Researchers think vegetables may aid in the fight against prostate cancer

Consuming more vegetables may benefit men who have received positive PSA tests for prostate cancer. A group of researchers is saying that plant foods may help slow the progression of tumors and stop prostate cancer from metastasizing.

Investigators from the University of California, San Diego told 10News that preliminary testing indicates that men with prostate cancer who ate the most vegetables each day experienced the slowest tumor growth.

While all of the results of the trial are not in, the researchers said that there appears to be a strong correlation between vegetable consumption and prostate cancer improvements.

"What we're hoping [and] what we're thinking is that this intervention… this high vegetable diet is going to keep the cancer from progressing," Kellogg Parsons, who participated in the study, told the news source.

The findings could have implications for millions of men. Prostate cancer remains the most common form of the disease among men and nearly 30,000 individuals die from the condition every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read more »

Aditya Birla ties up with Sankara Nethralaya

The eye-care centre was recently rechristened as Aditya Birla Sankara Nethralaya, with an aim of providing better facilities and treatment to the patients.

Dr. S S Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya, said, "We seek to make this the number one eye hospital in the country, possibly surpassing our counterpart in Chennai."

He said that they will focus on providing affordable eyecare to the economically underprivileged with great emphasis.

Rajashree Birla, Chairperson, Aditya Birla Foundation, stated that despite being one of the pioneers in eyecare (four years ago, the Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital had been set up in Pune), it had always been the late Aditya Birla's vision to align with an eye hospital, and this endeavour fulfils that vision.

Moreover bringing in the latest technology the patients can get Lasik treatment in this hospital from now.

Badrinath said," the Lasik equipment works by correcting refractive errors, which essentially means that those who wear glasses for weak eyesight can get their vision corrected."

Moreover, Sankara Nethralaya is also setting up an eye hospital and research centre in Rajarhat, with the substantial initial investment of Rs. 30 crores.

Read more »

Chennai Corporation Maternity Hospital Faces Serious Charges of Medical Negligence

The Chennai Corporation maternity hospital in Shenoy Nagar is battling serious charges of medical negligence following a death of a woman post-delivery.

As per reports, victim, Kavitha, 26-year-old was admitted to the Corporation hospital with labour pain around 4 pm on Thursday. Following the birth of a healthy baby of 2.5 kg, profuse bleeding started in the woman.

Though the team comprising of two maternal maternity assistants and helper Shanthi tried their best to stop the flow of blood, they had to shift Kavitha to the Kilpauk Medical College (KMC) Hospital.

Moreover, she was given the best treatment by the team of doctors in the ICU; she was reported to be dead at 6.10 am on Friday. Outraged at the news of the death, family and close relatives of the victim conducted a protest in front of the hospital demanding an inquiry in the case.

Defending the charges that no doctor was present at that time, a Senior Medical Officer claimed,” In this case, Dr. Mythili was present by the bedside supervising, while the ayah Shanti and two maternity assistants attended to the delivery “.

Deciphering the sensitivity of the case, helper Shanthi was suspended and memos were sent to the other two maternal assistants under the inquiry conducted the Deputy Commissioner of the Corporation.

Read more »

Showing Wills and Kate how it's done? Elizabeth Hurley and Shane Warne engage in post-match smooching in Jaipur

Most of the world were riveted by Royal Wedding events unfolding in London today. But Elizabeth Hurley was not one of them.

The model's attention was otherwise engaged, far away in Jaipur, India.

Elizabeth was far more interested in cheering her boyfriend Shane Warne on at his cricket game, and the couple engaged in some post-match kissing that would have made the Royal couple blush.

The 45-year-old has been in India supporting Shane, 41, as he captains the Rajasthan Royals at the Indian Premier League.

Despite replying coyly recently that she and the sportsman were simply 'very good friends,' the pair proved that their very public romance is very much back on in recent days.

On top of their passionate display of affection after Shane's match against the Mumbai Indians, the couple are back to their incessant tweeting.

Warne commended his girlfriend and her son Damien over Twitter on their support of his team.

He wrote: 'You and D's flag waving was superb today - all the boys appreciate your support v much. Think you are now a cricket lover!'

He added: 'P.S. FYI RR blue top 100% suits you... Hahahaha I secretly think your a 20/20 lover And are converted to cricket !!!!! LOL.'

Miss Hurley replied: 'Yes! Love cricket now,' adding three 'kisses.'

