Feb

28

The most important thing

February 28, 2009 posted by indiatime | Leave a Comment

Eighteen years ago in Delhi, the then 37-year old shop owner Shabir Khan and his wife, a childless couple longing to raise a baby, adopted a Hindu friend’s daughter. For the next 18 years, Khan and his wife lovingly raised the girl as a Hindu, even building a little prayer room in their house, with pictures and idols of Hindu deities. For eighteen years, the family celebrated Hindu as well as Muslim festivities, building a quietly secular and affectionate home amidst the cacophony of secular talk and separatist noises outside. Days ago, the now 55-year old Khan and his wife tearfully gave away their daughter in a Hindu marriage, back to become a home lived by the Muslim couple.

In 1885, Russian writer wrote a story named ‘The Three Questions‘. The story tells the tale of a king who is baffled by three questions:

1. When is the most important time?
2. Who are the people most important to you?
3. What is the most important thing to do?

The king visits a wise man to seek answers to his questions. There, he finds a stranger emerging out of the woods, bleeding with a wound. The king tends to the stranger’s wounds, saving his life. The stranger confesses to the king that he had in fact come to assassinate the king to avenge a brother’s death. But now, thankful for his life, the man pledges loyalty to the king. The wise man now answers the king’s questions:

1. The most important time is now.
2. The most important person is the person next to you
3. The most important thing is to do a good deed for that person.

Shabir Khan and his wife did just that for 18 years. Well, almost. Their daughter Gudiya had recently cleared her 12th grade. The ideal thing would really have been for Gudiya to continue her studies and wait a few years to get married. But now that would be the most important thing for her Hindu businessman husband who, having married a young 18-year old, needs to do the right thing and encourage her to complete her studies instead of having her make babies.

Feb

27

Ethics alert for India Inc.

February 27, 2009 posted by indiatime | 1 Comment

There is growing concern in India about President Obama’s singling out the American corporations that currently outsource to India. That decision has more to do with the current economic crisis and less to do with the havoc wreaked by Indian companies like Satyam. Still, the list of Indian companies showing up on the malpractice radar seems to be growing every month, threatening to malign India’s hard-earned stature as a reliable trade partner.

Early last month, Satyam Computers, one of the biggest names in India’s IT outsourcing world, became synonymous with fraud and falsification when its CEO confessed to cheating on company’s books.

Earlier this month, several Indian-origin owners of American companies were arrested for H-1B visa fraud. The arrests marked but a drop in the bucket in the H-1B visa malpractice routinely being carried out mostly by Indian consulting companies, ranging from falsifying documents to disrespecting labor laws.

In the area of Pharmaceutical outsourcing, Ranbaxy laboratories, the largest Indian drug manufacturer was recently found to have faked lab tests and data to seek approvals for its drugs. This week, the US Food & Drug Administration decided to end drug evaluations at Ranbaxy’s India plant, citing significant questions about the reliability of data.

Another pharmaceutical company called AM2PAT, this one based in North Carolina but owned by one Dushyant Patel, an Indian-American, is also in the news for selling lifesaving medicines mixed with sediment and debris. AM2PAT’s product quality was so screwed up that people had noticed food particles, among other things, in its heparin syringes. It has been revealed that this Indian American company’s chief microbiologist was a teenager who had dropped out of high school. AM2PAT president Dushyant Patel is absconding and has apparently fled to India.

Indian companies will not be booted out as many have feared, watching President Obama speak to the congress the other day. But Indians will need to be ready for thorough scrutiny, detailed diligence and tougher times ahead, thanks to the crooked corporations that have maligned the majority of Indian companies aspiring to expand their horizons. I think it may be comparatively easier to recover from IT and accounting malpractices, but areas such as pharmaceuticals would need to be very, very careful since any fatal negligence in that area can spell prolonged or even permanent doom for the rest of Indian companies in that field.

