JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ TO PLAY SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN BIOPIC........

Upcoming actress Jacqueline Fernandes's career that has really taken off after the stupendous success of the Salman Khan magnum opus "Kick" has received a further fillip with news emerging about her being signed on to play the role of former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin's second wife in a yet to be released biopic based on the life and times of the cricketer........
According to news emerging from sources close to the soon to be launched project has all but confirmed the news about Jacqueline who will soon be seen in a dual role in "Roy" being signed on to enact the role of former Hindi film actress Sangeeta BIjlani who donned the role of Azhar's second wife in 1996 before legally separating from him in 2010........
Jacqueline who has been enjoying a renewed lease of life after "Kick" has quite a few potential blockbusters in her kitty and this role is supposed to add a significant amount of lustre to her evolving status as an actress of repute and considerable promise........
Anthony D'Souza who will be helming the soon to be launched project based on the life and times of one of India's most successful captains Mohammad Azharuddin settled upon Jacqueline after his original choice Kareena Kumar Khan thumbed down the role and signed on for another film..........
Here's wishing that this one does indeed turn out to be a blockbuster of some standing so that Jacqueline has to never look back.......

YET ANOTHER TRAGIC AND UNTIMELY DEMISE..........

Barely three months or so after the tragic and heart rending news of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes losing his battle for life after being felled by a bouncer; here comes the news of a teenaged Pakistani cricketer losing his life under similar circumstances.........
According to Pakistan Cricket Control Board (PCB) sources 18 year old Zeeshan Mohammed died on the field due to a massive cardiac arrest after being struck on the chest by a rising delivery during the course of a domestic cricket match being played between two club sides in Karachi......
Doctors at the Orangi Town General Hospital pronounced Zeeshan dead on arrival after he was rushed to the said medical facility mere minutes after being felled by a delivery delivered by a marauding pacer from the opposing team........
Doctor Samad; CEO of the afore mentioned hospital candidly admitted that Zeeshan was declared dead on arrival as all efforts made to resuscitate him came to a naught and opined that the blow received by the budding cricketer on his chest caused a massive cardiac arrest that led to his untimely and premature demise........
What is even more tragic is the fact that this incident comes a mere three or months or so after dashing Australian middle order batsman Phillip Hughes was felled down by a bouncer delivered by Sean Abbott during the course of a domestic Sheffield Shield Match.......
These incidents have yet again raised a cacophony about banning bouncers and re-designing protective equipment; but one wonders whether the absence of a sound and efficacious technique contributed in no small measure to these two instances.........

WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN........

Music may certainly be the language of a pure and pristine heart; but listening to the same is certainly not without it's perils especially in the vicinity of railway tracks..........
A 20 year old youth was run over by a fast approaching train and crushed to death under it's wheels on the railway tracks near the Dhuri Lines area of Punjab's Ludhiana city........
Sarfaraaz; a long time resident of the city's Mohalla Azad Nagar had plugged in his mobile phone's headphones and was swaying to the tunes of the songs uploaded on his mobile phone late while crossing the said railway tracks on Thursday evening when he was crushed under the wheels of a fast approaching express train as he failed to discern or determine it's approach from behind him.........
Originally hailing from Kishangarh in Bihar; Sarfaraaz had been gainfully employed at a cycle factory in the area for the last four and a bit years and was in the habit of wandering on these tracks despite repeated warnings from both his friends and family about the perils associated with this undesirable activity.........
According to local police officials; Sarfaraaz was sauntering on the said railway tracks at around 9:30 pm or so on the fateful Thursday night with his headphones firmly plugged into his ears when he was crushed under the wheels of an express train that was approaching from behind him with rapidly increasing speed.........
Sarfaraaz was so engrossed in the music playing on his phone that he failed to notice the presence of the rapidly approaching train and lost his fledgling life in the bargain............
Locals who noticed the dismembered body lying on the tracks approached the local police station and the police officials who descended on the spot took to making announcements in the adjoining areas in an effort to identify the deceased youth.......
These efforts soon bore the desired fruit as one Mohammad Noor Alam; a long term resident of Azad Nagar approached them and identified the dismembered body as that of his 20 year old son Sarfaraaz who had not returned home at his usual time.......
Sarfaraaz's body was duly handed over to his inconsolable family members after duly completing the mandated post mortem procedures and registering a case under section 174 of the Cr PC........
One only hopes and prays that all those in the habit of crossing railway tracks; roads; intersections and pedestrian crossings with their headphones plugged into their ears learn the much desired lesson and abstain from this nocturnal practice that can have life threatening implications.........