Read more »

Rajni’s first period film shooting starts

After his mega hit ‘Endhiran-The Robot’, ‘Superstar’ Rajnikant will now enthrall his die-hard fans with a triple role in his first period film ‘Rana’, which went on floors here on Friday.

The 60-year-old actor will be romancing Bollywood damsel Deepika Padukone in her first venture in the multi-crore Tamil film industry.

Rajnikant will be joining hands with director K.S. Ravikumar, a combination often described as “successful and sure shot” in the industry.

They had earlier churned out the megahit film ‘Padayappa’ besides ‘Muthu’, which ran to packed houses in Japan and earned the southern superstar numerous fans in the Asian nation.

This will be the first period film for Rajnikant and stills showing him as a bearded warrior have already heightened expectations.

Oscar-winning musician A R Rahman will be scoring the music for this big budget venture in which Rajnikant’s daughter, Soundarya, is the technical director.

According to Ravikumar, ‘Rana’ has a “strong story, a very interesting ensemble cast and promises to have some stunning visual effects which will take Indian cinema to the next level.”

Produced by Eros International, ‘Rana’ is slated for a 2012 release.

Read more »

Speaking frames

Shy. That's Onir. Throughout the promotion campaign of his new movie “I Am” at Costa Coffee, Onir smiled politely, answered questions graciously, but preferred to let Sanjay Suri and Juhi Chawla take over.

When I approached him for an interview, Onir agreed. I understood it would take some coaxing to get him to talk about himself. We sat at a far corner, away from the madding crowd of cameras, mikes and bright lights. As the conversation progressed, Onir revealed himself little by little: sensitive, yet strong; fiery, yet soft spoken and talented, yet humble.

We start by talking about how he raised funds for “I Am” through Facebook. “It was Sanjay's idea. We thought, why not raise funds independently? We started a group on Facebook. Many people came forward. Some volunteered as production assistants while others contributed financially to the film.”

Onir prefers funding his films rather than depend on producers. “I want to be completely responsible for my films. Marketing and distribution is always an issue. There's no support system for independent cinema.”

But he seems uncomfortable during flashy film promotions. At this, Onir laughs and says: “I am learning this part. I prefer working behind the camera.” “I Am”, like Onir's other films, sensitively portrays stories of people who are different, often secluded by circumstances or choices. He contends that sensitivity is lacking in today's world.

“The questions a director faces from the media has nothing to do with the film. Some people said ‘My Brother Nikhil' is a controversial film. I don't agree with that. Morality is a Victorian concept. Ancient Indian culture celebrated love. I tell a story with love. We concentrate on the wrong issues. Instead of punishing couples kissing in public, violence and civic lawlessness should be dealt with first.”

Independent films find an encouraging screening at film festivals, but of course to a very small audience. Onir agrees.

“I had recently attended the Kerala Film Festival. The whole of Kochi — where the Film festival was held — was celebrating. An auto driver told me enthusiastically about the films that were being screened. It was fantastic. Schools there screen world cinema every week. We need to take a cue from that.” The almost forgotten history of the Kashmiri Pandits, finds expression in one of the four stories in “I Am”.

“The politics of silence scares me. It is dangerous. No procession has come out in support of the Kashmiri Pandit issue. I don't believe in freedom that divides. The only voice I have is my films. I address issues that matter to me.”

Onir is inspired by Bengali filmmakers such as Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray. “Ghatak's ‘Meghe Dhaka Taara' is one of my favourites. I remember crying inconsolably while watching the film. I think I have subconsciously imbibed the sensitive way in which he depicts refugee stories.”

Onir confesses that his world revolves around making films, but he has no material comforts of his own. “Honestly, I have no house, no car and zero bank balance.”

“So what keeps you going?” I ask, afraid of being too intrusive. Onir smiles widely. “I have great friends who have stood by me throughout. And good cinema keeps me going. My happiness is enhanced further when my films are well received. A fashion designer from Hyderabad changed his name after watching ‘I Am'. It had liberated him from a lifelong inner conflict.”

Read more »

Manual Typewriters Bid Adieu

The last frontier of the manual typewriters, Godrej Boyce is all set to fade away from the market. The news of closure of facility in Mumbai, India, sent a wave of nostalgia in the countries across the world.

With the news hitting the market, a sense of romanticism with the manual typewriters was seen on Twitter and Facebook accounts of millions of people across the world. To the surprise of many, why such euphoria surrounds the manual typewriter when most of the people are hooked to computers all the time?

If company sources are to be believed, company had been producing 10,000 to 12,000 machines in 2009, but the number of orders started dwindling gradually.

