

The incident occurred at Kumarbazar in Raniganj in West Bengal state of India, where the Olympic Circus had put up a tent 10 days ago.

Drawn by calls of the four female elephants in the circus, the 26-year-old tusker raided the circus, broke the tin barricade and barged into the stable where the female elephants were kept, reports said.

After scanning the four pachyderms, he finally settled for Savitri - four years older than him - and coaxed her into fleeing with him into the jungle. It didn't take long for Savitri to give in to his wild charms. Despite entreaties from her keeper, the female elephant broke free of her shackles and went with him into the jungle, where the residents spotted the two frolicking near a pond.

The tale of love and passion has shocked Savitri's manager Chandranath Banerjee, who has sought the Forest Department's help to trace the female elephant. "I have never seen anything like this. Savitri's loss could be huge as she was one of our prized elephants," he said.

The elephants were finally spotted moving from Badam Bagan to Nepali Para in Raniganj by a district Forest officer in Durgapur, Kumar Bimal.

When a team of Forest Department officials along with her keeper Kalimuddin Sheikh tried cajoling Savitri to come back, she entwined her trunk around her lover's leg in a show of defiance.

A crestfallen Kalimuddin said this was the first time she had disobeyed him.

"I have raised Savitri since childhood and she has always been obedient. But the tusker seems to have won her affection," he said.


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3 year old reads newspapers and books

Here is this three-year old prodigy Arjya Niskam from the steel city of Rourkela in Orissa state of India who surprised everybody when he started reading newspapers and books and the fact is he is yet to start his schooling.

Arjya was born on May 14, 2004 in Rourkela and started reading newspaper headlines when he turned two years and seven months old. Arjya surprised many by reading election papers and slogans for mass education movement all written in Oriya language with clear pronunciation.


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Traffic Cop slapped by impatient mother

An impatient mother when got stuck at a traffic stop & was running late for her son’s school, slapped a cop in Kolkatta city in West Bengal State of India.

Susmita Chandra (33) was taking her son to school when she got stuck at Cossipore crossing on BT Road at 10.30 am. After fuming for a while, she decided to investigate the reason for the jam. At the head of the bumper-to-bumper gridlock stood a taxi driver and a motorcyclist, fighting over a minor collision. Traffic constable Abdul Mannan Mullick stood some distance away.

Susmita went up to Mullick and allegedly shouted at him for "standing mute in the middle of the road". The constable also said something in reply, after which she slapped him across the face.

As per one eyewitness, Susmita seemed "extremely agitated" at being stuck in the jam and shouted at Mullick. "The cop was initially stunned by the slap. On seeing the woman rush across to the other side of the road, he blocked her way and contacted the traffic guard," he said.

This act of her's has landed her in jail for four days.


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Cops become Snake Charmers

Cops in Utter Pradesh state of India have taken up a new job. Cops of Kakrauli police station, in Muzaffarnagar, have been reduced to mere snake charmers. For, they prefer to carry a "Been(snake charmers musical instrument)" to a baton or bullets.

They are forced to do so to avoid the poisonous snakes, that visit the police station every now and then.

Though the police officers posted at Kakrauli have tried every possible method to curb the menace, nothing has proved effective. Not even a four-feet-deep pit dug around the police station boundary wall or appointing a professional snake charmer, has rid the premise of the reptiles.

"We cannot bring our families to live with us at the police quarters constructed in the vicinity of the police station for the fear of snakes," Sirohi says.

Local villagers attribute this snake phenomenon to folklore that quite a few snakes were killed by the labourers involved in the construction of the police station about half a decade ago. But the police officers who had once held the charge of the police station insist that the menace is because of Berda jungles which are in close vicinity.


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Lawyer applies Mehndi / Heena for non-stop 12 hours

In India in a bid to enter the "Limca Book of Records", people are doing all sort of things, some sing incessantly for "n" numbers of hrs, while some do other feats. But here is a woman lawyer who tried to make a record by applying Mehndi / Heena to 229 hands non-stop in 12 hours.

