Visa God fulfils Dollar dreams

In Ahmedabad city in Gujarat state of India an endless queue of people with bundles of documents needed to complete visa formalities and passports, in hand. Not a line outside the visa consulate or facilitation centre, but men and women lined up, at the Sidhdheshwer Chamatkarik Hanuman mandir, to offer visa documents to God, instead of prasad!

For, they believe, "visa god" will make their dreams, of flying to foreign shores, come true. The 400-year-old temple, at Desai ni pol in Khadia, has in recent years come to be known as Visa Hanuman. Read more..................Visa Hanuman fulfils dollar dreams

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Man weds Hill

In Jharkhand state of India in a hope to ward off the naxal menace, a tribal man has married a hillock.

Nandi Munda, a married man with two children, applied 'sindoor' on a rock of a hillock known as 'Lakhaisini', with a hope to cease the menace in his village Bhomru in naxal-hit Ghatsila sub-division of East Singhbhum district.

Asked for the reason of marrying the hillock, Munda claimed he had dreamt of the hill goddess directing him to marry the hillock to save the village from naxal activities. Read more......................Man weds hillock to curb naxal menace

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Mobile Crematorium

Finding a piece of land for cremation has always been a problem in Kerala. Proposing a solution to this, the High Tech Seals Pvt Ltd, which also produces automotive parts, plans to introduce a mobile crematorium fuelled by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) here on the outskirts of Kochi.

"It was the controversies associated with cremation or burial and the issue of pollution that made us think about such a crematorium," said John Thomas, the managing director of the company.

The company proposes to mount the crematorium on a vehicle that can be moved to any location.

Although the company went ahead with the project two years ago, it was forced to go slow on the work.

"We started the work on the mobile crematorium alright, but had to slow down as there were some technical problems," said John.

The company, however, is successful with its non-mobile LPG crematoriums. These units have facilities to prevent pollution or odour from cremation.

So far the company has successfully installed 10 units in various municipalities in Kerala. Read more...................Kerala to have mobile crematorium

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Police let robber go, then hunt for him

In Mumbai City in Maharashtra state of India Cops appear reluctant not only to file FIRs, but also to detain and book suspects even after they are caught by citizens. Goregaon residents caught an alleged robber and handed him over to the police on Tuesday. Instead of detaining him, the police released him, declaring the suspect 'insane.'

Now comes the twist: the police, realising their mistake, are hunting for the same suspect for trespassing on private property. Read more...................Cops let robber go, then hunt for him

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Dump your Debt papers in the Sea

About 20,000 farmers on the verge of committing suicides due to debt from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu states of India have found a novel way to get rid of their debts.

Kisan(Farmers) Coordination Committee (KCC) has come out with a "novel plan" to "bid goodbye" to debt by dumping loan documents in the sea at Rameswaram city in Tamil Nadu state of India on the eve of the new year. They are expected to converge in Rameswaram city to take part in the "Karj Mukti" (liberation from the debt) agitation to "sink" the debt documents in the Sea!!!!!!!!!!!!

"We want to start our life in 2008 with absolutely no debt. We want to put an end to farmers' suicides," as per Govind Joshi, an executive member of KCC, who said they have planned a farmers' rally on December 31,2007 coinciding with the committee's executive meeting. Read more.......................Farmers to dump debt papers on new year's eve

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Tiger urine to keep away wild elephants

Here is an interesting story from Jharkhand state of India. Over there villagers are facing a peculiar problem.The problem: Elephants wandering into Jharkhand villages attracted by the scent of an intoxicating brew (home made liquor) and then going on the rampage in the villages causing lot's of damage to the property of villagers.

The solution? Tiger urine!

The forest department is now urging villagers to store tiger urine in the hope that it will keep marauding elephants away.

'Elephants usually do not venture into areas where tigers reside. The pungent smell of the urine will deter the jumbos from entering the villages,' said Paritosh Upadhyay, district forest officer. Read more..................Tiger urine to keep away wild elephants

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Thieves fall in gorge with stolen car

In Jammu city in Jammu and Kashmir state of India three thieves were fleeing with a stolen car when it skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Kishtwar district on Wednesday, killing one of them and leaving the other two critically injured. Read more.......................Thieves fall in gorge with stolen car

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78-year-old woman drives auto-rickshaw as a hobby

A 78-year-old Draupadi Chandwani has been driving an auto-rickshaw for the past 15 years in Indore, for no reason but as a hobby.

Hailing from a well-to-do family Chandwani began driving auto-rickshaw just for fun but now her fancy desire has attracted a lot of attention from people around.Read more..........................A septuagenarian women drives auto-rickshaw as a hobby

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Boy dies imitating Spiderman

In a freak mishap, a 12-year-old boy died while showing a stunt of Spiderman to his younger brother.

The deceased has been identified as Jeffrin Bejoy, a resident of CPWD colony, Gittikhadan in Nagpur city in Maharashtra state of India. Read more................City boy dies imitating Spiderman

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Man who spent 54 yrs in jail without trial is dead

It is a clear indication of the state of Judicial system in India that undertrials live in prisons for life long without any trial completed in their case. There are hundreds of thousands of such undertrials languishing in Indian jails. Read an interesting story about such a case...........................Man who spent 54 yrs in jail without trial is dead

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Police sends alive man for autopsy

In Bihar state of India a man was actually declared dead and sent to the post-mortem room by the police when he was actually alive. Abdul Raza - a road-roller driver of the state Public Works Department - was found in a semi-conscious state at Chajjubagh here on Tuesday morning.

