Certificates instead of gold being exchanged at weddings

Rampur, Uttar Pradesh:  Amid the ongoing nationwide strike by bullion dealers, families in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh are exchanging savings certificates instead of gold jewellery at weddings.

The understanding is that they would redeem their 'pawned' certificates by giving jewellery of the same amount once the agitation ends.

Bullion traders in various parts of the country are on strike since March 17 to protest budgetary proposals of doubling import duty on gold and imposition of excise duty on unbranded jewellery.

"We pinned up National Savings Certificates (NSC) to the garlands on our children at their wedding, as there is no gold jewellery available due to the strike.

"We have promised to exchange gold jewellery of the same amount, once the strike ends," said Raees Bhai from Ajeetpur, whose son tied the knot with the daughter of Puttan Bhai.

"We even went to the houses of these jewellery shop owners, who have downed shutters due to the strike, to buy jewellery but were returned empty handed," Puttan Bhai said.

Meanwhile, Dilip Goel, vice-president of Uttar Pradesh Udyog Vyapar Pratinidhi Mandal alleged that the "Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee or say as to the Congress government has proposed the hike in customs and excise duty for vilification of the non-branded bullion dealers".

However post-budget, speaking on the hike in customs duty and imposition of excise duty, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had said, "I did it deliberately". He had explained that in two consecutive years, about USD 90 billion of precious foreign exchange was used in importing gold making it the second biggest item of import after oil.

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Moroccan girl commits suicide after being forced to marry her rapist

Rabat, Morocco:  Outrage has been building in Morocco's online community over the case of a 16-year-old girl who committed suicide after being forced to marry her rapist.

According to the local press, Amina Filali died after taking rat poison on Saturday. She had been married for the last five months to a man who raped her a year earlier.

The Moroccan penal code allows for a rapist to marry his victim to escape prosecution and preserve her family's honour, according to traditional practice.

The victim's father said in an interview with online Moroccan newspaper goud.ma that the court pushed the marriage on her.

Activist Abadila Maaelaynine tweeted that Amina had been "triply violated," first by her rapist, then by tradition and then by the Moroccan penal code.

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Sazahn Padamsee: 'Love being part of the dirty dozen'

By Hindustan Times

Mumbai, March 13 -- Sazahn Padamsee is newbie and the youngest in the cast of Housefull 2, which as 12 major characers. Glad to be part of this big project, she admits that just being in Sajid Khan's film with big stars is enough for her.

"Getting a chance to work with such stalwarts of the industry is great exposure for me as a newcomer. It is such an amazing feeling to be on the poster with the others as I am a junior," says Shazahn, claiming that she is "banking on the film". "I am focused on doing substantial work and waiting for something good to come my way. I have always chosen great banners and talented people to work with. I want to continue doing quality over quantity," she states.

Among various experiences while shooting, Shazahn ended up celebrating a memorable birthday on the sets of the film. She was in for a huge surprise when "the whole Dirty Dozen gang sang 'Happy birthday' for me. They got me a three-kilo white chocolate cake with blue icing, which is my favourite. This gesture completely bowled me over. I felt pampered and loved," she beams.

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Salman fights against fake Being Human tees

By Hindustan Times

Salman Khan is all set to star in a print campaign with his clan to urge people to buy the original t-shirts of his charitable foundation Being Human.

The actor’s charity is facing tiff competition from the shirts’ rip offs, which have become a hit with people, leading to financial loss for the foundation.

The commercial will be shot in Mehmood studio and include Salim Khan, Helen, Arpita, Alvira, Sohail, Arbaaz and Mallika.

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Senior citizen dies after being pushed by Delhi policemen; cop suspended

New Delhi:  A 66-year-old man collapsed and died of a heart attack at the Dhaula Kuan police station on Tuesday night after he was allegedly pushed and kicked by two police constables. The incident occurred following an argument between the cops and the man's son.

The police have registered a case and one of the policeman involved in the act has been suspended.

The deceased, Anil Kumar, was travelling in a car with his son Mohit Arora (32), both residents of Geeta Colony in east Delhi, when the incident took place late last night. Mr Arora was allegedly thrashed by the policemen after he asked one of the cops to get off the phone and help his family as their car had broken down.

"We were returning from a family function in two cars when one of the cars broke down. I walked up to a traffic constable and asked him for some water. The constable was on the phone and did not respond.  Just as I started walking away to a police station nearby, he caught me from behind and accused me of abusing him. I gently said that I had not abused him at all, just needed help. But he wouldn't listen and kept dragging me by the collar towards the station. Inside the police station the rough treatment continued. At this point my father came in and when he sought to stop the cops from roughing me up, they pushed him. I saw my dad fall to the ground.

"No one helped me as I struggled to pick up my father and seat him on a chair. I rubbed his hands and feet desperately, none of the cops offered to help. Some did only when I requested them. My mother had come in by then...she touched his forehead and said it was cold...," said the son.

Police sources maintain the man died of a heart attack. The Delhi Police Commissioner has ordered an inquiry and a post-mortem report is awaited.

Mr Arora's daughter Kamana is inconsolable. "I want my father back but I know this can't happen. I just wish we get his body back on time. Me and my family are having to wait for my father's body. We want to perform his last rites on time so his soul may rest in peace," she said.

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