The 35-year-old Mona Raju from Salem in Tamil Nadu state of India who is practicing in the city courts, undertook the exercise from 7.30 am yesterday in the presence of a large gathering at the Gujarati Samaj premises.

Salem Mayor Rekha Priyadarshini was among the women who offered their hands for applying mehndi. The Mayor got it done only on one hand.

Arthi of Limca Book of Records, who was present on the occasion, said Mona in fact wanted to go for a 24-hour long effort but she was advised to limit it to 12 hours as the existing record was 80 hands in six hours only.


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Frozen bodies found in Himalayas 40 years later

Himalayan ranges in India are almost covered with snow & in these snowy ranges, Indian soldiers have discovered the frozen bodies of three victims half-buried in snow on a glacier at an altitude of 17,500 feet (5,300 metres). The snow-preserved body of an Indian soldier Mahendranath Phukan was given to his family, nearly 40 years after he died in a plane crash in the Himalayas.

"The body is intact and not decomposed," said an army commander, who asked not to be named in keeping with army protocol.

The corpses were discovered close to where an army plane crashed in 1968 in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh state, but the army has not yet disclosed the identity of the other two victims.

Only one other body has even been found following the crash, in which all 102 passengers are believed to have been killed.

Phukan's body, wrapped in the Indian flag, was given to his family on Tuesday morning in Deodhai Gaon Deuri Chuk village in Assam, a state in north-eastern India, the commander said.


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Goat who is fond of meat and booze!!!!!!!

Goats are generally vegetarian. They eat grass, fruit and vegetables but have you ever heard of a goat who eats meat and drinks liquor!!! Yes, here is a goat named " Mantu",who is fond of all these stuff. There is a goat at the "Sana Bada Dhaba", a roadside eatery, 350 kms from the state capital Bhubaneswar in Orissa state of India, who's staple diet is cooked meat of other goats & this goat drinks liquor too.

'The animal has been living in the dhaba since its birth and slowly developed the habit of eating non-vegetarian food,' as per the dhaba owner Sana Naik.

Mantu does not like grass - the staple diet of other goats. 'The goat eats the cooked meat of other goats that we serve to customers,' he said. 'Because of its peculiar habits, we are not killing it.'

The goat also drinks liquor. It obeys commands like monkeys.

'If you ask it to perform a death scene, it will lie on the ground as if dead. You ask it to show a fight scene, it will demonstrate like a warrior,' he said.

As per the dhaba owner Naik. 'I love the goat so much. It is like my own child. I am looking for a female goat as its bride,' Naik said. 'I am planning to organise the marriage in a big way, may be next August.

'I will also host a grand feast. My customers, who include ministers, legislators, officials, businessmen and journalists, have assured me that they will join the feast and bless the goat couple.'


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Driving Licences for Bullock Carts

In this Jet Set age Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) in Rajasthan state of India is planning to make it mandatory for drivers of bullock and camel carts to have licences and follow traffic rules.

The step is aimed at improving traffic movement in the historic city. "We have already prepared new by-laws for slow moving traffic in the city", as per one JMC officials.

As per the new by-laws, licences will be issued to drivers of slow moving vehicles after the JMC ascertains that the driver is not suffering from any infectious disease. The driver must be aged between 20 and 50 years, should have basic knowledge of traffic rules and should not have a criminal record.

As per the by-laws, there would be restrictions on the amount of load carried by slow moving vehicles. Parking of such vehicles in no parking zones would result in a fine of Rs.100 (US$ 2.5). Similarly, not driving in lanes fixed for these vehicles, overloading passengers or jumping the stop line would also attract a fine of Rs.100(US$ 2.5).

So take care if you are palnning to drive bullock or camel carts in Jaipur, you should be having the proper Driving Licence before you venture out on your trip.


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14 yr Labourer Son is a Computer Graduate

A 14-year-old boy from Lucknow in Utter Pradesh State of India who stunned the academic world by clearing class XII examinations at the age of 11 has accomplished another feat by becoming a computer graduate at the age of 14.

