New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) Things appear to be going from bad to worse for Vijay Mallya, once known as ‘King of Good Times’, with the board of a company he nurtured into India’s largest liquor maker asking him to quit.

Mallya, already fighting on a number of other fronts including the ‘wilful defaulter’ charges, recently also saw one of the Kingfisher aircraft being sold to a scrap dealer in Mumbai, who sold it after tearning it apart into pieces.

This followed lenders taking possession of Kingfisher House near airport in Mumbai, on which tax department has also staked its claim to recover its own dues.

Mallya, however, continues to strike a defiant note and has refused to step down while taking refuse in “certain contractual obligations” that require United Spirits’ current owner Diageo to back his position as Chairman.

While Diageo is yet to make its position public, sources have said that the UK-based liquor giant, which spent USD three billion (about Rs 20,000 crore) to buy 55 per cent stake in USL, may invoke “certain defaults” on the part of Mallya and his UB Group to support the board resolution of his ouster if shareholders are required to vote on the same.

The board is already dominated by Diageo representatives with Mallya being the only one from his UB Group, which now owns just about 3 per cent stake in USL including a fractional 0.01 per cent in his name.

Mallya has been in the dock ever since his ambitious airline venture Kingfisher landed in financial troubles and got eventually grounded in October 2012.

Thereafter, Mallya had to sell some of his assets, including controlling stake in USL to Diageo.

The UB Group, where Mallya became chairman at the age of 28 after death of his father in 1983, was considered one of India’s largest conglomerates till a few years ago with turnover of over USD 4 billion and market value of USD 12 billion.

It had diverse interests in brewing, distilling, real estate, engineering, fertilizers, biotechnology, information technology and aviation, while it was also the largest Indian manufacturer of beverage alcohol — beer and spirit.

Now, the aviation venture is grounded since 2012, a takeover battle is on for fertilisers arm, while control or major stakes have passed away to new owners at some other entities including the group’s erstwhile flagship firm USL.

Prior to becoming UB Chairman, Mallya worked for the American Hoechst Corporation (now Sanofi-Aventis) in the US and with Jenson and Nicholson in the UK. In 1980, he began assisting his father in managing the Brewing and Spirits Divisions and in re-launching the Kingfisher Brand of Beer.

In aviation, he pegged Kingfisher as the country’s only luxurious airline and later acquired Air Deccan to foray into low-cost market. Emerging as one of the most flamboyant businessmen, he bought an IPL team (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and was also the first Indian ever to become the owner of a Formula One Team, where he later brought in Sahara group, another embattled corporate house, as a partner.

Kolkata, Apr 27 (PTI) Three persons – the manager and two employees of Aquatica, the city’s largest water park, have been arrested after a hidden CCTV camera was allegedly found installed in the ladies’ changing room.

South 24 Parganas additional superintendent of police Abhijit Sinha today said the arrests were made last night following complaints by some women who had visited the park during the day and used the changing room.

The CCTV camera in the changing room and several others from various areas of the park were also seized, he said.

Manshu Tandon, CEO of Aquatica, told PTI that police were investigating the case. “But we want to say that there has been no breach of privacy as was claimed because the CCTVs were not there in the ladies’ changing room.”

He said the park had two separate lockers and changing rooms for men and women. However, the park authorities had converted the men’s locker room as one for women as the ladies’ locker and changing rooms were being renovated.

The CCTV had been installed in the men’s locker room and it continued to be in operation in the converted women’s locker room as the staff had forgotten to switch it off.

“The CCTV ran for about one and half hours. After it came into light we switched it off immediately,” Tandon said.

The incident took place just weeks after Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani spotted a hidden CCTV camera in a changing room of a Fabindia outlet in Goa.

Kathmandu, Apr 27 (PTI) Rescue teams today deployed specially trained dogs from India, France and Spain for locating victims buried under tonnes of debris following the devastating earthquake in Nepal.

A team of 15 personnel and six dogs were brought in Nepal from France and Spain to assist in the rescue operations.

“These dogs have a vital role in identifying victims buried under the debris,” said Jose Castello, a volunteer with Intervention Ayuda Emergencical (IAE).

Christophe Sira, Central Seismological Bureau member of Pompiers d’urgence, said that the breeds of dogs who arrived for the rescue operations are Golden Retriever and German Shepherd.

Prominent organisations like Red Cross International is among other groups assisting in the rescue operations.