“The Khajekalan police informed his family members at home that Raza was dead and his body can be collected from the post-mortem room in Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH). The news immediately had the family members wailing,” said Hameed Intiaz, a relative. Read more..............Cops send alive man for autopsy

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Father throws two sons into river driven by poverty

In a bizzare & heart-rending incident, a man, driven by abject poverty, threw his two sons into Saryu river in this holy city and was prevented by locals when he tried to push the third one into the swirling waters.

Sanjay Sahu, who was handed over to police, said he wanted to snuff out his own life after throwing all his three children into the river.

"I have no choice. I have no money. I was desperate to throw all my children into the river," he said. Read more...............Father throws two sons into river, another poisons daughter

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Sweet-Scented bed linen for Newlyweds

Here are aromatic bed linen for the newlyweds & now they can now get cosy in varying fragrances all night long with aromatic bed linen. There is a lot of variety in Lemon, aloe vera and ginseng too.

In an attempt to cash in on the country's burgeoning wedding market, city-based brand Maishaa's Collection is offering bed sheets, pillows and duvets in the three distinct fragrances.
The material used is Egyptian cotton. The delicate scents are inbuilt in the fabric and last for 20 washes.

Experts believe aromas lead to wonderful affects on newly wed couples. Read more........................Now sweet-scented bed linen for newlyweds

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92 Kgs Golden throne for Shirdi Sai Baba

As per Indian TV news Channels a devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba has gifted a throne made of 92 kg gold to Sai Baba after the godly saint of Shirdi came into his dream. Apoorva Narayan Reddy is a businessman from Hyderabad who has offered a throne which cost him a whopping Rs 9.5 crore(US$ 2.4 Million).

As per Narayan Reddy, Sai Baba came into his dream in gold form around seven months ago. This inspired him to offer a gold throne at his feet. Throne is made by a company in Bangalore & the throne weighs around 100 kg. More than 92 kg gold was employed in its making.The gold throne reached Shirdi from Bangalore. Sai Baba's place Shirdi is a very sacred and important place of pilgrimage in India.

Sai Baba of Shirdi also known as "Shirdi Sai Baba", was an Indian guru, yogi and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim followers as a great saint. Some of his Hindu devotees believe that he was an incarnation of God Shiva.

Sai Baba's millions of disciples, followers and devotees believe that he had performed many miracles. Some of them were: bilocation, curing the incurably sick, helping his devotees in need in a miraculous way, reading the minds of others. Numerous inhabitants of Shirdi talked about these miracles.

The Shirdi Saibaba Temple, located at Shirdi, Maharashtra, India attracts millions of devotees of all religions, castes and creed who come to pay homage to Shri Sai Baba. The temple is a beautiful shrine that was built over the Samadhi of Shri Sai Baba.

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Priest commits suicide, promises to return within 72 hours via rebirth

A three-day "miracle" drama in Chhattisgarh's industrial town of Raigarh ended on Monday afternoon after a Hindu priest, who had committed suicide promising to return to life within 72 hours of his death, was cremated.

Hundreds of people had laid siege around the body of 25-year-old Manoj Baghel, who ended his life on Saturday by consuming poison at a temple in Raigarh, about 200 km northeast of state capital, Raipur. Read more...........Priest who committed suicide for rebirth cremated

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Every four hours, one Indian woman ends life over dowry

As per data complied by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), on an average one Indian woman commits suicide every four hours over a dowry dispute, despite a series of laws to empower them.

As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a total of 2,276 female suicides due to dowry disputes were reported in 2006 that is six a day on an average, while the figure was 2,305 in 2005. In 2004, at least 2,585 such cases were registered across the country.Read more............Every four hours, one Indian woman ends life over dowry

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Man kills Wife, drives around with body in suitcase

It's a tale straight out of a psycho thriller. In a bizzare incident a 35-year-old chartered accountant with a reputed international consultancy firm made a horrific confession to police: He had strangled his 33-year-old wife to death, then - several hours later - stuffed the body into a suitcase he bought for the purpose. He then drove all around Delhi with the body in the boot of his luxury car, once stopping to attend a business meeting at Connaught Place. He finally dumped the body close to his residence. Read more................CA kills wife, drives around with body

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Teacher makes underwear out of Indian Flag

Here is a retired school teacher Dhulipada Dutta from Krishnagar in West Bengal state of India, who earlier made a pillowcase out of a tricolour (Indian Flag) & once tired of his pillowcase, he sent it to the tailor, asking him to make an underwear out of it.

His act of making an underwear out of tricolour came to light when, Sabyasachi Mistri, a class XII student of Palashipara Mahatma Gandhi High School, spotted the half-stitched underwear hanging at a tailor’s shop at Palashipara bus stand. He was stunned when the tailor told him "master moshai" had asked him to make an underwear out of the flag. Read more............................Ex-teacher lands in jail for dishonouring tricolour

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'100 percent' Vegetarian eggs & Designer eggs

Here's some good news for diehard vegetarians who may yet like to tuck in some eggs. India's leading egg powder manufacturer and exporter will launch a '100 percent vegetarian egg' in the coming year. Read more..............Now '100 percent' vegetarian eggs!