Shailendra passed the Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) from Lucknow University with first division (74.93 pc). His father Tej Bahadur Verma is a daily wage labourer and mother Chhaya Devi is illiterate. Earlier this year, his seven-year-old sister Sushma Verma became the youngest matriculate of the country, passing the UP Board’s Class X examination.

Shailendra has applied for Masters in Computer Applications in IGNOU and would prepare simultaneously for CAT. He wants a career in software development. “But it’s very early now,” he says. Right now his target is to get into an IIM.

About his experiences at the university, Shailendra says he felt a “some communication gap in the first semester with classmates who were much older. But within few months we became friendly. And in my final semester, I even helped some freshers.”


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Side effects of Love

In India Bollywood films show so many Love Stories in movies & many young people are inspired by these to emulate these stories. But here is the story of a person who emulated one such Love Story & landed himself in jail.

Here is a teenager, 19 yrs old who went so far to impress his girlfriend......Yes, here is Abogit Samson, an engineering student who stole a Mercedes- Benz from a Bangalore showroom & drove 1,000 kilometers in the stolen car, just to impress & meet his girlfriend, a student of Ruia College. But alas, Mumbai police arrested him for his reckless rush when he was intercepted along with two friends, both teenagers, on a flyover after a chase.

“The boy told me he did this to impress his girlfriend, whom he had met when he was living in Mumbai. We have lodged a vehicle theft offence and handed the boys to Bangalore police,” said deputy commissioner Sunil Ramanand.

Asked if Samson, whose father works with a multinational company in Bangalore, met his girlfriend, Ramanand said: “No. I am sure she would not have been impressed with the antics of her boyfriend.”

The police said Samson, whose family moved to Bangalore a few years back, and his friends — Nitin Joseph, 17, and Neeraj Mohandas, 16 — visited the showroom on Wednesday on the pretext of buying a second-hand Mercedes.

Samson told the staff he wanted to go on a test drive and drove around the Silicon city with a showroom representative before assaulting and throwing him out of the car.

He then hit the highway to Mumbai, 998km away, for the scent of his woman, much like the blind Lt-Col Frank Slade who goes on an audacious test ride by zipping around New York City in a Ferrari.

But unlike Samson, Slade, immortalized by Al Pacino in the film Scent of a Woman, took off to fulfill one of his last wishes.


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India not Shining

"India Shining", "Indian economy rising at 9-10% per annum", "India has maximum number of Dollar Billionaires in Asia", "India nowadays has maximum per capita income since India became independent in 1947". All these phrases paint a rosy picture of India which is emerging as a great economy but here are the hard facts about India.

The number of people below the poverty line may have come down, but 79% of unorganized workers, 88% of SC/STs, 80% of the OBC population and 84% of Muslims belong to the "poor and vulnerable group". Around 836 million people in India that is seventy-seven percent of Indians live on less than half a dollar a day in one of the world's hottest economies, a government report said.

The state-run National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS) said most of those living on below 20 rupees (50 US cents) per day were from the informal labor sector with no job or social security, living in abject poverty.

"For most of them, conditions of work are utterly deplorable and livelihood options extremely few," said the report, entitled "Conditions of Work and Promotion of Livelihoods in the Unorganized Sector" as per the report.

"Such a sordid picture co-exists uneasily with a shining India that has successfully confronted the challenge of globalization powered by economic competition both within the country and across the world."

Around 26% of India's population lives below the poverty line, which is defined as 12 rupees per day, said officials.

Economic liberalization since the early 1990s has created a 300 million-strong middle class and led to an average annual economic growth of 8.6% over the last four years, but millions of the country's poor remain untouched by the boom.

According to the report, based on data from 2004-2005, 92% of India's total workforce of 457 million were employed as agricultural laborers and farmers, or in jobs such as working in quarries, brick kilns or as street vendors.