DAVID WARNER'S WRITER AVATAR.........

Swashbuckling and dapper Australian opener David Warner is anything but an one dimensional personality what with his hidden talents as a writer of immense talent coming to the fore recently........
Warner who enjoys a less than sterling reputation as Australian cricket's "stormy petrel" has off late taken to penning a series of books for children between the ages of 7 and 12 entitled "Kaboom Kid" which lucidly narrate the exploits of a cricket crazy brat called Davey Warner.........
Priced at an extremely pocket friendly Rs. 199 each and co-authored by long time friend JS Black; the four books to have hit the stands; bookshelves thus far are "The Big Switch"; "Playing Up"; "Keep It Down" and last but not the least "Hit For Six"...........
Published by reputed publishing house Simon and Schuster; these books are unpretentious; full of thrills; spills and chills; undiluted fun and tonnes of tongue in cheek puns that are sure to bring out the child in you and coming back for more.........
Penned with a rare candour and disarming candidness; these best sellers portray the glorious and timeless game of cricket as a team builder and positive influence on kids of all ages; both sexes; from all backgrounds and national affiliations and all those adults who have kept the child in them alive and kicking..........
Contrary to his "bad boy" image; Warner sends out anti bullying; anti sledging; and last but not the least anti racial messages in a cheeky and easy to understand manner that is sure to strike a chord with every kid who is trying to carve out his very own niche in a world inhabited and ruled by adults...........
So without any further ado do both yourselves as well as your kids a favour and head towards your favourite book shop so that you can lay your hands on these little gems before they are sold out..........

YET ANOTHER STERLING EXAMPLE.........

Here is one more sterling example of our callous; deplorable and despicable attitude towards women and manifestation of our male dominated culture........
Delhi Police sources earlier today announced that they had taken one Rohtas (24) a gent currently pursuing his graduation through correspondence from a college affiliated to the Delhi University on the heinous charges of having murdered his 20 year old girlfriend and dumping her body in the vicinity of a West Delhi Park with utter disdain.........
According to the same sources; Rohtas was apprehended from his home town of Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) early this morning on the criminal charges of luring his 20 year old girlfriend to his rental accommodation in the national capital's Vijay Enclave area on the express pretext of taking her out for a movie and then strangulated her to death without batting an eyelid...........
Rohtas was reportedly incensed and infuriated by the increasing indifference being shown to him by his girlfriend of three years standing and was obsessed with the idea of doing away with her for having caused him grievous harm with her indifference and negligent attitude towards him..........
Putting his devious plans into action on the evening of January 20; 2015; Rohtas established telephonic contact with his unsuspecting and gullible girlfriend whom he had befriended through the social networking site facebook close to three years ago and then proceeded to strangulate her with the aid of her very own chunni/dupatta..........
To ward off any imminent threat of either being detected or then arrested; Rohtas folded her body into a bag with the aid of some friends and dumped the same in the vicinity of a park in the West Delhi locality of Lajwanti Garden some 12 odd kilometres away from his his place of residence..........
Morning walkers noticed the body on the early morning of January 21; 2015 and duly informed the local police station following which a case of murder was registered against unknown persons at the national capital's Mayapuri police station; a detailed and painstaking scrutiny of the calls made from her mobile phone saw the name of Rohtas cropping up time and again and the police then narrowed down their search and came to the conclusion that he had something to do with the victim's untimely demise.........
Police sleuths then managed to extricate details pertaining to Rohtas's Delhi hideout by randomly calling up a few telephone numbers that emerged from the victim's mobile phone and then proceeded to raid his above mentioned hideout from where it emerged that both Rohtas and his mother had left for their home town in the wee hours of January 21.........
Without any further ado; the Delhi police officials immediately constituted a team headed by a sub inspector and despatched the same to Rampur on the evening of January 21; the team managed to trace the whereabouts of Rohtas and took him into custody from his ancestral house on the intervening night of January 22/23; Rohtas is now being brought back to Delhi and will be produced before a judicial magistrate as soon as he sets foot in Delhi..........
Like I said earlier; yet another sterling example of a so called exalted culture that accords unscrupulous males pride of place and gives them the licence to do whatever they please with their so called "inferior" female counterparts...........