Egg lovers with a heart condition need no longer fear their favourite food. A Coimbatore-based company has introduced a designer egg fortified with Vitamin E and Omega 3 acids, whose yolk the company says holds 24 percent less cholesterol than normal table eggs. Read more.............Fortified eggs to win over hearts

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Goat with marks of names of the Prophet and Allah

Here is a unique goat & its owner demanded over Rs five lakh for it and its pound of flesh. Owner of the goat, Faiz Mohammed claims the 45-kg-goat has marks resembling the names of the Prophet and Allah on its body. Also, behind its ear, the marks resemble the word Mecca, he said....................Read more..........................Man seeks Rs 5 lakh for goat

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Man uses snake to kill wife

Here is a man from West Bengal state of India who killed his wife, Shahid, a resident of Kinupota village of Nakashipara, using a snake bought from a snake charmer without leaving any evidence.Read more................Man uses snake to kill wife, gets life term

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Robbers pose as Cops & loot houses

Eight robbers in the garb of policemen entered three house in northwest Delhi for 'secret searches' and decamped with a total cash worth nearly Rs.300,000 after injuring one person, the police said. Read more............Robbers posing as cops loot three houses

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Youth 'abducts' self

Can a son hold his father to ransom? Sounds strange. But the Patna police recently arrested a college-going youth for enacting a drama of his own kidnapping and demanding ransom from his father. Read full story here...............Youth 'abducts' self, demands ransom

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Bull Wedding

A family in a Rajasthan village recently organised a marriage ceremony of a cow with a bull amidst much fanfare.

Lakhs of rupees were spent in the arrangement to ensure that it equals the real life marriage organised as per Indian tradition. People from 84 villages were invited for the wedding ceremony.

"We have organised this cow-bull wedding for a religious purpose. The money that we earn comes from various sources and so we believe that spending it on this ceremony will absolve us of all our sins," said Gopal Ram, the organiser.
Read more................Thousands participated in Bull wedding in Rajasthan

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Man kills wife for refusing money to buy liquor

A man killed his wife in a Jharkhand village after she refused to pay him money to buy liquor.

Police said Amrit, a resident of Sarisakundi village in Dhanbad, around 240 km from here, killed his wife. Read full story here.............Man kills wife for refusing money to buy liquor

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Pay to see your newborn baby

"Pay Rs 500 to take a look at your newborn baby girl and pay double if it's a boy." This is the extortion demand of nurses and attendants at the BBMP's maternity hospital in Austin Town in Bangalore in Karnataka state of India.

Such threats and complaints of money being demanded to receive medical services were registered by residents of Koramangala, Ejipura and Neelasandra wards at a grievance redressal mela organized by Civic Bangalore at Austin Town on Wednesday. Read more................'Pay to see your baby!'

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Zoo Tigers maul visitor who tries to take picture

A man in northeast India's Guwahati died of blood loss after two zoo tigers bit off his arm when he tried to take a picture of them, the Hindu newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Joyprakash Bezbaruah, 50, died in hospital after the attack, which occurred in front of his wife, son and dozens of bystanders on Wednesday afternoon.

The family had approached the cage containing two Royal Bengal tigers, one male and one female. The man climbed over the first safety barrier surrounding the cage, ignoring the warnings of zoo officials, and put his hand between the bars to take a picture with his mobile phone.

The male tiger leapt on the visitor ripping is arm from the shoulder, and the female joined in the attack. Vets and zookeepers then pushed the animals away with sticks.

Guwahati zoo has seen similar tiger attacks in the past. Earlier two men jumped into the tigers' cage in an apparent suicide. In another incident, a girl was rescued after entering a tigers' cage.

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Giant goats

With only a few days left for Eid-Ul-Zuha, Jaipur's Bakra Mandi (goat bazaar) is in full swing ahead of the Muslim festival. Talk of the town is a pair of goats, named Salman and Arbaj, each costing Rs.171,000(US$ 4320).Read more..............Giant goats with price tag of Rs.171,000 each

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'Not married', but Man seeks divorce

Can a man who claims not to have married a woman seek divorce from her? Legal brains will have to answer this slightly dizzying question in the matter of Rajesh Majhi versus Pramila in a Gaya family court in Bihar state of India. Read full story.................................Not married', but Gaya MP seeks divorce

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Kids get Electric Shocks as Punishment in School

As per NDTV India TV news channel, 22 students of a Bhusaval school in Jalgaon district in Maharashtra state of India were allegedly administered electric shocks by their teacher to discipline them.

The teacher Sumant Mishra took the students to the physics laboratory of the school here and allegedly administered shocks with the help of an eliminator because they were not paying attention in class, police said today.

The teacher was later arrested after the kids and their parents lodged a complaint with the police, however, Mishra was later released on bail.

Its high time authoritarianism of teachers in Indian schools needs to be curbed so that such shocking incidents do not happen again.