Dogs were flown in well built cages so that they don’t feel cramped during the journey.

India has sent a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Dogs are also part of the entourage to help locate victims buried under the debris.

A state of emergency has been declared in Nepal after a powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck the country on Saturday followed by numerous aftershocks. Over 3,600 people have been killed and nearly 7,000 others injured in the tragedy.

New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) The delay in the procurement process has adversely “impacted” operational preparedness of armed forces and has proved “disadvantageous” to the interest of the forces, a Parliamentary panel report stated today.

“The committee notes that some of the critical shortages and vintage of equipment include artillery guns, infantry weapons, sights and fire control and engineering equipment, air defence equipment and armoured recovery vehicles.

“The reasons given by the Ministry (of Defence) for the shortage are inadequate production capacities of ordinance factories, defence public sector undertakings as well as procurement process delays,” the Standing Committee on Defence said in its report.

“The committee are of the view that delay in the procurement process has adversely impacted Operational Preparedness of the services, and has also proved disadvantageous to the interest of the forces, which ultimately lead to the obsolescence of equipment in the Army,” the report said.

Noting that the Committee failed to understand the reasons of holding vintage equipment with the forces for such a long time as with each passing year vintage equipment degenerates, the Committee said, “this makes availability of ammunition as well as spares difficult to find from the original equipment maker (OEM) sources.”

“Thus non-accessibility to ammunition and spares may some times lead to dangerous situation at the time of urgent necessity like war,” the report stated.

The committee recommended that the critical shortages should be made up at the earliest and the proclivity of passing the buck to Ordinance Factories/Defence Public Sector Undertakings should be “stopped”.

“An action plan for capital acquisition should also be drawn to make the army a fighting fit force,” the panel said.

New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) Tihar inmates were today treated to melodious classical ragas played on flute by Grammy nominee Pt Ronu Majumdar in an inaugural session of monthly “Morning Ragas”.

Almost two thousand inmates attended over an hour-long recital by Majumdar that started with Rag Ahir Bhairav, followed by a Pahari dhun and two popular compositions including Gadhiji’s favorite “Vaishnav Jan” and Tagore’s “Ekla Chalo”.

He was accompanied by Kalpesh Sachala on the flute and Ustad Akram Khan on the tabla.

Morning Ragas initiative by Director General (Prison) Alok Kumar Verma is aimed at augmenting rehabilitation process of the inmates through music, in collaboration with Legends of India, a registered society promoting Indian art forms, said Tihar PRO Mukesh Prasad.

The musical jugalbandi of flute and tabla mesmerized and inspired the inmates and some of them later expressed their desire to learn music, he said.

Verma has asked the prison officials to find out ways and means to introduce music classes in the prison. The Legends of India has also promised to send back an instructor to give music lessons to interested inmates.

Announcing that ‘Morning Ragas’ will be a monthly feature, Verma said “Our efforts will help inmates guide themselves bringing in positivity into their lives and to rejuvenate them.”

The musical concert, a new chapter in the history of Tihar, is intended to release the inmates from the tyranny of conscious thought and heal them. Music directly deals with the root causes of crime, violence, and addiction and offers a practical approach to emotional growth, Prasad said.

PTI

Nepal

New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) The death toll in India from Saturday’s monster earthquake today shot up to 72 even as New Delhi ramped up relief and rescue efforts in Nepal to provide succour to the nation devastated by the temblor.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh informed the Lok Sabha that the toll in the country has climbed up to 72 with 56 deaths reported in Bihar, 12 in UP, three in West Bengal and one in Rajasthan.

Enumerating the mammoth task undertaken by India to mitigate the sufferings of the Nepalese people under ‘Operation Maitri’, Singh said 10 NDRF teams are already in that country and six more on their way. An engineering task force and 18 medical units have also been rushed. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has also been dispatched to assess the gigantic losses suffered by the landlocked nation.

Over 2500 Indians have been evacuated from quake-hit Nepal so far and free visas are being given to foreigners stranded there who want to come to India.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, comprising about 450 trained personnel, have fanned across areas like Seetapaila, Maharajganj, Maheshwari and Gangabhajat, about 10-15 kms from the Kathmandu valley.

The force, till now, has rescued 10 people and retrieved 46 bodies from under the rubble of buildings brought down by the quake on Saturday and a string of aftershocks thereafter.