The report said the majority of those working and living under "miserable conditions" were lower castes, tribal people and Muslims and the most disadvantaged of these were women, migrant workers and children.

So on this 15th August though India celebrates it's 60th Independence day but here is the hard fact that in India of today rich are getting richer while poor are getting poorer.


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Man gets toothbrush stuck in throat

Here is this old man aged 60 from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu state of India who got stuck a six-inch-long toothbrush accidentally in his throat. Doctors in the Government Hospital here successfully removed it fron man's throat.

Ramasamy, a plantation worker, was brushing his teeth when the incident happenned.
Narrating the incident to his wife, Ramasamy complained of severe throat pain. He was taken to the Pollachi Government hospital, from where he was referred to Coimbatore, Dr Kumaran, Dean (in-charge) of the Hospital said.

After carrying out endoscopy, the doctors located the brush and removed it carefully, without damaging the windpipe or tearing the tissues, Kumaran said.


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Peepal weds Neem tree!!!!!!

Whether Aishwarya Rai married a tree before she wed Abhishek, may be debatable ( Amitabh Bachchan denied such reports after her marriage to Abhishek) but here is a bizarre marriage that actually happened between two Trees in Southern India.

Villagers of a non-descript hamlet Elakampalayam near Sirumuga village in Tamil Nadu state of India carried out a wedding between 'Neem' and 'Peepal' trees in an effort to spread the message to save trees & forests which are a boon of nature & for keeping the environment pollution-free.

The marriage was solemnized by priest of Balamuniyappa temple in the village amidst chanting of hymns and Nadaswaram recital, similar to a typical south Indian marriage.

The priest tied the nuptial knot on the Neem tree on behalf of the 'bridegroom' Peepal.

Both the trees were adorned with flowers. Neem tree was given a bridal look by draping a yellow silk saree over it while peepal was covered with a golden-silk saree, according to villagers who attended the 'marriage function'.

After the marriage, around 100 villagers assembled there blessed the 'couple' by throwing the 'sacred rice' mixed with vermilion and sandal in line with the tradition.


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Indian PM would have been shot in China for lying: George Fernandes

In a bizarre statement former Indian Defense minister George Fernandes has said that if Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was China’s head of government he would have been shot for “bluffing” to the nation over a controversial nuclear deal with the United States.

The agreement opens the way for civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries, but critics say it will eventually hurt India’s nuclear security because of US laws on nuclear trade governing the pact.

Accusing the PM of “betraying” the country by going ahead with the nuclear deal, George Fernandes said: “If it were China, they would have settled it with one bullet in his head.”

“The prime minister of the country has betrayed the nation by continuous bluffing, something unbecoming of the head of the government... The Americans chose to make a monkey of our PM by using the 60th birthday of India to spill the beans... what PM has succeeded in doing is to strip our armed forces from the strength that was created by the Vajpayee govt.”


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Multiplexes and Shopping malls in Jail Land

Punjab Government in India has decided to offer Vacant land of various Jails in Punjab for setting up multiplexes and shopping malls.

Punjab cabinet approved the transfer of vacant land of jails at Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ferozpore to the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) for commercial use.

As the cities and towns expanded, these jail properties had come to be in their centre. Jail officials had also expressed security concerns about these jails being inside towns.

Nearly 300 acres of land for an open jail in Kapurthala district would also be transferred to a state government agency for setting up a new industrial focal point there.

A proposal for a multi-specialty hospital for treating prisoners was also cleared for Faridkot district. This will cater to prisoners of all Punjab jails.


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Ship stray dogs to Korea: Delhi councilor

In India, New Delhi councilor Mohan Prashad Bharadwaj has given a weird solution to the problem of stray dogs. Already New Delhi's stray dogs lead a difficult life. But if it was up to Mohan Prashad, they would find themselves in more hot water - soup to be precise.

Shipping the thousands of strays to Korea, where dog meat is widely consumed in soup, was one of the more outlandish ideas proposed at a city council meeting to deal with the problem, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.