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Cops to enlist former criminals to nab criminals

In India's Uttar Pradesh state, police are betting there is no honour among thieves. As per the Police they are co-opting former criminals to give up trade secrets to help stem a massive crime wave that has hit the city of Kanpur in the northern state of India.

"Who knows the mind-set of criminals better than the one who, himself, had ruled the dark alleys of crime?" Kanpur police chief Anand Swaroop said.

Twelve convicts have so far agreed to take part, and they will initially receive a monthly retainer of Rs 1 000 rupees that could increase depending on how useful they are, he said. Read more..................Cops to enlist ex-bad guys to nab criminals

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Lover sells Woman for Rs 40,000

In Indian Capital New Delhi,in a bizzare incident, the 'lover' of a 21-year-old woman sold her to a couple from Haryana for Rs 40,000. Read full story here.....................Delhi lover sells woman for Rs 40K

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'Dead' businessman arrested

Here is a businessman, who got his mother to declare him dead seven months ago to avoid paying loans, has been arrested from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand state of India, as per the police.

Prashant Kispotta was arrested from a hotel in Jamshedpur, about 130 kms from Ranchi, while he was having dinner with a friend. His mother had alleged in April that another businessman, Rabindra Kumar Singh, a resident of Nowamundi block in Chaibasa, had abducted her son and killed him. Read more.......................'Dead' businessman arrested in Jharkhand

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Gossip place for Retired persons

Here is a place of Gossip for retired persons (men only) in Punjab's town of Hoshiarpur. This unique idea of having a gossip centre ‘exclusively for men’ is the brainchild of ex-serviceman Ravinder Kumar Sud, who thought that unlike women, who get together often to chat and gossip about everything, men do not really indulge in the practice.

Though gossiping between Sud and some of his friends was on for nearly a decade, the gossip centre, perhaps the only one of its kind, formally came into being in August. Members range from retired government servants, ex-servicemen and those whose children have become non-resident Indians (NRIs). “I suddenly realised that we could give ourselves a licence to gossip, and put up a board inviting others as well to join the fun,” Sud said. Read more....................Now, men get their room to gossip

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Weird Child-dropping ritual

A Weird ritual of dropping children between one and five years from a height of up to 20 feet in a Karnataka village to fulfil a vow to the gods will be banned, a senior state official has said.

The annual ritual takes place in December at the Shiva Parvathi temple coinciding with the village fair in Nidoni village in Bijapur district in this southern Indian state otherwise known globally for its software and outsourcing industry.

Couples without children for a long time take a vow that if they are blessed with a child, they will have their newborn dropped from atop the Shiva Parvathi temple, said panchayat secretary Ramesh Gawari, a native of Nidoni, 550 km northwest of Bangalore.Read more.......................Bizarre child-dropping ritual faces ban in Karnataka

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Dogs halt marathoners

"A man runs fastest when chased by a dog!" This was the response from an athlete who clocked his best timing in the Bangalore International Marathon in India.

Just as the participants approached the 20-km mark on the service road in Kalyan Nagar, it was not the cheering crowds that greeted them, but barking dogs eager to snap at their heels.Read more.....................Dogs, traffic halt marathoners

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Man bites dog

"Man bites dog" - a proverbial lesson in journalism primers to define what "news" is - actually happened in India's southern state of Kerala where a man bit a rabid dog and was admitted to a hospital, a news agency reported on Thursday.

Pappan, a 65-year-old resident of the Quilon district 60km north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram, bit the dog after it attacked his duck on Wednesday, news agency reported.

Pappan, who uses only one name, bit the canine so hard that it bled profusely. The rabid dog was later beaten to death by villagers.

Villagers said the dog had strayed into Pappan's house and took away his duck. The man, in a fit of anger, sprang on the dog and the two slugged it out in a ditch, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

Witnesses told the agency that as the dog held one of Pappan's palms firmly between its jaws, the man bit the dog's throat with all his might to wrest his hand free.

Soon after, both the animal and the man were exhausted and the villagers helped the man and beat the dog to death.

Pappan was taken to a local hospital which referred him to a bigger hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for treatment of rabies.

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Men chop off holy man's 'magical' leg

Two men attacked a self-proclaimed holy man in southern India and chopped off his right leg, apparently believing it had magical powers, police said Thursday.

The 80-year-old Yanadi Kondaiah, who claimed that those who touched his leg would be cured of illness or have wishes granted, was in a hospital in serious condition after the attack Tuesday, said R. Ravindranath Reddy, a senior police officer.

"We are looking for the miscreants as well as the leg," Reddy told The Associated Press by telephone from the Chittoor district, a remote area some 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh state.

"This seems to be a case of superstition. The two people might have taken away the leg hoping to benefit from its magical powers," said Pendakanti Dastgiri, the police officer handling the case.

Superstitions, belief in magic and the occult remain widespread in much of rural India.

Indian police searching for attackers who chopped off holy man's 'magical' leg.

Kondaiah told police two men offered him a drink as thanks for previously helping them with his magical touch.

After he passed out drunk the men chopped off the leg below the knee with a sickle and left him to die, said Dastgiri, adding that passing villagers found him and took him to a local hospital.