Though the legendary manual typewriter is being used by an eloping clan of legal representative’s sitting outside courts, for instance, to draft pleadings, affidavits, and other legalese along with defense agencies and other government offices, presence of computers in many government departments have picked up simultaneously.

As Godrej Boyce has been working for the last six decades, General Manager Milind Dukle, claimed, “We're feeling very sentimental. We have grown up with our fathers using them, we grew up with the clickety sound of the keys in the background, so it's hard to say goodbye to the last machines”.

Read more »

Sony to reveal PlayStation hack probe

SONY will reveal details of its internal probe into a massive theft of personal data from PlayStation Network users.

The electronics giant said Saturday it would hold a news conference on the security breach of the online network, which may have involved the theft of credit card details and which it said this week was carried out by hackers.

The PlayStation Network and Qriocity streaming music service were shut down on April 20 after what Sony described as an "external intrusion" and remain offline as the company upgrades security and works with Federal investigators.

The United States, Britain, Australia and Hong Kong are investigating the hacking and theft of personal data from the network, which has 77 million users worldwide.

A US House of Representatives panel Friday sent a letter to Kazuo Hirai, chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment America, with questions on the data breach.

"Given the amount and nature of personal information known to have been taken, the potential harm that could be caused if credit card information was also taken would be quite significant," said the letter from a panel of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which was posted on the Internet.

Sony has said users' credit card data was encrypted but could not rule out the possibility that card data was obtained by hackers.

The committee also asked Sony to explain why it believes credit card information was not taken despite being unable to determine the exact scale of the theft.

"The fact that encryption was being used on the credit card data is to be welcomed -- as it reduces the chances of stolen information being used for fraud," Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Internet security firm Sophos, said on his blog.

"However, there still remains the question about just how strong the encryption is that Sony used."

Britain's Information Commissioner's Office said it had contacted Sony, while Australia's Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim said he had launched an investigation.

"We're seeing more and more now information being held globally, and it's more incumbent upon organisations to make sure they do have strong security systems in place to protect that information," he told broadcaster ABC earlier this week.

Hong Kong Privacy Commissioner Allan Chiang said he was probing the breach and met with local Sony official Katsuhiko Murase who told him 400,000 Hong Kong PlayStation Network user accounts were involved.

He said Murase told him the account information compromised includes the name, address, country, email address, birthdate, PSN password and login, and PSN online ID of users, but there was no evidence credit card data was taken.

Sony is being sued in a US court by gamers who have accused the company of being negligent and breaching its contracts with PlayStation Network users.

The company has not indicated whether it has identified a culprit in the intrusion.

Internet vigilante group Anonymous had vowed retribution against Sony for taking legal action against hackers who cracked PS3 defences to change console operating software.

Read more »

Banker new chairman of India's Infosys

INFOSYS has named a prominent banker to take charge of India's second-largest software exporter as the firm struggles to boost performance.

Infosys Technologies appointed K.V. Kamath as chairman to replace founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, who is slated to retire from the post at the age of 65 in August as part of a shake-up in its top management.

Kamath, 63, the first non-company founder to head the software giant based in India's southern technology hub Bangalore, formerly headed India's largest private bank, ICICI.

"I am so happy he will be steering the company in the future," Murthy told a news conference as he announced the appointment, which he said had been a unanimous choice.

Kamath, who has been an independent director on the Infosys board since May 2009, takes the helm as India's flagship outsourcing sector faces challenges from a slow recovery in Europe and the United States and currency volatility.

Infosys said S.D. Shibulal, now chief operating officer, would become chief executive, replacing S. Gopalakrishnan, who will become executive co-chairman.

Murthy, who helped pioneer India's outsourcing industry and is widely respected for his business acumen and ethics, will serve as chairman emeritus of the company, which will be realigned into new broad business groups.

"I accept this position with the deepest humility," Kamath said, paying tribute to Murthy as someone who built a company "with integrity and defined that as a core value".

"No-one can replace N.R. Narayana Murthy," Kamath, currently non-executive chairman of ICICI Bank said.

"What he did for Infosys epitomised the spirit of the new India."

Infosys, regarded as a bellwether for the $60 billion Indian export-focused outsourcing sector, was founded by Murthy and six other entrepreneurs three decades ago with an investment of just $250.

US and other foreign firms, drawn by India's vast, educated English-speaking workforce and labour costs that are lower than in the West, have farmed out a range of jobs from answering bank client calls to processing insurance claims.