None of the ideas - from the aforementioned Korean plan to drugging the canines so they sleep through the day - are likely to be implemented anytime soon. Instead, the council chairman asked the presumably more responsible veterinary department to come up with a workable plan.

Tens of thousands of strays live in New Delhi. Many are often cared for by people in the areas they live, but some become aggressive, and bites and rabies are a problem. Efforts to sterilize them have been largely unsuccessful.

City councilor Mohan Prashad Bharadwaj said he had read that Koreans are fond of dog meat and "maybe we can send all the stray dogs of Delhi there," the paper quoted him as saying.

A soup with dog meat called boshintang is popular in Korea, especially on the three hot "dog days" of summer on the lunar calendar. The traditional belief is that dog meat helps boost stamina and virility, but activists regularly criticize the practice and call for bans on eating dog meat.


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Cops go Bananas over Jewel thief but Chicken & Rice help

Here is a thief from Kolkata city in West Bengal state of India who snatched a gold necklace worth US $11,00 from a woman as she shopped for toys & when cornered by police, he swallowed the necklace.

Police then thought of an ingenious way to retrieve the gold necklace swallowed by the thief - by making him gorge on bananas till he emitted it the natural way.

Mohsin alias Jainal has been made to swallow 36 bananas but the police had not been able to recover the precious piece of jewellery. Not willing to give up, they placed orders for more bananas. But when bananas could not do their job, police fed Mohsin rice, chicken and local bread, reported the BBC.

Finally the necklace, which appeared on an X-ray taken on the suspect, was excreted and retrieved.

Mohsin had snatched the gold chain worth Indian Rs.45,000 (US $11,00) from Kiran Bahari, a resident of Lower Rawdon Street in central Kolkata. But he was caught by residents and handed over to the police.

A trader in the vicinity said he had seen Mohsin popping the chain into his mouth.


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Freedom Fighter, 83, Pulls Rickshaw For Living

Just imagine a person who fought the British Raj for India's freedom before year 1947. One who feels the bullet and baton injuries he suffered in the Quit India movement of 1942 pale in the face of his miseries today. One who is 83 years old now & one who is forced to pull a rickshaw on the streets of Jharkhand state of India.

Yes, here is Somar Sundi aged 83 years, who is deprived of a freedom fighter's pension and deserted by the children from his first marriage & is pulling a rickshaw at this age just to survive. Sundi who is a resident of Hazaribagh district, took to pulling rickshaws after suffering huge losses in the vegetable business two years ago.

Sundi had sustained two bullet wounds on the shoulder in a police firing during the Quit India movement. 'I fought for freedom along with Jayaprakash Narayan,' he said.

'Those who are in power have forgotten the freedom fighters and the importance of independence.'

The emaciated Sundi does not get any pension, as he has no records to prove that he was a freedom fighter, though his neighbors vouch for it.

Sometimes he has to cut down on food to pay the house rent.

Sundi said the children from his second marriage were too young to earn a living. 'There is no one who can help us. At present I have no option but to pull a rickshaw for survival,' he said.

He wishes things could change once again. 'We need to launch a second movement to end corruption and poverty to fulfil the desire of Mahatma Gandhi.'

Jaswa Devi, his second wife, is also bitter: 'The person who gave his youth to the country's independence is struggling to eke out a living. This reflects the plight of the country.'

It's high time Indian Government takes care of this old man who devoted so many years for India's freedom from British Raj.


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Astrologers see tough times for India

These days astrologers too have found a place, to be in the news, Thanks, courtesy media......Earlier astrologers used to predict the future of a person but now with the calculation of the movements of Mars, Saturn, etc. astrologers are able to predict the future of a Nation!!!!!!!!!! Now what holds for India August 5 onwards?????? As per these astrologers there is a gloomy picture ahead of time.

Some astrologers claim that after August 5, India might be headed for a troubled period that could last till the end of 2009. According to noted astrologer N P Seshadri, Saturn (shani) will move from sun sign Cancer (kadagarashi) to Leo (simrashi). Saturn's movement along with the influence of the Sun (they are inimical to each other) could spell potential disaster.