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Boy losses hearing after being slapped by teacher

In Jammu city in Jammu & Kashmir state of India, an eighth standard student of the Army School has lost hearing in his right ear allegedly after being beaten up by his class teacher, official sources said on Friday.

Acting on a complaint by the parents of Shubnam Manhas, police have registered a case against the teacher and started investigation into the incident, the sources said.

The boy, who was slapped hard on Thursday by the teacher for being unable to answer a question, was taken to a hospital where the doctors said that he has lost hearing in his right ear, the parents said. They also submitted a medical report.

Shubnam was also caned by the teacher, Sanjeev Bajaj, they alleged. Boy losses hearing after being slapped by teacher in J&K.

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Fecal art

An artist is inviting people to come face-to-face with the wretched labor of one of India's lowest castes & what is there in the art gallery.......... He has filled the art gallery with 21 big blocks of human excrement. Whattttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, Yes, what a bizarre way to express the cause of India's lowest castes..............Read the story here................Fecal art: artist exhibits slabs of human excrement at London gallery

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Man kidnaps child to force mother to marry him

New Delhi - A young man kidnapped a six-year-old girl in an attempt to force her mother to leave her husband and marry him. The man has been arrested, the police said Thursday.

Sonu, 23, a former bus conductor, was arrested Wednesday evening from the Anand Vihar interstate bus terminal while trying to whisk the little girl to his hometown in Bulandshahar, Uttar Pradesh. The girl was rescued within six hours of abduction. Read more....................Man kidnaps child to force mother to marry him

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Teen kills friend in WWE style

In Ahmedabad in Gujarat state of India a 17-year-old boy duped and abducted his friend so that he could demand Rs 5 lakh ransom. In the end, he choked Lokesh Dadwani (17) to death by shoving his elbow in his throat — in true WWE style.

The boy, who was arrested on Tuesday, told police that he and Lokesh had plotted the kidnapping to get the money from his father. "He is an avid fan of the wrestling shown on TV," said a police officer. Police, however, said Lokesh's family didn't get any ransom call. Read more.......................Inspired by TV, teen kills friend in 'wrestling style'

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Elephants run berserk & people desert homes

About 800 tribal people of a remote area of Koriya district in Chhattisgarh have temporarily deserted their village as a herd of elephants has destroyed their houses and crops, forest officials said Wednesday.

'A herd of wild elephants, which strayed into the region a week ago has been causing panic among the people, mainly in Salwa village, and they ran amok, destroying crops and a number of houses,' as per one local forest official. Read more......................Chhattisgarh villagers desert homes as jumbos run amok

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New Delhi jails beggars

MOST mornings in New Delhi, a battered van sets off around the Indian capital and snatches bedraggled and disabled men from the streets.

These men are among the last things Delhi wants to see as it spruces itself up ahead of hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games, seen as a chance to flaunt the capital as the face of a new, more modern India.

Hundreds of beggars are being locked up for between one and ten years under anti-begging laws. Read more..........Delhi jails beggars in push to become a modern city

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Man sells daughter to treat ailing wife

A man who was unable to treat his ailing wife has sold his daughter for Rs.1,500(US$ 38)in Jharkhand state of India, media reports said Tuesday.

Mantu Verma of Hariharpur village sold the girl on Dec 1 to Ranthu Kerketta, a government employee of Simega district.

According to the reports, Verma's wife got burnt some months ago but he was unable to pay for her treatment. When his condition became so bad that he could not buy food for his wife and daughter, Verma decided to sell the latter.

Kerketta denied he had bought the girl. 'I have adopted Pinki to save her from falling into wrong hands. I already have four children. Now Pinki leads a good life where she can get food,' he said.

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When Kitty Parties land you a job

In India the latest recruitment hotspots are kitty parties, residents welfare associations (RWAs), art exhibitions, local trains, parks, gymkhana clubs and even children’s painting competitions monitored by parents. Read full article here................A stroll in the park can land you a job

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In Bihar Only 21% teachers are Class X pass

Here is a report which tells the state of education in Bihar state of India, where only 21% teachers are Class X pass. If the teachers are not well educated & you can think the state of affairs of education in Bihar.

A study by the National University of Educational Planning & Administration (UNEPA) has found that about half the 47 lakh elementary school teachers in India have themselves not studied beyond the higher secondary level (Class XII). Read full report here.......................Only 21% teachers in Bihar are Class X pass

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Kids in place of Oxen in fields

In a bizzare incident here is a farm in Bihar's Vaishali district, where a 10 year old has replaced an ox at a plough which belongs to the family of the Union Minister for Rural Development, RJD's Raghuvansh Pratap Singh.

The minister's brother, Raghuraj Singh says that the fields are too slippery after the recent floods and its too dangerous for bullocks and a tractor would skid, so he hires children instead.

''We get children because there is a shortage of labour. The fields are too wet for the bullocks. So we have got children to plough the field before sowing,'' said Raguraj Singh, Farm owner.

The boy and his father are equally matter of fact about this. For them, it's a question of working on the fields or starving.

''We work to live. My feet and arms hurt but I still need to work if I want to eat,'' said Sonelal Kumar, Child labourer.''Bullocks can't tread on this ground. So we have to do it ourselves with the children,'' said Ramkrishna Singh, Farmer.