The appointment comes after Infosys reported earlier in April fiscal fourth-quarter earnings which disappointed investors and gave a weak outlook for the current financial year.

Read more »

Attractive salary hikes in store for IT professionals: experts

IT industry is likely to witness attractive salary hikes and job offers for experienced professionals, resulting in high attrition over the next few quarters as demand for talent will outstrip supply, say experts.

“It looks like a talent war among the IT companies, where people hold multiple job offers and try to select the best firm. And companies are also making efforts to select best talent pool for their requirements,” said Sunil Goel, Director, GlobalHunt, an executive search firm.

Echoing similar view, staffing services firm Manpower India Head (Sales and Marketing), Namr Kishore said, “In India, demand far outstrips genuine qualified supply. Companies are vying for the best talent and are ready to offer hefty packages for the same, luring the employees to switch jobs at a swift pace.”

Wage hikes have been very good in IT companies this year.

It has been 15-25 per cent. And for niche and critical skills, companies have given 30-45 per cent hikes while recruiting or retaining talent for specific projects.

“The trends seen so far is as per expectation and after tier one companies having set the expectation other companies can do not much but follow the trend to a large extent,” said Thammaiah B N, Director, India Kelly IT Resources, Kelly Services, a global workforce player.

Thammaiah said he expects hikes in the range of 10-15 per cent broadly, and around 20 per cent for niche skills or business critical roles.

Experts said that such high salary hikes by IT companies will be sustainable at least for the next few quarters as firms usually deliver projects through a mix of freshers and experienced resources.

Besides, they added, not all employees receive such hikes. Only the top performers do, rest employees get around 8-10 per cent hike.

Profitability of most Indian software companies are likely to come down to 15-20 per cent, which are international standards, from present 25-30 per cent. But the fact that these companies are regularly bagging huge projects might help them sustain the current profitability, Kishore said.

“Attrition has become the DNA, which is required from both the sides. If IT professionals do not change jobs and upgrade themselves as per latest technology, then they may get outdated. The same applies to the companies too, if they do not innovate model and market themselves, they may get outdated,” Goel said.

Read more »

Air India strike continues, third day losses sum to Rs 12cr

On the first day of the strike, Air India successfully operated 44 flights (100 %) of its subsidiary Alliance Air, 70 flights of Air India Express (2 more than scheduled) and 53 flights of Air India wide body (3 more than scheduled).

The strike has only affected the domestic operations of Air India. A total of 57 flights were cancelled as 69 executive pilots reporting sick..

Revenue loss: Rs 4.5 crore approx

28th April 2011

On the second day of the strike, the operations of Alliance Air and Air India Express were normal. The operations of Air India wide body were near normal as a couple of its flights were cancelled.

Despite the number of domestic flights being curtailed by 45, the sector saw cancellation of 51 flights – which means a total of 96 flights being affected.

Revenue loss: Rs 10 crore approx

29th April 2011

On the third day of the strike, Alliance Air, Air India Express and Air India wide body continued to maintain normal services. Infact, AIE operated two additional flights to Dubai and Sharjah to clear the rush.

Once again the domestic sector saw a further curtailment of flights by 126. This was also because this sector has decided to refuse fresh bookings for five days. The number of flights successfully operated today is 39. This includes a Jumbo service between the Mumbai-Delhi sector.

Revenue loss: Rs 12 crore approx

Read more »

Gaddafi's Youngest Son, 3 Grandchildren Killed In NATO Strike

Tripoli  : Saif al-Arab, the youngest son of Muammar Gaddafi, and three grandchildren of the Libyan leader have been killed in a NATO airstrike, Libyan government said today.

“The attack resulted in the martyrdom of brother Saif al-Arab Gaddafi (29) and three of the leader’s grandchildren,” official spokesperson Moussa Ibrahim told reporters in the wee hours.

“The house of Mr Saif al-Arab Gaddafi was attacked tonight with full power. The leader (Muammar Gaddafi) with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives,” he said.

The spokesperson noted that the Libyan leader escaped unhurt.“The leader himself is in good health, he wasn’t harmed.” Muammar Gaddafi’s wife was also unharmed but other people in the house were injured.“This was a direct attempt to assassinate the leader of the country.”

According to reports, the building was extensively damaged and one unexploded bomb remains at the site.Saif al-Arab was the youngest of Gaddafi’s six sons.An international coalition began carrying out strikes on forces loyal to Gaddafi on March 19 under a UN resolution to protect civilians in Libya. NATO took over the operations on March 31. PTI

Read more »

Call Of Duty Keeps William, Kate Away From Honeymoon

London : Britain’s royal newlyweds have postponed their honeymoon, the location of which has been kept secret, as Prince William will be returning to his military job as a pilot.