CULTURE OR ABJECT ABSENCE OF THE SAME........

What is culture????practices that have stood the time and become an integral part and parcel of our everyday lives; something that has been handed down from generation to generation; values; ideals; thoughts worthy of emulation and last but not the least; setting precedents for others to follow.........
Our motherland India has always been known as a melting pot as well as birthplace of a multitude of cultures and practices that have been both embraced as well as imbibed by millions of people all over the world; but sad to say; off late we seem to have forgotten our hoary traditions and culture and become nothing more than a nation of unsavoury characters who are hell bent upon giving our nation a bad name........
While the rest of the civilised pride takes immense pride in keeping their surroundings pristine; spic and span; we take undue pride in spreading filth wherever we go; our neighbours courtyard or garden is our favourite dumping ground; our roads are our dustbins and garbage bins; we are eminently capable of spitting; defecating and urinating in every conceivable and inconceivable nook and cranny and the less said about the deplorable state of our national monuments the better..........
Indian women always enjoyed pride of place in all rituals; religious practices; and simple everyday tasks and deeds; our ancient religious texts have termed the Indian woman "Ardhangini" and bestowed unto her the right of being her male counterparts alter ego and equal if not superior counterpart; alas; the exalted status of the Indian woman has plummeted and nosedived instead of showing an upward curve over the ages and women have now come to be regarded as an inferior species to be exploited; brutalised; savaged; traumatised; tortured and trivialised; they are being sexually savaged with growing impunity and acid is being hurled on them as if the same was the answer to every perceived slight and insult conjured up by a diseased and decaying mind; and what is even more appalling and dastardly is the fact that a significant majority of our menfolk take undue pride and pleasure in justifying this vile deeds and justify the same as mere manifestations of a "culture that supposedly bestows a superior status on males who are an insult and affront to their sex".........
Now let's look at what we have done to the women who lost the support and companionship of their male counterparts and partners at various stages in their lives due to accidents; mishaps; natural causes and medical apathy and indifference; it is indeed sad and pitiable that we the inheritors and practitioners of a so called "enlightened; civilised; urbane; sophisticated and evolving culture" have reduced our widows to mere objects of our criminal apathy; indifference and indescribable absence of both sympathy and empathy for them; one look at the inhuman and deplorable state in which they exist in our so called centres of culture and tradition namely Mathura; Vrindavan and the like will make you hang your head in shame for the rest of your life and hate the very thought of having been born as an Indian........
Friends; fellows; countrymen; women and all right thinking and minded folks; the age for procrastination and slumber is well past us; we and only we can take matters into/unto our very hands and set right all the wrongs we have done to our fellow human beings; monuments; surroundings; environment and climate over the ages; so do shed off years of apathy and indifference and join me and like minded others in evolving and giving birth to an India; nation and culture that all of us can be immensely proud off................

YET ANOTHER DASTARDLY RAPE.........

The sceptre of heinous crimes being committed by minors raised it's ugly head once again what with a person just shy of his 18th birthday being arrested on the grave and sinister charges of sexually devastating and violating a 11 year old girl belonging to the same area........
Police sources from the Kaanth Police Station in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur District revealed the fact that they had indeed arrested a youth who is just a few weeks shy of his 18th birthday for grievously injuring and raping a 11 year old girl from the very same neighbourhood on Saturday morning.........
According to the very same sources; the dastardly crime occurred late on Friday night when the youth led the unsuspecting; trusting and gullible 11 year old to a secluded and deserted spot; raped her repeatedly and then threatened her with life altering consequences before letting her return to her abode.........
The copiously weeping; grievously injured and emotionally wracked girl informed her disbelieving mother about the sordid fate that had befallen her and her parents in turn rushed her to the neighbouring police station at around 11:30 pm or so on Friday night following which a police complaint was duly registered against the accused youth........
According to the Investigating Officer (IO) a case of rape as well as the violation of certain/relevant sections of the POCSO act has been registered against the accused one Mehtab based upon the complaint filed by the rape survivors father against the accused..........
Both Mehtab as well as the survivor belonged to the same locality and community and Mehtab took advantage of the fact that the girl was grazing her cattle alone in the fields in the looming dark; taking advantage of the situation; Mehtab accosted the girl and forced her deep into the adjoining fields where he proceeded to rape her with brutal force and inhuman ferocity.........
A detailed medical examination of the victim was carried out a local government hospital at around 12:30 am or so on Saturday morning and the final results or conclusions of the same are being awaited; the victim is recovering from the numerous injuries inflicted on her nether regions (private parts) and other parts of her anatomy by the accused in the same hospital and a local NGO has stepped forward to rehabilitate as well as counsel her........
Mehtab is meanwhile cooling his heels in the local juvenile justice home as the local police who arrested him from his family home at around 11 am or so on Saturday morning await the final result of bone density as well as other tests that will determine the veracity of his claims about being three weeks or so shy of his 18th birthday..........