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Eatery Boasts Graveyard Seating

In India, death is a part of life and, at one restaurant in western India, a part of lunch. The bustling New Lucky Restaurant in Ahmedabad in Gujarat state of India is famous for its milky tea, its buttery rolls, and the graves between the tables.

It's a spot where old men page through newspapers and argue politics in the morning while young couples share candlelit meals and hold hands at night. That the candles sit atop graves only adds to the ambiance.

Krishan Kutti Nair has helped run the restaurant built over a centuries-old Muslim cemetery for close to four decades, but he doesn't know who is buried in the cafe floor. Customers seem to like the graves, which resemble small cement coffins, and that's enough for him.

"The graveyard is good luck," Nair said one recent afternoon after the lunch rush. "Our business is better because of the graveyard."

The graves are painted green, stand about shin high, and every day the manager decorates each of them with a single dried flower. They're scattered randomly across the restaurant _ one up front next to the cash register, three in the middle next to a table for two, four along the wall near the kitchen.

The waiters know the floor plan like a bus driver knows his route, and they've mastered the delicate dance of shimmying between graves with a tray of hot tea in each hand.

"We're used to it," said waiter Kayyum Sheikh. "There's nothing odd about it."

The graves probably belong to the family or associates of a 16th-century Sufi saint whose tomb is nearby, according to Varis Alvi, a retired professor in Ahmadabad.

The restaurant dates to the 1950s before honking traffic and tall buildings surrounded the site when K.H. Mohammed opened a tea stall outside the cemetery, said Nair, who helped run the place and became Mohammed's partner. Business was good, and the stall kept expanding until its tin walls encircled the graves. Mohammed died in 1996.

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Son declares mother dead to sell her land

Raipur: A 47-year-old man from Chhattisgarh declared his mother dead in order to sell her property.

The 68-year-old widow, still alive, has registered a first information report (FIR) against her only son, Purshotam, alleging he struck a deal for her land after acquiring a fake death certificate from municipal authorities. Read more.................Son declares mum dead to sell her land

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Students ate Noodles as punishment

In Pune city in Maharashtra state of India several students of St Helena's school complained of stomach pain and dysentry after the school's hostel authorities allegedly forced them to eat fast-food noodles only for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the last three days as a punitive measure.
The school's chairperson, Olive Das, has justified the action, saying the action followed an incident in which some of the hostel girls were caught cooking noodles on a heated iron. Read more..........................Only noodles as punishment

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Get yourself Insured for your kidnapping

If you are having fear of kidnapping then here is Insurance Cover for it. Take this cover & rest assured that if you have to pay some some Ransom money for your kidnapping then Insurance company shall pay for it.

The Al Capone effect has crossed the Atlantic and reached Indian shores after over half a century. With businessmen and corporate executives increasingly becoming soft targets for abduction, insurance firms are now offering custom-made cover against kidnapping and ransom (K&R) to top members of India Inc. Read more......................Businessmen offered kidnap cover

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Bows & Arrows for protecting banks & petrol pumps

In Jharkhand state's Singhbum district, banks and petrol pumps are using bow and arrow for their self defence.

Around National Highway 33, the Ranchi-Jamshedpur lifeline that falls within Maoist-infested Ranchi and Singbhum districts, at least six nationalised banks, petrol pumps and other institutions have fallen back on the traditional bow and arrow for self-defence in the event of Naxalite attacks even as the Jharkhand government looks on helplessly. Read more ..............................'Banking' on bows & arrows

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Teen lynched for eve-teasing

In Kanpur city, a school-going teenager was beaten to death by a gang of students over alleged eve-teasing.

The victim, identified as Vishwajit Gupta (18), a class XII student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, was battered by a mob of more than a dozen youth, all in their teens, who rained blows on him with hockey sticks and also hurled stones. Read more...........Kanpur teen lynched for eve-teasing

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Neglect of parents a criminal offence in India

Now in India, people who neglect their ageing parents face possible prison under a new law passed by worried politicians.

Law reflects concerns that rapid modernization and a growth in nuclear families is undermining a centuries-old social fabric of extended families.

"At least now the elderly can have a roof to live under and food to eat in their old age," Gyan Prakash Pilania, a Hindu nationalist MP, was quoted as saying in local news reports.

Under the law, Indians can face up to a month in jail if found guilty of parental neglect.

The law also allows authorities to order children or relatives to pay a monthly maintenance allowance to the aged.

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Doors made of human poo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It may sound bizzare, but doors and window planks made of human faeces instead of wood has become a possibility!

India's sanitation specialist Sulabh International, led by its visionary founder Bindeshwar Pathak, has succeeded in developing a strong raw material out of human waste and Mexico-based designers Santiago Sierra and Mariana David have designed doors out it.

The doors have been put on display at the Lisson Art Gallery of London. Read more.......................................Sulabh creates doors out of human excreta

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Court summons Hindu gods

In a bizzare incident a judge in India has summoned two Hindu gods, Ram and Hanuman, to help resolve a property dispute.

Judge Sunil Kumar Singh in the eastern state of Jharkhand has issued adverts in newspapers asking the gods to "appear before the court personally".

The gods have been asked to appear before the court, after the judge said that letters addressed to them had gone unanswered.