"There will be a lot of disturbance and chaos in the country. An important political leader might even be eliminated and the nation will see major accidents," intones Seshadri.

So Dear Indians, here is a good time to take Life Insurance, House Insurance, Home Gadgets Insurance etc. etc. & just check whether you have renewed your Car Insurance or not!!!!! Isn't it weird that astrologers predict all such things for a nation................


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Indian Quacks

In India Quacks ( fake doctors ) can be seen in any city but here is one who has weird ways of treating his patients. He operates his patients with sword and needle.

In this case a patient suffering from appendicitis chooses to go to a 'surgeon' who is actually a baba / quack.

And believe it or not, this surgeon uses swords to operate upon people, patches them up with adhesive bandages and then gives them blood as medicine and his temporary operation theatre - a temple in Bihar's Vaishali district.

"I have operated with sword and needle. People believe me and that's what matters," says the 'doctor' who goes by the name of Shankar Baba.

Those who undergo surgery are later made to drink the baba's blood to recover fast. The man claims to possess a cure for diseases other than appendicitis too.

His treatment methods include jumping on the stomach and neck of patients, who could be as young as six years old and he charges his patients anything between Indian Rs 51(US$ 1.25) and Rs 500( US$ 12.5) depending on the 'treatment'.



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150-metre-high Hill vanishes in India

Till now you might have seen buildings getting razed by explosives but what would you call to an event if a 150-metre-high Hill vanishes from your eyes in no time. Yes, villagers of Tainani in Tripura state of India stood stunned and terrified as the mighty hill that stood solid for ages, disappeared in front of their eyes without any apparent rhyme or reason.

There was no earthquake, not even a mild tremor that the villagers could feel. But the hill vanished all the same, as if sucked into a mighty pit in the earth's womb, slowly taking down with it the trees and bushes that stood upon it.

The mystery unfolded on July 21. The day began with an intermittent drizzle, with the heavy cloud-cover often yielding glimpses of the pale blue sky. For the Tainani villagers, this hide and seek of rain and sunlight was nothing unusual. They carried on with their daily routine till the unthinkable happened at around 11 am.

But on Saturday, the calm was broken by a deep-throated gurgling sound that came from below. "At first, we did not give it much importance and carried on with jhum cultivation in the adjacent hills. The noise became louder with every passing moment and after about 30 minutes, with a big boom, the hill started steadily going down," says Kalijay Reang, who saw the hill going down.


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For Rs 5, Father kills Son

Indian Rs 5 ( US$ 0.13) is a paltry amount but a man in Jharkhand paid with his life refusing this much amount to his father to buy liquor.

According to local media reports, Madhu Gope, a resident of Jhirpai village of East Singhbhum district, about 170 km from Ranchi, axed his son Mangal Gope, 24, to death for not getting Rs. 5.

When Mangal, a labourer, came home in the evening, Madhu demanded Rs.5 to buy liquor but the former refused. This infuriated Madhu and an altercation took place between father and son. Madhu hit Mangal on the head with an axe and he died on the spot. Madhu has been absconding since then.


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Indian Face of Mountain on Google Earth

Here is an Aerial picture of a mountain taken by Google Earth. In the picture of the Indian person , Giant Mountain Indian person is also appearing to having a headphone cord................may be he is listening to Apple- iPod


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Siamese baby being worshipped as 'Goddess'

Here is a Siamese baby who was born on July 4 to Geeta of the Indalpur Village near Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly District in India. This infant was born with two heads, four hands and two legs. But due to ignorance, villagers are worshipping this child as reincarnation of Goddess.

Ramesh, father of the twins, said: "On the fourth of this month, this child was born to my wife at 8'o clock. Everyone called her an incarnation of Devi (Goddess), as she has two heads, four hands and two legs. People come here from far off places, and offer money to my child out of respect."

Doctors suggest it could also be Siamese or conjoined twins, who are joined together physically at a particular part of the body. The newborn are conjoined at the torso.

