Counselling, Essay On Car Crash: Pune Teen Gets Bail With Conditions

The Juvenile Justice Board granted bail to the accused involved in a recent car accident in Pune, said the juvenile accused's advocate, Prashant Patil. The bail comes with several conditions aimed at rehabilitation and awareness.

The conditions include the following: The accused should work with the traffic police of Yerawada for 15 days; the accused should write an essay on the accident; should get treatment from the concerned doctor to help him quit drinking; and should take psychiatric counselling and submit a report.

"The juvenile accused who was arrested by Pune Police has been granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board on certain conditions including that the accused should work with the traffic police of Yerawada for 15 days, accused should write an essay on accident, should get treatment from the concerned doctor to help him quit drinking and should take psychiatric counselling and submit the report," Prashant Patil said.

In the early hours of Sunday, two individuals, including a young woman, lost their lives after a luxury car collided with their motorcycle near Kalyani Nagar in Pune, said police officials.

The victims were identified as Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa. The tragic incident occurred at about 3:15 am. The driver of the car, reportedly a minor, has been apprehended.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar Magar of Pune City Police confirmed that the juvenile has been apprehended and his father and the owner of a bar that served him alcohol have been booked. An FIR has been lodged, and an investigation is underway.

"A bike rider and pillion rider were killed when a speeding car hit them from behind in the Kalyani Nagar area last night. The accused has been arrested, and an FIR has been registered. We are also verifying the certificates to ascertain the accused's age, as he claims to be a minor," stated DCP Magar.

The police have charged the minor with rash and negligent driving and causing harm by endangering life or personal safety under IPC sections 304A, 279, 337, 338, and 427, along with relevant sections of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Act, added the DCP.

The juvenile's father and the bar that served him liquor face charges under Sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, said the city police in Pune.

According to the FIR, the accident occurred as a group of friends were returning home on their motorcycles after a party at a restaurant in Kalyani Nagar. At the Kalyani Nagar junction, a speeding luxury car struck the bike carrying Awadhiya and Costa, causing them to fall and die instantly. The car subsequently crashed into roadside pavement railings.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rs 40 Crore "Unaccounted" Cash Found In Raids On Agra Shoe Trader

The Income Tax department on Saturday recovered about Rs 40 crore "unaccounted" cash during raids against some Agra-based shoe businesses, official sources said.

The cash is still being counted and the figure may go up, the sources said.

They said a shoe trader in Uttar Pradesh's Agra and his linked entities were raided in the afternoon and cash to the tune of Rs 40 crore has been recovered till now.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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IPL 2024 Playoffs: What Happens If RCB vs CSK Clash Is Washed Out?

As the ongoing IPL 2024 inches closer to its culmination, the excitement remains at the pinnacle as five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fight for the final playoff berth in their last league stage encounter. Table toppers Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have already booked their place for the knockout stages but the last team to join them in the playoffs is yet to be ascertained. RCB are on a five-match winning streak after outclassing Delhi Capitals by 47 runs in their previous game. Despite the forgettable start, the Bengaluru-based franchise gained momentum in the middle of the season to stay alive in the title race. With 12 points in 13 matches, RCB are placed sixth in the standings.

RCB need to win the match against CSK to bolster their hopes of a title finish. It is not just a win but by a certain margin to better their net run-rate than the defending champions.

On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai hold 14 points in 13 games and currently occupying fourth spot in the points table. A win against RCB will make them the final team to progress to playoffs.

However, they can still qualify even after losing the match on the basis of net run rate (NRR). CSK need to minimise the losing margin to keep their NRR intact.

There is also a possibility of a washout as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in Chennai on Friday and Saturday (match day).

In case of a washout or a truncated match, the scenarios will favour the hosts more than RCB. Both teams will get a point each in case of no result while if the overs are reduced, RCB will find it difficult to support their NRR even after a win.

Chennai will host Bengaluru at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

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Opinion: Lok Sabha Elections: Why A 2004-Like Scenario Is Unlikely

Four of the seven phases of India's general elections have been concluded, covering 380 seats and hundreds of candidates. Voters have sealed the mandates for roughly 70% of the total Lok Sabha seats. Both social and traditional media are abuzz with poll studies and analyses, though a common observation between them all is that the electoral contest, which initially appeared to be a done deal, has proved to be tighter than anticipated, with local factors taking precedence over national issues. 

A few analysts claim the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may not come back to power. Some others predict that the party may not be able to touch 272 seats on its own, though with allies it might manage to cross the halfway mark. The slightly lower voter turnout has added to the anxiety, and supporters of both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the INDIA bloc are perplexed. 