Feb

26

How Pakistan duped the American taxpayer

February 26, 2009 posted by indiatime | 5 Comments

Yesterday, Pakistani ambassador to the United States shared his wisdom about the US-Pak relations being based on a shared worldview. He added that Pakistan finds itself at the crossroads of opportunity in its relations to the United States.

The Pakistani ambassador’s statement about new opportunities was bolstered by a report from the US General Accountability Office (GAO), that has brought forward proof of Pakistani military double-billing the American taxpayer, faking invoices and forging bills. All in the name of fighting the war against terror.

How much did Pakistani military overcharge and overbill the American taxpaying public? $19,000 per vehicle per month in one case. And many such cases overall. Out of the total US funding received by Pakistan, more than 70% is in the name of military assistance, almost 3 times as as much assistance as for Pakistan’s economic and developmental needs. A major part of that military assistance is aid to Pakistan to bolster its defense equipment, including Bell 412 utility choppers, MI-17 troop transports, Cobra helicopters, Harris radios, and F-16 fighter aircrafts.

Overall, the American accountability office found that Pakistan reimbursed

1. costs that were not incremental

2. costs that were not based on actual activity

3. costs that were potentially duplicative

Pakistan also manipulated its currency, milking the Americans of countless additional dollars.

With all that assistance to bolster the Pakistani military, there isn’t much to show in terms of results, except that the same Pakistan has now brokered non-invasion treaties with the terrorist Talibanis. Any new help from the American taxpayer can now safely be looked at as new opportunities of moneymaking. The ambassador wasn’t lying, after all.

Feb

25

Bobby Jindal fails to connect, blows an opportunity

February 25, 2009 posted by indiatime | 2 Comments

After Barack Obama addressed the United States congress last evening, the republican response to the presidential address came from Bobby Jindal, a new-generation republican, the young Indian-American governor from Louisiana. It was supposed to be Jindal’s big moment, and the republican party stalwarts and fans waited impatiently to see if their party’s future promise could hold ground against the new president’s charisma.

Although one wouldn’t call it a sorry spectacle, Jindal’s speech was an unimpressive rehearsed monotony that must have failed to evoke any encouragement or excitement for republicans in despair. To be fair to Jindal, he was speaking within minutes of what must have been one of the most impressive presidential addresses in the American history. Still, Jindal failed to make any emotional connection, a must-have trait for a presidential aspirant.

He began his speech with an awkward walk towards the cameras, started off with a rehearsed line, and honestly, seemed a little unprepared for the big moment. His speech sounded robotic, uninspiring and dry. His smile appeared calculated. His jokes were lame. His references to grocery stores visits with his dad, an unnecessary details and needless reminders of his Indian background. Overall, he looked more like an elementary school kid making a rehearsed speech in his debate society, hardly like a skilled politician who could duel with one of history’s best orators on a political platform.

So what began as a much-awaited first round between a new African-American president and his probable Indian-American rival for the next election, ended with Obama stealing all the points for style, and Jindal blowing his first chance big time. Republican stalwarts all over will need to rethink their strategies for 2012 unless they plan to send Jindal for a makeover.

Feb

25

No jail is too big for an Indian politician

February 25, 2009 posted by indiatime | 2 Comments

Former communications minister Sukhram will be communicating with jail wardens and other inmates for the next 3 years. A court in India today ordered 82-year old Sukhram, once a very powerful politician from Northern India, to a 3-year jail term stemming from a corruption conviction. About twelve years ago, Sukhram’s house was raided by India’s investigative agencies who found millions in cash concealed in suitcases and bags. But it took more than a decade to throw the now 82-year old crook behind bars.

Those who think justice has been served, may be misled a little bit, however. Sukhram’s son Anil Sharma is still a powerful politician in the state of Himachal Pradesh, backed by a band of subservient constituents loyal to a fault. Sukhram himself is showing defiance, not remorse, in the face of his jail sentence, blaming his former colleagues for his woes. His only remorse seems to be that he was caught.