Ram and Hanuman are among the most popular Indian Hindu gods. Read more.......... Hindu gods get summons from court

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Delhi University graduate worked 10-6 as thief

In New Delhi's nearby Noida’s Sector 58, police on Thursday claimed to have nabbed a "super chain-snatcher" — a 27-year-old DU graduate who "worked" from 10am to 6pm only and had a career collection of 640 chains and handbags. Read more............DU graduate worked 10-6 as thief

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Lights turn red for stunned jaywalkers

NEW DELHI - Pedestrians don't cross the Indian capital's chaotic streets so much as dash across as if their life depends on it, which it very often does.

More than 900 pedestrians a year fail to make it to the other side, killed by the city's lawless drivers. So police decided that it was time to start enforcing a 27-year-old rule against jaywalking.

The result was puzzlement and sometimes anger from people for whom dicing with traffic death is a fact of Indian urban life.

At six busy New Delhi intersections on Thursday, police officers grabbed jaywalkers by the arm, issued them tickets, and made them pay 20-rupee (25-pence) fines before explaining the idea of waiting patiently for the lights to change.

"We have to run, the lights don't turn green long enough for us to cross," said D.K. Bhargav, an angry, 57-year-old office worker, fearlessly confronting an officer with his complaint.

"And in other places there's no crossing at all."

"Speak to the government and say, 'Kindly build us a crossing,'" was the policeman's advice.

In the city's Connaught Place commercial district, a troop of men in woolly jumpers, smart shoes and trousers were hastily painting a new zebra crossing.

Then police reinforcements arrived and, for the first time that anyone could remember, made about 50 pedestrians line up and wait patiently on either side of the road while traffic rushed by, smearing the still-drying paint.

People giggled self-consciously, smiling at those on the opposite curb. During a pause in the traffic someone tried to break ranks and dash across, but a whistle-blowing policeman intercepted him, making everyone laugh.

"How would a villager know about these lights? There are no traffic lights in their villages," said Constable Suresh Sharma, who thought that the widespread rule-breaking was partly due to Delhi's large population of rural migrants.

"Our aim is not to prosecute people, our aim is to educate them," police spokesman Rajan Bhagat explained by telephone.

But not everyone who was fined took away the correct message.

"Next time I'll be watchful," said Vasant Pant, a 20-year-old courier late making his deliveries. "I'll look to see if there's a traffic policeman before crossing."

Some offenders, like Sachin Chaudry, a young, late-running bank executive, quickly handed over their fine and their details without even interrupting their mobile phone calls.

Others were more evasive.

"I don't have the money," pleaded Ankita Khurana, a nervous-looking 18-year-old student.

"Then you'll have to go to jail," the policeman replied. She suddenly remembered she had change in her bag.

But another jaywalker -- a scrawny man in unwashed clothes -- seemed to be telling the truth.

"This is all I have," he pleaded, holding out five rupees.

The enraged policeman took this as an insult, waving a finger in his face before pushing him back the way he came.

"Next time don't cross without a green light," he snarled.

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Train Passengers at God's Mercy

In Bihar state of India if you are travelling by train then you are really at God's mercy.

The safety of millions of passengers in trains passing through Bihar is hanging in the balance even as Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are busy playing the blame game.

Several incidents of banditry on running trains have been reported from Bihar in the last few weeks. But neither railway officials nor state police are ready to walk the extra mile to check such crimes.

"Passenger safety and security has been left to god's mercy as the railways and the state government are engaged in a blame game," a senior police official in Bihar said on condition of anonymity.

Around 150 trains pass through Bihar every day.

The latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau says: "The Patna rail police jurisdiction alone accounts for 23 percent of all crimes on wheels committed throughout the country." Read more..................Train Passengers in Bihar at God's Mercy

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Judge comes to court drunk, loses job

A civil judge in Chhattisgarh state of India lost his job after he came drunk to the court and abused a lawyer and a staff member. Read more.....................Judge comes to court drunk, loses job

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'Nonsense Club' demands drug-deal with US

'Nonsense Club' floated by Satirist Jaspal Bhatti has pulled a new one - this time he wants India to 'sign' a drugs deal with the US and has demanded 'subsidy' for drug peddlers and growers.

Putting up his short skit with his band of 'Nonsense Club' members at the busy Sector 17 plaza in Chandigarh city, Bhatti demanded that drug peddlers should be provided red beacons atop their vehicles and be given security cover since they are involved in a risky business.

The satire was clearly aimed at red beacons and security recently announced by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for members of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to appease them.

'Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should shift his focus from the nuclear deal with the US to a long- term drug deal,' Bhatti said as shoppers and others laughed.

Punjab has emerged as a major transit point in north India for drugs being smuggled from Afghanistan via Pakistan. Chandigarh has emerged as a major buying market for drugs.

Punjab is reported to have a high number of people hooked to drugs.

Bhatti even suggested that organic farming of drugs should be encouraged so that youngsters could get the quality product.

'It would be more profitable for the government to subsidise the drug trade instead of giving free water and electricity to farmers,' Bhatti said.

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Women Bartenders of Delhi

Now Delhites shall be able to have the services of Women Bartenders in the Capital Bars. Supreme Court has passed a judgement allowing women to work as bartenders in the Capital. So now women in capital are not barred from bartending jobs in Delhi bars.