Pollsters Enjoy The Spotlight

Those conducting exit polls are having a field day as they are quizzed on social media and in TV interviews. However, given that it is unethical to speak about such details with elections still underway, most such pollsters have refrained from giving numbers. In fact, among them, many are those who give different answers in different interviews, adding to the confusion. A season of speculation and a battle of narratives, and amidst this, both the BJP and the Congress are trying to turn the public sentiment in their favour. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already claimed that the BJP has won 270 seats till Phase 4. 

Elections are a lot about “mahaul”, that is, the public mood. India has many late deciders (25-30%, according to various surveys), and it's these voters who are swayed the most by the poll discourse. 

Why Ground Reports May Be Unreliable

People who believe that the BJP could lose this election often cite the example of 2004, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a public favourite, lost the mandate. Almost all exit polls had failed to gauge the public mood back then. If exit polls conducted through scientific techniques can go wrong, ground reports, based on unscientific sampling methods and gathered through ground feedback, can also be misleading. This is because such local reports usually tend to portray elections as ‘pitched battles', with supporters of each camp claiming that victory is theirs. This was seen even in the Madhya Pradesh state elections in 2023, which largely became a one-sided battle in the end. 

Read | Why Are Young Voters Staying Away From Elections? What Are Their Concerns?

Let's look at some data. In the 1999 general elections, the BJP won 182 seats with a 24% vote share, while the Congress won 114 with 28% votes. Though the gap between the vote shares of the two was just 4 percentage points (pp), the BJP still managed to form a government with the support of NDA allies. 

In the next general elections in 2004, the BJP won 138 seats (-44) with a 22% vote share (-2 pp), while the Congress won 145 (+31) with a 27% vote share (-1 pp). The Congress formed a government with its United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies, and the BJP was handed a shock defeat despite its ‘India Shining' campaign. 

On Victory Margins

In 1999, the BJP's average lead on the seats it won was around 65,000 in terms of votes and 9 pp in terms of vote share. A victory margin of 10 pp is usually considered a close contest as a swing of only 5 pp is enough to reverse the mandate. The BJP victory in 1999 was thus not huge, which is partly why it lost to the Congress in the next general election. 

In 2019, the BJP's average winning margin for its victory seats was around 2.32 lakh votes and 20 pp in terms of vote share. A victory margin of 20 pp is considered a one-sided contest as a swing of more than 10 pp is needed to tilt the contest. Can this huge margin be reversed in 2024? 

Read | Opinion: Elections 2024: Why Brand Modi Is Unlikely To Fizzle Out Anytime Soon

In the 1984 elections, even though the Congress won 414 seats with an average vote share lead of 22 pp, it lost the subsequent elections in 1989. Notably, what also helped the party in 1984 was the deep sympathy generated after Indira Gandhi's assassination. That waned by the next election, and the Bofors scandal and corruption allegations against the Gandhi family cost it dear. 

So, there comes the question: is the political climate in India today similar to 1984 or 2004, or 2019? Well, the answer depends on which side of the fence you are on.

(Amitabh Tiwari is a political strategist and commentator. In his earlier avatar, he was a corporate and investment banker.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.

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Watch: 1st Look Of Stadium That'll Host India vs Pakistan T20 WC Game's Out

The newly-built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, near New York, was launched on Wednesday with the sport's world body "excited" to conquer new territories through the T20 World Cup in June. The 34,000-capacity stadium, with infrastructure from the Las Vegas Formula 1 circuit and drop-in pitches prepared in Florida, will host the hotly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash on June 9, among its eight scheduled World Cup games.

The showpiece 20-over event will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States starting June 1 with New York, Florida and Dallas as venues.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) remains happy with the focus on the India-Pakistan clash and the Nassau project as part of bringing the game to the US.

"Yeah, absolutely! We can run that game anywhere and the interest in the fixture would be immense," Chris Tetley, the ICC's head of events, told reporters in a media roundtable.

NEW YORK CRICKET STADIUM IS READY FOR INDIA VS PAKISTAN.

- The capacity will be around 34,000.pic.twitter.com/cBtwY0hPU0

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 15, 2024

"The news stories that we have seen and the media coverage in the US itself as well as amongst the cricket media around the world. I have not seen that before around an ICC event."

Tetley added: "We are really excited to bring the T20 World Cup cricket to the US and the opportunity that it presents to the sport and from what I can see there is an audience really waiting for us to come."

"Whenever a new stadium comes up, there are a lot of questions about the size. But the Nassau County ground is not a token-sized ground - it is 75 yards east west and 67 yards north south from the centre. It is similar to the size of Wankhede. The drainage facilities, too, will be world-class," Tetley was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.