The idea of a powerful Indian politician going to jail for having amassed illegal assets, sounds a bit far-fetched. Let me rephrase that. I’m not saying the idea of an Indian politician amassing illegal assets sounds far-fetched. What is surprising is the part about the crook landing in jail. By this measure, most Indian politicians, local and national, should be behind bars. In fact, by this measure, most Indian bureaucrats, lawyers, judges, their staff, everybody should be behind bars. Most cops and many within India’s investigative agencies would be in jail as well.

I don’t know what else Sukhram did to piss of the investigative agencies to such an extent that they decided to make an example of this octogenarian swindler. Criminal conduct by public servants is not a novelty in this country and is hardly the stuff of legends. Corruption is not really a crime in India, it is a way of life that pervades every level of society. As for disproportionate assets, let’s not even go there. A few days ago, I spoke of a Pune businessman said to be worth more than 8-9 billion dollars, all tucked away safely in the Swiss banks. Most big name politicians in India are worth hundreds of millions on account of land deals and illegal contracts and kickbacks and media empires or hidden businesses. Sukhram’s conviction is an exception, a mere blip on the radar, a rarity that shall soon be forgotten. The old pol will soon complain of a heart ailment and will manage to spend the rest of his days in some 5-star facility of his choice. Trust me. No jail is too big for an Indian politician.

Feb

24

Only in India - February 24th, 09

February 24, 2009 posted by indiatime | Leave a Comment

1. Leopard is back in Ahmedabad
The leopard is back in the Gujarat state capital and the state’s forest department has now set up 9 cages with goats inside, hoping to capture the stupid leopard. The officials are worried because the local spring festival (Vasantotsav) celebrations were attracting large crowds to the city, bringing in throngs of people to the area in addition to the nine goats already placed to bait in the wildcat.

2. Alive patient declared dead in Kanpur
A hospital in Kanpur declared a dead patient alive after declaring the same alive patient dead, the day before. Kallu the alcoholic, was declared dead late Sunday night and his family was informed about the death. When the angry family confronted the hospital staff about the lax treatment, the hospital staff declared the dead Kallu alive. Said the superintendent, when probed about the incident, “…I am not aware of any such incident but if such a thing has happened then I would definitely look into the matter….”.

3. Public toilets for transgender community in Chennai
“…The transgender now has another reason to smile….”, the Times is reporting. Soon on the heels of a group housing project for the transgender community, the south Indian city’s municipal council is out with its new initiative for transgenders - exclusive public toilet-cum-bathrooms.

Feb

23

Shiva la vida

February 23, 2009 posted by indiatime | 2 Comments

Viva la vida :- Live the life

The harmony between the lunar and the solar calendar couldn’t have been more perfect. What better way to celebrate an Oscar night slumberdog party than to celebrate the whole of next day and night drinking marijuana-based bhaang in the name of Shiva. Tonight, in India, is Maha Shivaratri - the great night of Shiva the great lord of the Himalayas.

samudra manthanHindus have a good reason to be grateful to Lord Shiva. When the Gods and Demons churned the giant oceans, out came a bitter poison that could have destroyed the universe. Had Shiva not gulped the poison, humanity would not be around. What better way to show that appreciation than to get drunk and dance and show Shiva that you’re almost ready to be his disciple? It’s a spiritual excursion millions look for every year around this time in early spring.

It’s good to have such excursions and escapes in the middle of all the poison all around. India showed that same escapist spirit last night when it gave Oscars its highest ratings in years by showing up at the ceremonies in billions, thankful for being recognized as one of the poorest and filthiest countries with irrational dreams. India’s own Bollywood has provided Indians with that same escape for almost a century, now. When things get overwhelming and life comes fast to bite you in you know where, get out and go to the movies. For the hapless whose daily goal is to manage a bite or two to calm down their ever unsated stomachs, the movies are a welcome way to forget their woes. For many in India, movies and marijuana can’t be told apart, both with similar powers of intoxication, both temporary abodes for pained hurtful souls.