Dr. Ashok Aggarwal, a surgeon with the Ruhelkhand, Medical College, said: "Such kinds of children are called as Siamese baby. They are no incarnation of God. It can be referred to as a mistake done by nature. When two eggs join at the time of fertilization, they grow together after that. They are no incarnation. They should be immediately operated to be separated so that life of both the babies can be saved.

He added that if they are continued to be treated as an incarnation, then life of both babies can come into danger. "Thus, to save their lives, operation is a must."

The news of the unusual child-birth spread very quickly. After initial hesitation and surprise, people started pouring in to have a glimpse of the child.

Elders in the infant's family are also delighted to have been blessed with 'the baby Goddess'.


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Monkey steals tourist's glasses

Just imagine , if during your visit to a foreign land you find that your costly reading glasses have been stolen from your hotel room. You shall be frustrated but more if the pair of glasses have been stolen by a monkey!!!!!!!. Exactly same thing happened with a South Korean tourist while he was visiting the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in northern India.

Kim Dang Hoon has filed a formal complaint against a monkey he says stole his reading glasses during his visit to the Varanasi.

Kim Dang Hoon says he opened his hotel room window for fresh air when the monkey made his move.

"He headed straight to the table where my glasses were kept and took it away," Kim said in the statement.

Part of the frame later was recovered by hotel staff and Kim said he filed the report so he can make a damages claim on his travel insurance.

Thousands of wild monkeys roam Varanasi, dotting the trees on the banks of the Ganges River and scampering through the city's many temples, where they are venerated as manifestations of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman.

On Tuesday, police combed Varanasi's alleys searching for the monkey.

"It is difficult to trace the monkey but I am trying my best to locate the rogue," investigating officer Inspector Govind Singh said from Varanasi, some 185 miles southeast of Lucknow.

"But we can't do anything. We cannot shoot them or beat them as Hindus worship monkeys," he said.


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Ghost fear shuts down School

Ghost, the name itself is enough to scare you. But just imagine if you happen to see a ghost. Just think if school children start seeing ghosts in their schools!!!!. Yes, a school in a West Bengal village is closed for the last five days, courtesy a "ghost" that resides in a haunted century-old neighborhood house and "possesses" young girl students at will.

Toiba High School at Kusumgram - a village in Burdwan district about 150 km from Kolkata - is stalked by the fear of an evil spirit these days after several girl students of the co-educational institution fell unconscious while in class.

Headmaster Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who was forced to declare holiday for an unspecified number of days, was uncertain whether classes could be resumed at all as superstition and wild rumors gripped not only the students but also their parents.

Trouble started on last Tuesday when Class 11 student Sweety Khatoon started feeling dizzy and fainted during the morning prayer. The same day, Class 12 student Sonali Khatoon fell unconscious in her classroom.

The following day, four Class 5 students fell unconscious in their classrooms. By Thursday, 11 girls had fallen sick.

All the students who fainted were girls, fuelling the fear that the "ghost" was targeting them.


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Wedding on a hospital bed

Till now you have heard of marriages taking place in temples, churches, community halls etc. but here is an interesting story from Bihar state of India where a marriage was solemnized on a hospital bed. This happened when Nawal Kumar who was going to marry Renu was attacked by some criminals when he was on his way to the bride's house at Mojipur village in Fatuha for the marriage. Ultimately Nawal Kumar married Renu on a hospital bed in Gaya.

"Some armed criminals attacked the bus carrying Kumar's marriage party and looted cash, gold chains and other valuables worth more than Rs.50,000. They also beat Kumar and others, in which his right leg was fractured," said Sanjay Kumar, a friend of the bridegroom.

Frightened after the attack, in which a dozen others were also injured, the marriage party returned to Kumar's village under the Barachatti police station in Gaya, a Maoist stronghold, without solemnizing the marriage.