T20 Cricket will also feature as one of five new sports at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Making a cricket stadium in Nassau remained a huge challenge for the ICC, who got in Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough for the job.Hough created the first drop-in pitch in Adelaide in 2013 and the latest strips at the Nassau County ground promise good cricket and balance between bat and ball.

"People shouldn't be concerned about drop-in pitches," said Hough.

"They are proven around the world, definitely in Australia. Some of the best cricket is played on drop-in pitches and are really successful."

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'PoK Will Be Merged With India If BJP Gets 400 Seats': Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke of a fresh to-do list if the NDA gets 400 seats in the ongoing general election. Countering the Opposition allegations of a change in Constitution, Mr Sarma said today that the focus would be on making Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir a part of India. His list also has two building projects -- temples at Krishna Janambhoomi in Mathura and in Varanasi's Gyanvapi. "You think Hindus would be satisfied with Ram Janmabhoomi alone," he questioned.

As for Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, Mr Sarma, speaking at a rally in Jharkhand's Ramgarh, said it was a natural progression of the party's plans.

"When we crossed 300 (seats) we scrapped Article 370, built the Ayodhya temple. Once we cross 400, we will ensure that Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir merges with India," he said.

"The real game will start after crossing 400. For the last few days, slogans of freedom are being raised in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Crossing 400 means return of PoK to India," he added.   

"Agitation is taking place every day in PoK and people are protesting against Pakistan, holding the Indian flag," he added.

Mr Sarma said during Congress rule, no discussion was held in Parliament regarding Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"When the Congress government was in power, we were told that one Kashmir is in India and the other in Pakistan. It was never discussed in our Parliament that Pakistan has 'Occupied Kashmir,' it is actually ours," he added.

The issue of protests in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir was highlighted by foreign minister S Jaishankar also.

People in PoK must be comparing their situation with those living in Jammu and Kashmir, in view of the progress there, he had said yesterday. The BJP has ascribed the high turnout in the election for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat to the scrapping of Article 370.

From 14 per cent polling in 2019, the figure this time rose to 38 per cent, the highest since 1989.

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"Mom Says Thank You": Twinkle Reacts To Zeenat Aman's Post On Dimple Kapadia

Veteran actress Zeenat Aman dedicated a lovely post to Dimple Kapadia on Tuesday afternoon and tagged Twinkle Khanna, hoping that the actor turned writer would pass on the message to her mom, who is not on social media. Twinkle Khanna, who regularly entertains fans on Instagram with her quirky posts, indeed passed on Zeenat Aman's message to her mom. It so happened that Zeenat Aman on Tuesday, documented, in a post, how Dimple Kapadia stood by her during tough times. Hours later, Twinkle Khanna reshared the post and wrote, "What a lovely picture and Mom says thank you for your gracious words."

See Twinkle Khanna's post:

Now coming back to Zeenat Aman latest Instagram entry, sharing a black and white BTS picture from the film Chhailla Babu featuring herself, director Joy Mukherjee and Dimple Kapadia, the Satyam Shivam Sundaram actor wrote, "I can't recollect where this picture was taken, but it quite certainly had something to do with the film Chhailla Babu. Perhaps it's a bts shot from set. I say this because while the chairs scream "production", I'm in my own clothes not a costume. With me are the director of the film Joy Mukherjee and the effervescent Dimple Kapadia, who must have been visiting set as she was married to the lead actor."

Zeenat Aman then mentioned that Dimple Kapadia and she got their first breaks from the same person - Raj Kapoor. Zeenat Aman wrote, "Dimple and I both got big career breaks thanks to Raj Kapoor. She as a teenager, when she was cast in and as Bobby. Whereas I was able to deliver a blow to my "western image" thanks to SSS (Satyam Shivam Sundaram)."

She also hoped that Twinkle Khanna "will pass on" her love for Dimple Kadadia. She wrote, "This isn't a post about Dimple's talent though she has that in spades, it's about the little I saw of her character. During a very difficult phase in my life she was one of a mere handful of people who publicly stood by me. This despite the criticism and scrutiny of her own life that the decision invited! In those trying times she revealed to me a strength of character that I admire to date. I don't believe she is on Instagram, but perhaps @twinklerkhanna will pass on my love to her. Truly, a wave of appreciation washed over me when I found this picture some days ago."

This is what Zeenat Aman posted:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zeenat Aman (@thezeenataman)

Zeenat Aman is known for her performances in movies like, Don, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Hare Rama Hare Krishna.

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