Not just Indians, but many all over the globe are hurting too. But Shiva comes in many forms. Shiva can appear as a stimulus package, as a cool breeze, or as a windfall. He can show up at your doorstep as a mailman who brings good news or as a friend or a community who give you hope. He can take your pain, your woes, your ills, so you won’t have to digest the poisons of life. So wherever you are and whoever you are, whisper a word of thanks to the great Himalayan king and pray for his eternal life. Long life to Shiva! Shiva La Vida!

Feb

22

It’s raining scats and slumdogs

February 22, 2009 posted by indiatime | 3 Comments

It’s Oscartime again and moviegoers all around the world will soon be glued to their idiotboxes to find out the year’ valedictorians at the art of filmmaking. This year, Slumdog Millionaire, a movie about India’s not-so-open indigent secrets is already said to be a given for the coveted prize of filmdom. The movie has so far won almost every award this year, and has succeeded in ceating the kind of buzz PR folkores are made of.

One thing I don’t understand is the chronology of various film awards given in a year. Why don’t the rest of the award-givers wait until Oscars are announced? Or do the members of the academy need some guidance on who the awards should go to to make their own minds up? Once the Oscars are announced, does anyone ever remember or even bring up any of the smaller and lesser-known awards won by the Oscar-winning film? The movie that wins Oscars gets its dues anyways, so why not wait and then distribute the other awards amongst everyone else, since the idea is to rewards the spirit of filmmaking and not to have a lickfest?

But the Slumdog PR machine has done a wonderful job, spreading love stories about the real life actors. By creating those stories, the makers of Slumdog are at it once again, slyly blurring the line between fantasy and reality, making you and feel that the Slumdog and his girlfriend made it out of the silver screens and are now real life millionaires participating in tonight’s Oscar festivities.

The Slumdog lovefest will go on for a few more months, I’m sure. No denying that millionaires were made here. Just not from the slums, let’s be clear on that. In another 3-4 months, like every year, the monsoons will bring torrents of incredible problems for the real life slumdogs, drowning their hutments and books and food and dreams. This Sunday in February however, it is surely raining scats and slumdogs.

Feb

21

The government of Tripura has finally woken up to the tragic tale of Sarbari Chakma, the unfortunate woman who was raped, maligned and victimized to her death. The woman in question died last week when set herself ablaze and committed suicide. The perpetrators in question were a duo of brothers, two top government officials in Tripura, one a senior IAS officer and the other a senior police officer.

The IAS officer brother, one Bijoy Krishna Roy, currently working as a commissioner of the state food/civil supplies and jail departments, abused and raped the his 37-year old personal assistant (PA) Sarbari Chakma Debbbarma, and later tried a cover up with the help of Bimal Krishna Roy - his brother who is currently the deputy inspector general of police for the state of Tripura. When the victim and her family unsuccessfully tried the usual recourse of filing charges against the government officials, victim Sarbari Chakma wrote a letter to the chief minister of the state. That letter triggered a police backlash when the Tripura police arrested Sarbari’s husband Khokan Debbarma, and made up a fake dowry case against him. Having exhausted all her avenues, Sarbari Chakma took the last resort to get the governmnet’s attention and set herself on fire, in public.

The Tripura police did eventually register Sarbari’s death by fire, but the report entered was utterly false and erroneous, and failed to mention any of Sarbari’s earlier attempts to seek justice. Here’s what Tripura police registered and later released to the press:

Press Release
(February, 06,2009)
Murder under Agartala Woman PS.
Smt Sarbari Chakma(37) D/O Sri Ranjit Chakma of Krishnanagar, Najirpukur par PS West Agartala was married to accused person Khokan Debbarma(32) S/O Lt. Tenu Debbarma of Krishnanagar, Najirpukur par about 17 years back.