William and Kate will spend a private weekend in Britain and take their honeymoon abroad sometime in the future, St James Palace said in a statement, a day after their spectacular wedding ceremony which dazzled some 2 billion people across the globe who watched it live on the TV.  William, the newly named Duke of Cambridge, is said to go straight back to work as a full-time Royal Air Force search and rescue pilot and will be based on the Island of Anglesey in northwest Wales.

Speculation had been rife about the location of their honeymoon as it was earlier said William had still two weeks off from Royal Air Force.

“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen not to depart for a honeymoon immediately,” the statement said.  It added, “Instead after spending the weekend privately in the UK, the Duke will return to work....next week.

“The locations of both their private weekend before the Duke returns to work and their future honeymoon, which will be overseas, will not be disclosed in advance.” Earlier in the day, Kate, dressed in a casual yet stunning blue dress and sporting flat high-heel shoes, walked out of the Buckingham Palace hand in hand with William into a waiting helicopter.

The couple, stopped briefly to chat to two Royal Household footmen before boarding the helicopter.  The Prince and his new bride left after spending their wedding night in the Buckingham Palace, the Queen Elizabeth’s official residence in London, following a party that went on till the wee hours of morning.

The guesses for their honeymoon location ranged from a private trip to royal retreat in Scotland, wild safari in Kenya or to the quiet desert of Jordan.

The destination for the honeymoon has been shrouded in secrecy, with William having reportedly not even told his new wife where they are going.

The Duke is known to have a deep affection for Africa, and would be on safe romantic territory if he chose to take his wife to Kenya, where he proposed to her last year.

Jordan, with its plethora of ancient sites, has also been touted as a possibility for the couple’s honeymoon.

The Middle Eastern country would no doubt have nostalgic appeal for Kate as her family spent two years there when she was a child.

However its proximity to hotspots such as Syria could count against the country.

If the couple is keen to escape the prying eyes of the media, a secluded Caribbean island might be a safe choice, Press Association reported.

Bequia and Necker Island all have the benefit of being easily secured, as does the ultra-exclusive Mustique, where Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton are frequent visitors.

Lizard Island, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, has also emerged as a contender.

But whatever destination the young royal love birds might take, the honeymoon of new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is expected to be briefer than William’s parents, Prince Charles and late Princess Diana who combined a two week Mediterranean cruise with several extended breaks in Britain itself. PTI

Read more »

Charles Calls Kate The Daughter He Never Had

London : Calling Kate Middleton as the daughter he never had, an emotional Prince Charles raised a toast to the new bride, declaring "we are lucky to have her".

These were the words Charles used to portray his daughter-in-law Kate in a touching speech before a select 650 guests at the lavish champagne reception thrown by the Queen for the royal couple at Buckingham Palace.

Prince William married his longtime girlfriend Kate yesterday at a glittering ceremony at the Westminster Abbey.

Charles and late Princess Diana have two sons, William and Harry.

He wished the couple a long and happy life together. In between, Charles also found time to crack jokes about his eldest son and his famously thinning hairline, Daily Mail reported.

Kate's former primary school headmaster Robert Acheson, who attended the reception said, "William spoke very well but it was Charles who really gave high praise to his daughter-in-law. He said they were really lucky to have a daughter like her."

"I think Kate will be a wonderful role model, he added.

"The speech really brought a tear to the eye. She was a delightful child and is now a delightful young woman."

Susie Lea, a friend of the Middleton family, described the moment that Charles brought the house down. "The Prince of Wales made a few jokes about his bald patch and his son's bald patch, saying it must be hereditary," she said.

One attendee who said his son was a school friend of Prince William said: "Kate looked immaculate, she was beaming the whole time. It was a fantastic reception, everyone was very relaxed. William thanked everyone involved in the organisation of the wedding."

An astonishing 10,000 canapes were served during the two-hour reception, prepared by Buckingham Palace's 21-strong team of kitchen staff.

Guests toasted the happy couple with a 200 pound Pol Roger NV brut reserve champagne and a selection of other soft and alcoholic drinks. PTI

Read more »

AIEEE Exams Postponed By 3 Hours

New Delhi :  Nearly 12 lakh students across the country were asked to wait for three hours, as reports came in of a suspected paper leak in the All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Sunday morning.

The exams which were to begin at 9 am have been rescheduled. Exams will now be held from 12 noon to 3 pm a nd the second paper from 4 pm to 7 pm, a spokesperson said.