The age limit of women bartenders has also been reduced from 25 years to 21 years by the court............Read more...........Women won't be barred from bartending: SC

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Santa Banta Jokes put 'Anil Ambani' in trouble

Anil Ambani is in trouble due to Santa Banta Jokes. He is one of India's most powerful businessmen.

Police in India have registered a criminal case against him for allegedly circulating a joke insulting the Sikh community. So next time if you are circulating Santa Banta Jokes on mobile telephone network of Reliance Communications, Anil Ambani shall be the one who shall be in trouble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Read more........Indian businessman on joke charge

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Every 3rd illiterate in the world lives in India.

On the eve of a conference in New Delhi sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, acknowledgement came from Indian officials that India is home to 268 millions of the world's 771 millions illiterates. Now India is planning to spend Rs 6,000 crores (1.5 Billion US$) to make 85 per cent of Indians literate over the next five years.

Since Indian Independence, various governments have spent billions of dollars on such programs but the success rate is that every 3rd illiterate in the world still lives in India. Will this huge spending shall give some positive results in reducing the illiteracy in India??????????? Comments Invited.

Read more of it...........India home to a third of world's illiterates

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Two Indian towns among world's dirty 10: Forbes

Vapi in Gujarat and Sukinda in Orissa state of India have been listed among the world's 10 most polluted places by the Forbes magazine, based on the findings of a non-profit institute. Read more....................Two Indian towns among world's dirty 10: Forbes

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5 year old boy accused of Eve teasing

In Bihar state of India anything is expected. Lo, a five-year old boy was made an accused of eve-teasing in Bihar's Samastipur district. In fact Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had to intervene to remove his name from the police file.

Kunti Devi, along with her son Manu Jaiswal, met the Chief Minister at his 'Janata Durbar' and narrated how her son had been falsely implicated. The Chief Minister alerted the police immediately.

The DGP later called up Samastipur Superintendent of Police and asked him to delete the name of the boy from the case.

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Latino music, figuring Shakira to attract voters

Latino music, that too figuring Shakira, may be unheard of in the villages of Gujarat, but it is being put to use in the election campaign.

The Congress party is making use of Gujarati versions of Shakira's songs to woo voters. Read more...........Music to attract voters

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Jailed for killing wife, who's alive

A 26-year-old resident of Greater Noida’s Dankor police station area had to spend seven months in jail on charges of murdering his wife who was neither dead nor had faced any threat to her life. Read more...............Jailed for killing wife, who's alive

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This Villager came to his bride's home in helicopter

Here is how nowadays landowners from villages around Gurgaon near New Delhi flaunt their wealth, newly-gotten from selling prime realty? By taking to the skies of course.

Here a Farrukhnagar resident Rao Mansingh Yadav's son Jagdish paid Rs 1,30,000 for a 12-minute helicopter ride to his bride's home, barely 20-km away in Kapashera. And the entire airborne exercise was designed to impress the new in-laws. Read more............Flying high on his wedding day

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Kids pick human bones for a living

At the busiest crematorium in this Tamil Nadu temple town in southern India, the quiet work of a group of little boys is more heart-rending than the wails of bereaved relatives.

About 10 boys visit the crematorium at Thathaneri on the banks of the Vaigai river and rummage through the heap of hot ashes of dead bodies with their small bare hands to pick bones. Read more..............In Madurai, kids pick human bones for a living

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HIV+ kid left hanging from tree for 7 hours

In a horrifying incident, a three-year-old Vignesh was tied in a sack and left hanging from a tree for more than seven hours at Kaveeripattinam village in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu. He was bought down after passers-by heard his wail. All because he was HIV positive. Read more........HIV+ kid in TN left hanging from tree for 7 hours

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This thief maintained a diary of his escapades

Here is a thief who was caught because he used to actually maintain a diary of his escapades. There are 15 instances of burglaries recorded in the diary.

Devanand was arrested by local crime branch (LCB) officials of Sarkhej. No, not the Bollywood legend, this Devanand is a thief. Devendra Singh, 23, adopted this rather illustrious alias as he went around many spots of Gujarat breaking into shops, factories and homes. Read more..............Diary gives away smart thief

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Cops abduct Transporter

In Mumbai city a small-time transporter was allegedly kidnapped by two police officers attached to the MRA Marg police station in south Mumbai and detained illegally in lockup for two days. Worse, he was brutally beaten up, which left his left ear drum badly damaged. Read more............Transporter 'abducted' by cops

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Indonesians thrown out of Indian temple

Five Hindu pilgrims from Indonesia were thrown out of the Jagannath temple by priests on Friday despite the presence of a police escort accompanying the foreigners. Read more..............Indonesians thrown out of Puri temple

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6,800 dollars for a car number plate!

How much money are you ready to cough out from you pocket to get a car number plate of your choice? Can it equal the amount of nearly fetching a brand new car? Rohit Nagpal of Ludhiana left many of his fellows gasping during an auction when he made the highest bid vouching for a VIP number 0001 with 272,000 rupees! The second highest price with rupees 92,000 was for 0009. Read more........6,800 dollars for a car number plate!

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