Last few years accused Khokan Debbarma started torturing upon Sarbari Chakma both physically and mentally over the issue of several family matters. On 3/4-02-09 night at anytime Khokan Debbarma murdered his wife Sarbari Chakma by beating and subsequently he set fire to her body after pouring Kerosene Oil to conceal the evidence of murders.

Agartala Woman PS staff visited the PO. Accused person Khokan Debbarma was arrested.

This is not the first time the food department of Tripura state is in the news for wrong reasons. Recently, six of its senior officials were implicated and arrested for involvement in a food scam. But commissioner Roy seems to be an equal opportunity commissioner, giving equal time to food scams and jail department scams. So far, all he has is a slap on the wrist and a temporary suspension. If justice prevails, the Roy brothers will hopefully be eating food in a Tripura jail for a long long time.

Feb

20

Indian colleges and universities that aren’t

February 20, 2009 posted by indiatime | 3 Comments

With hundreds of new educational institutions springing up every academic year, prospective students dreaming of entering a college or a university have a tougher choice to make with so many options around. Many of these new institutes have already started building their campuses, and compiling their faculty lists, anticipating an approval from the educational councils. And some of these colleges and universities actually go ahead and start their academic programs irrespective of any governmental approvals, hoping that they will get that nod sooner or later or else just not worrying about such approvals.

But University Grants Commission (UGC) has now published a fake university alert - list of 22 such universities that have been operating without any possibility of approvals, with some of these probably never even having tried to get accredited. Here’s the statewide list. Notice how most of these are named after some famous leader, or some believable other name that the gullible and the needy amongst us will fall for.

Uttar Pradesh:
1. Mahila Gram Vidyapith (Allahabad)
2. Indian Education Council of UP (Lucknow)
3. Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, (Allahabad)
4. National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy (Kanpur)
5. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open University) (Aligarh)
6. Vishwavidyalaya, Kosi Kalan (Mathura)
7. Maharana Pratap Shiksha Niketan Vishwavidyalaya (Pratapgarh)
8. Indraprastha Shiksha Parishad, Institutional Area Khoda (Noida)
9. Gurukul Vishwavidyala (Vridanvan)

Delhi:
1. Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Jagatpuri
2. Indian Institute of Science and Engineering
3. Commercial University Ltd, Daryaganj
4. United Nations University
5. Vocational University
6. ADR-Centric Juridical University, Rajendra Place

from other states:

1. Maithili University/Vishwavidyalaya, Darbhanga (Bihar)
2. Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society, Gokak (Karnataka)
3. St Johns University, Kishanattam (Kerala)
4. Kesarwani Vidyapith, Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh)
5. Raja Arabic University, Nagpur (Maharashtra)
6. DDB Sanskrit University, Putur, Trichi (Tamil Nadu)
7. Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine (Kolkata)

A couple of Indian institutes, one United Nations institute, a world open university, institutes for Gandhi - Bose and Maharana Pratap, institutes for St John - Raja Arabic and a few Sanskrit Gurukuls. Actually, some of these have begun to sound familiar and I am going to take another look at my own resume to double-check :)

Feb

19

Justice delayed is justice devoured

February 19, 2009 posted by indiatime | 3 Comments

Recent revelations from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) indicate that India may soon add at least a thousand business schools and almost a thousand engineering colleges. Well, not exactly and not yet. So far, those numbers are just the number of requests the AICTE has received. But if approved, and many of those will be before this summer, those new institutes will add to the already existing 2300 engineering colleges and 1500 business schools in India.

One area where India does need some extra help is in the legal department. Recent reports indict India’s ‘creaky’ judicial system, revealing that the high court in India’s capital city is 466 years behind schedule. A recent United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report indicated that there were 20 million legal cases pending in India’s courts, 11 judges for every million people and that it can take 20 years (almost a generation) for some cases to reach the judge.