The groom's father Ashok Kumar Tamrkar informed the bride's family about the incident and expressed his inability to visit their village for the marriage.
"I told the bride's father Raju Mistri that they have to come to Gaya for the marriage, otherwise I will cancel it because my family members and relatives were refusing to proceed to his village," Tamrkar said.

The bride and her family came to the hospital, where Kumar was lying on bed with a plastered leg and the marriage was solemnized by a priest with the chanting of hymns. Women offered prayers and conducted some rituals at a temple near the hospital.

Hundreds of people, including the hospital staff, nurses and doctors of the Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College hospital, where Kumar is admitted, watched this unique marriage.


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Child addicted to World's hottest Chilli

As per the earlier post Indian 'Ghost Chilli' - world's hottest, 'Bhut Jolokia chilli' or 'Ghost Chilli' has been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the hottest chilli on Earth. Interestingly a 17-month-old toddler in the eastern Indian state of Assam is addicted to the fiery Bhut Jolokia.

Jayanta Lahan's parents say the child, who lives in Romal village in Dibrugarh district, 500km east of Assam's main city Guwahati in India, happily munches his way through a handful of the chillies.

As per child's father, Ritul Lahan "On Monday, he ate about 50 Bhut Jolakias in about three to four hours without showing any signs of tears or burning sensation in his stomach."

Lahan said his son had eagerly devoured the chillies since he was eight months old.


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Children Shave off heads as Father of 7 marries widow with 8 children

In an interesting story, Children of a 45 year old married man shaved their heads in protest when their father in spite of being married, committed the illegal act of bigamy by marrying his much-in-love widow from Jharkhand state of India.

Jawahar Chaudhary, aged 45 & the father of seven Children married his beloved Priyanka Devi, aged 50, the mother of eight against the wishes of his children and wife. They were married last week in Giridih district of Jharkhand. Priyanka Devi too faced tough resistance from her children.

"We do not care what people think about us. We love each other and got married to live together. Love has no age bar and no one should oppose our marriage," said Jawahar. The newly-married couple are facing the ire of the villagers, who have decided to boycott them, according to local media reports.


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Taj Mahal & a Slum of Howrah

What is common between Taj Mahal & a dingy tenement in Howrah slum near Kolkata in West Bengal state of India?

Taj Mahal has been named one of the "New Wonders of the World" & here is "Sultana Begum", the 54-year-old great granddaughter-in-law of the last Mughal Emperor "Bahadur Shah Zafar", who was a direct descendent of Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. Sultana's husband, late Mirza Mohd Bedar Bukht, was the direct descendant of Bahadur Shah Zafar and crown queen Zeenat Mehal.

"Sultana Begum" lives in her home in a West Bengal slum at Howrah. She lives in a 66 sq ft dingy room at Foreshore Road in Howrah district & is getting Indian Rs.400 ( US$ 10 ) as monthly pension from the Indian government.

Nevertheless, she was full of joy & happiness when marble mausoleum in Agra was named one of the "New Wonders of the World" in Lisbon.

'It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I stayed up till late in the night to watch the telecast of the results from Lisbon,' an ecstatic Sultana Begum said.

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13-year-old girl married off for Rs 70,000

In a shocking incident, a A 13-year-old minor girl has been allegedly married off to a 35-year-old man in Moga district in Punjab state of India by her relatives who took Rs 70,000 for it.

Police on Thursday said they have filed a case against eight persons from Faridkot and Moga districts in this connection.

Read more --- Minor girl married off for Rs 70,000 in Punjab

Youth kills father over Rs.20 (US$ 0.5)

In a weird incident, a 22-year-old unemployed man in Orissa state of India allegedly killed his father for refusing to shell out Rs 20 (US$ 0.5) for consuming liquor at Tamada village, about 80 km from Rourkela.

Souika Pond, an alcoholic, asked his father Sukuru Pond (45), to give him Rs 20(US$ 0.5) for purchasing liquor, the police said.

On being refused, Souika attacked his father with a sharp weapon, killing him on the spot.

Efforts were on to nab the son who was absconding, the police said.

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