NDRF Director General (DG) O P Singh, who is camping in the capital city of Kathmandu since yesterday, said a team of his men has also been deployed at the Tribhuvan international airport to assist Indian Embassy officials in the air evacuation of stranded Indians.

“Our main priority is to go for as many rescue operations as we can. Last night our operations got hit as there were incessant rains and aftershocks of the quake. But, today morning we have started full-fledged operations as the day is sunny and there are no rains,” Singh said.
PTI

The death toll till Monday is 3,700. This figure is only for areas that are within contact. Remote areas which are out of reach for rescue operations are not accounted for.

The injured so far is about 6500. Due to fear people have been living outside their homes in open areas where possible. Due to rain last night people were found sleeping in their cars also.

People living in high altitudes of the mountain areas are totally devastated with difficulties to cope with disasters.The government authorities in these areas have relayed desperate need of help.

Rescue operations and medical services have been so outstretched that it is almost reaching breaking point. Messages for rescue operations have been coming from all over Nepal with teams not knowing where and which to attend.

Unicef said that nearly one million children have been “severely affected” by the disaster and warned of an increased risk of waterborne and infectious diseases.

“What we know that at this point is there are nearly a million children who are severely affected. Our biggest concern for them right now is going to be access to clean water and sanitation, we know that water and food is running out,” Unicef’s Christopher Tidey said.

Hospital beds in the capital, Kathmandu, are already full, forcing other sick and injured people to seek makeshift treatment in the street alongside thousands of displaced survivors whose homes were destroyed or are in imminent danger of collapse after being weakened by the M7.8 quake.

On Mount Everest, the evacuation began on Monday of hundreds of climbers trapped after a huge avalanche flattened the base camp, killing 17 and injuring 61 in the worst disaster to hit the mountain. The death toll on the mountain is likely to rise as no one knows how many people were at base camp and in the vicinity.

Many of the dead are locals, making this the second year running that the sherpa and other communities have been hit hard on Everest. Only one of the major expeditions has its camp intact and it seems very unlikely anyone will be continuing any climb on the peak.

While survivors wait for aid, rescue teams are continuing the frantic search for survivors, despite being exhausted by two nights of ceaseless work.

Rescuers used their bare hands, with no protective gear or heat detectors, in their optimistic search for survivors in remains of the Dharahara tower.

The narrow alleys would stop cranes, earthmovers or diggers reaching most of the houses that have collapsed, even if the aftershocks hadn’t scared workers out of even trying, said Shyam Adhikari, the local police chief.

With so many people sleeping in the open with no power or water and downpours forecast, there were mounting fears of major food and water shortages.

“There is no electricity, no water. Our main challenge and priority is to restore electricity and water,” Dhakal at the home ministry said. “The next big challenge is the supply of food. Shopkeepers are unable to go in and open their shops. So people are facing difficulty buying food.”

New Delhi, Apr 26 (PTI) Actress Sayani Gupta, who is acting alongside Ranbir Kapoor in upcoming film “Jagga Jasoos”, says he is an effortless actor and an involved co-star.

Sayani, a relatively new actress has been appreciated for her role of a blind girl in Kalki Koechlin-starrer “Margarita, With A Straw”. She said she had an amazing experience shooting with Ranbir for the Anurag Basu-directed film, which also stars the actor’s rumoured girlfriend Katrina Kaif.

“Ranbir is outstanding. I love him as an actor. I think he is the most brilliant actor in the current generation. He is very effortless. He has a lot of method but you can never see his method. He is constantly thinking bout what he is doing, he is sitting in a corner and completely focused,” Sayani told PTI.

The actress said working with the “Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani” star was like a party.

“He was the first actor I met, who knew not only his continuity but his co-actor and the whole scene’s continuity as well. He would even remember which filter was used in the last day’s scene. He is a lot of fun. He is cracking jokes and it is like a party with him,” she said.

Though Sayani has shot only two scenes with Katrina, the actress said she gelled with the “Bang Bang!” star.

“Katrina is very sweet. Although I have shot for only two scenes with her, she was nice to me. In the middle of the shoot, we would discuss funny things and she carries herself really well, with a lot of dignity which I really liked. She is completely gorgeous to look at,” she said.

When asked about her role in the movie, Sayani said, “I am the third wheel in the story. I am not playing Ranbir’s love interest in the film, unfortunately. Eventually if Anurag feels that it could be love, he might write it like that but not yet.