Allahabad high court is said to have the maximum number of pending cases (800,000 plus), followed by Madras and Mumbai (about 400,000 each). Sikkim is said to have the least number of pending cases (67). Several initiatives are said to have been taken (fast-track courts, special tribunals, appellate tribunals, etc), but the number of backlogs is so huge that it would still take decades if not centuries to clear all the pending cases, making most of those obsolete and unnecessary since the defendants and the plaintiffs would not even be living by the time the case comes before a judge.

Even if a case makes it to a judge, there’s little guarantee that there will be a decision on the matter. Thanks to the widespread corruption and age-old bribery practices, there’s little guarantee that the decision will be fair and just. In case the decision is a fair one and the bad guys do get convicted, there’s little guarantee that they will serve out their sentences. In case one were to complain about corruption inside judiciary, there’s little guarantee that one would be heard. And even if one were allowed to complain, there’s little guarantee that such a complaint would be registered, recorded or acted upon.

A case in example is the Right to Information (RTI) query by a citizen to the Supreme Court, just the day before. This citizen requested the top court for a ‘list of all complaints received against judges or staff of different high courts‘. The top court replied back saying that “…complaints against judges of the high Court or staff of different High Courts are not held by or under the control of the Supreme Court of India and hence your request cannot be acceded to…”.

What the UNDP report may have missed however, is that of the 466 years of pending cases, most records and paperwork would be processed not by the judiciary but by the termites in the justice department buildings. Justice delayed is justice devoured. By termites.

Feb

18

What’s your citizen ID?

February 18, 2009 posted by indiatime | 14 Comments

Pranab Mukherjee, the union minister, has confirmed what many had suspected would happen. Indians all over India will soon be getting unique citizen IDs.

Initial estimates have the project costing about a billion dollars. That would be a dollar for a citizen. But then again, those are only the initial estimates. Soon, every other application form - college admissions, income tax documents, bank accounts, death certificates, birth certificates, school leaving certificates, degree awards, property deeds - every official sounding paper will probably add an extra field for the citizen ID.

For those like me who are mathematically challenged and have nightmares over remembering long numerical things, this is bad news. I am not sure whether one would have to carry the citizen ID as a driving license or if one would just need to remember it and say it out aloud if a government official demands it. Then again, having recently watched Ghazini (the Bollywood remake of the Kollywood (Kodambakkam - Tamil) remake of remake of Hollywood’s Memento), I know I can get my citizen ID tattooed somewhere. Is it a 9-digit number like the American social security numbers? Definitely not. Nine digits can give you a maximum of only one billion possibilities (assuming no number is invalid) which is less than what one would need for India’s population. In that case, it’s probably just another cell phone number to remember.

Like VIP vehicle tags, VIPs will be paying high premium for numbers like 1234567890. Numerologists and astrologers will have a field day with citizen IDs. One of the latest trends in India is to add a vowel to one’s first name, allowing to change the astro-numerological charts that are supposed to influence destinies and fates. For those like me, the citizen IDs will probably add yet another fate-sealer to an already long list of bureaucratic nightmares to go through. For those who wish to counterfeit those IDs, it will just be another fake document to be printed.

Feb

17

China invades Indian foreign ministry computers

February 17, 2009 posted by indiatime | 5 Comments

Recent reports indicate that hundreds of computers in India’s external affairs ministry have been breached and hacked into by China. Even more alarming is the fact that most of these computers belong to the Pakistan-section of India’s external affairs ministry.

So every time these foreign ministry computers send an email, an additional copy is now said to be going to China. Some analysts have predicted that there may be more than one kind of ’spyware’ programs that have been wreaking havoc with the external affairs ministry’s systems. This is a repeat of similar incidents that happened last summer when Chinese hackers were said to have breached into the external affairs ministry’s machines. Whatever precautions the ministry and the Indian government took after that, smart hackers from China seem to have found a way to circumvent those firewalls and security measures.