For the first time, one lakh candidates from 20 cities in India  were to  take the examination online.

According to a senior official with CBSE, the nodal agency for AIEEE, about 11 lakh students will write the examination with pen and paper and the rest will take the test online at over 1,600 centres in more than 80 cities across the country.

Those taking the test for BArch and BPlan will write Paper 2.

In Paper 1 BE, BTech aspirants will answer objective-type questions in physics, chemistry and mathematics. Paper 2 will comprise questions in mathematics, aptitude and drawing to ascertain skill in illustration.

The results are expected to be released on or before June 7 after which students will attend counselling for various institutes.

The test will be for approximately 26,816 seats for BE, BTech and 936 seats for BArch, BPlanning in institutions across the country, including National Institutes of Technology (NIT), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), deemed universities, technical institutions, Delhi Technological University, New Delhi and other government-funded institutions.

Read more »

Army, ITBP Launch Massive Search For Arunachal CM Chopper

Itanagar : The Army, SSB, ITBP and the state police resumed their joint operation this morning to locate a missing chopper carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others.

While inclement weather is preventing the two IAF choppers being positioned at Tezpur and Guwahati to carry out search and rescue operations, ground search is on along the India-Bhutan border in the state, sources at the CMO and police headquarters here told PTI.

Search teams from neighboring Bhutan have also launched rescue operation in seven districts of that country, sources said.

The four-seater single-engine Pawan Hans helicopter AS-B350-B-3 went missing after 20 minutes of its take off from Tawang at 9.56 am yesterday with five on board including crew members Captain J S Babbar, Captain T S Mamik, Khandu's security officer Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lhamu, sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup.

The chopper was to land at Itanagar at about 11.30 am.The Guwahati air traffic control had reportedly received the last radio communication from the chopper near Sela Pass area, 20 minutes after take off from Tawang.

The state government has set up a crisis management cell with principal secretary to CM Yeshi Tsering, civil aviation commissioner Hage Khoda, home secretary A K Srivastav, IGP SBK Singh, DIGP (West) Robin Hibu, DIG (Intelligence) Anil Shukla, City DC Pawan Kumar Sain and SP Apang Tamut as its members.The committee will be monitoring the situation under the overall guidance and supervision of Chief Secretary Tabam Bam.

Conflicting reports emerged throughout the day yesterday over the disappearance of the chopper with initial reports claiming that the chopper had landed safely at Eastern Bhutan.

However, later in the evening there were denials from all concerned saying the helicopter had not been located and search operation was on.

To locate the chopper, the Army and Air Force had launched search operations yesterday, but was called off in the evening due to poor visibility. PTI

Read more »

Customs Slap Rs 10 Lakh Fine On Industrialist's Wife

Mumbai : The wife of business tycoon Sajjan Jindal,vice-chairman and managing director of JSW Steel,has been fined and penalised over Rs 10 lakh for carrying undeclared diamond jewellery and other imported valuables worth Rs 60 lakh when she returned from a trip abroad in October 2010, reports Mumbai Mirror.

Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport said that when Sangeeta Jindal arrived back she was carrying Rs 21 lakh worth of goods bought in London,in addition to undeclared jewellery worth Rs 39 lakh that she had taken with her while leaving from India.

Sangeeta Jindals case has now been adjudicated and she has been fined and penalised according to the Customs rules and regulations, said P M Govande,Commissioner,Customs.

Last October,Customs officers had called Sangeeta back to the airport as she had left before her baggage had been screened.While screening her baggage,Customs officers came across the jewellery she had taken with her and other imported goods which had not been declared.Ideally Sangeeta should have declared the jewellery she was carrying when she left for London in order to get an export certificate.But she did not do so.

On returning too,the jewellery was not declared.Over and above that,she also bought additional valuables worth Rs 21 lakh for which no duty was paid, a Customs officer said.Sangeeta had been booked under the Customs act for misdeclaration,which amounted to illegal importation of the good she had with her.

In her statement she told the Customs that she made the mistake of not declaring her goods and jewellery out of ignorance.The jewellery,which had been confiscated,will be returned to her after she pays the fine and penalty.

Sangeeta had gone to London for a function.While there,she had made purchases for another event that was to take place later in Mumbai.According to Custom rules,goods above Rs 25,000 must be declared at the Customs counter at the airport. Despite repeated calls and an email,Mithun Roy,a corporate communications official of JSW Steel declined to comment on the matter.

Read more »