While India’s IT brass and its computer geniuses are busy reviving fraudulent IT companies, Chinese hackers keep having a field day with sensitive data on Indian government machines. Before long, the detailed maps of India’s future moon missions and all the details of attack plans and war maps will be saved and seen keystoke-by-keystroke on computers in Beijing. And for all we know, Beijing may already be sending an additional copy of all those emails to Pakistan and the ISI and the Taliban. Don’t think that’s very far-fetched. The closest relative of India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim will soon be visiting China on an official visit. And he will surely be carrying a personal message from the don himself.

Feb

16

Cosmic encounters

February 16, 2009 posted by indiatime | 1 Comment

Rail minister Yadav has been mulling anti-collision devices after Valentine day’s superfast train wreck that almost leveled an entire train in eastern India.

But it has been a week of wrecks and collisions and close encounters of the strangest kind. Last Tuesday, American and Russian satellites collided almost 800 kilometers above the earth’s surface, sending an ocean of debris around the planet. Days earlier, nuclear submarines from Britain and France had collided under the Atlantic ocean. The submarines, armed with ballistic missiles, went ballistic, thanks to some serious miscommunication by humans using modern technology.

Then there were stories of birds colliding with airplanes, skiers colliding with trees, cops colliding with horses, and even an invasion of high-energy cosmic particles bombarding earth from a nearby source in space.

Near Chennai, in southern India, a cosmic encounter cost a carpenter and this wife their lives, though. Late Valentine’s night, carpenter Arul and wife Bommi Devi who had been having tense arguments for days, played fate’s final acts. Arul poured kerosene over his sleeping wife and lit the match, trying to end the unhappy encounter that had supposedly plagued his life. But Bommi Devi, burning with fire, woke up and hugged her husband for one last time, setting him on fire as well. By Sunday morning, both Arul and Bommi Devi were dead, victims of a fateful encounter neither of them had envisioned seven years ago, probably on the Valentine’s day.

Feb

15

Only in India - February 15th, 09

February 15, 2009 posted by indiatime | 4 Comments

News stories that could not have come from anywhere else:

1. Allahabad Motorist ticketed for driving without helmet
A cop in Allahabad will soon be facing a judge to explain why he ticketed a motorist for driving a car without wearing a helmet. Last December, Premchand Kesarwani, a local businessman, was pulled over by constable Nripat Singh, who first inspected Kesarwani’s papers and then ticketed him for not wearing a helmet.

Kesarwani appealed to the local court and complained that Nripat Singh, the cop, had initially asked him for a ride to a nearby town. Upon refusing to oblige the cop and his family, the cop handed him a paper. “Oh, fine”, said Kesarwani.

2. Leopard in Bangalore University
Yeah, the animal, not the Mac operating system. Yesterday, a leopard, a real one from the animal kingdom, actually made its way into the Bangalore University campus, throwing the neighborhood and the campus into panic mode. “…the leopard lives in the campus, but hasn’t harmed anyone so far…”, vouched B. Jairam, the deputy conservator of Forests.

“…Mr. Jairam is right, I’ve been living on the BU campus for a while, and nobody has harmed me so far…”, agreed the leopard.

3. Tax cheaters listed on Rajkot city billboards
The Rajkot Municipal Corporation has come up with a novel way to wake its tax cheaters up. The city’s major tax defaulters will now have their names on billboards at several different locations in the city. The defaulter list includes hospitals, schools, corporations as well as individuals including a few politicians.

The local society for wannabe models has asked its members to stop paying city taxes altogether, and asked the city council to consider putting their pictures instead of their names, next year.

4. Valentine day loverboy in Miraj wedded to a donkey
In Miraj, Maharashtra, the Valentine day celebrations turned into wedding celebrations when local gangsters forcefully wedded a local youth to a donkey.

But there wasn’t any kick-ass song-and-dance party as is usual in most Indian marriages. Donkey-mergers are said to bring much-needed showers in parts of India, and the kick-ass party may well have to wait till the first gusts of monsoon in Miraj.

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