YET ANOTHER DISASTER FOR THE WEST INDIAN CRICKET TEAM........

Cricket or rather the glorious game of cricket continues to be in a turmoil in the West Indies what with their cricketing icons side stepping proffered annual contracts; retainers as well as pulling out of tours due to pay related disputes.........
According to the latest news emanating from the West Indies cricketing icons Christopher Henry Gayle and Sunil Narine have disdainfully refused the annual retainership contracts offered to them by the West Indian Cricket Board while yet another legend of the game Dwayne Bravo was yet to make a final decision in this regard.........
Kieron Pollard was not offered a central contract just like the year 2013-14 ; but Gayle and Narine's refusal has taken the board by surprise as Gayle had signed a an annual retainership contract with the board after a three year long interval in January 2014.......
The absence of Gayle and Narine from an already considerably diminished and fractious West Indies side will only serve to weaken it even further and sources close to Dwayne Bravo expect him to follow in the duo's footsteps as Bravo is piqued with the board's decision about stripping him of the ODI squads captaincy and making him a convenient scapegoat for the actions of other players who pulled out midway from a tour of India owing to a pay related dispute............
Whatever may be the reason behind the duo's refusal to append their signatures on the much debated contracts; West Indies cricket will be the ultimate sufferer as the fortunes of the team have already hit rock bottom what with it being just above minnows Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the ICC rankings.........
One only hopes and prays that better sense dawns on all parties concerned; i.e. the players as well as the West Indies Cricket Board as the West Indian team has always enjoyed a special place in the heart of every ardent and steadfast cricket lover and seeing West Indian cricket in a never ending free fall cause us all untold pain and misery.........

ANSWER TO SAURASHTRA'S MANY PROBLEMS........

Currently on his way back after the just concluded India-Australia test series; woefully out of form batsman Cheteshwar Pujara will be turning out for his state (Ranji trophy) team as soon as he sets foot on terra firma.......
Confirming the development; Saurashtra Coach Sitanshu Kotak said that Pujara had telephonically confirmed his availability for his team';s next Ranji Trophy venture against Vidarbha from January 13 onwards at Nagpur..........
As India's test tour ends on Saturday; January 10; we expect Pujara to join the team in time for the team's next fixture in Nagpur and expect him to contribute significantly to overhauling the team's plummeting fortunes; Kotak signed off........
For the record; Pujara carried his woeful form from the India-England test series into the test series down under and could only amass a pithy 201 runs from 6 innings in three test matches with a top score of 73 before being replaced by Suresh Raina for the just concluded Sydney test match.........
Saurashtra have thus far been having their worst Ranji Trophy season in recent times and are currently languishing at the bottom of Group B; what with the team just managing to garner a laughable 3 points from the five games in which they have turned up in this season........
Only Sheldon Jackson (662 runs from 5 games) who also happens to be the team's top scorer and Ankit Vasavada (462 runs from 5 games) have managed to redeem themselves thus far while all the other batsmen have been struggling to put bat to ball; as for the team's bowling unit; the less said the better.........
With the impending/imminent threat of being relegated to Group C staring them in the face; the team's management is literally clutching at straws while hoping and praying that Pujara's infusion or then inclusion in the side will prove to be the turning point and galvanise the team into turning around their fortunes and making a renewed bid to qualify for the knock out stages of India's premier domestic tournament........
Here's hoping that the beleaguered Saurashtra team management's prayers do indeed bear the desired fruit and guarantee the team the much desired spot in the knock out stages.........

PROMOTIONS GALORE.........

Will wonders ever cease; the Hindi film industry certainly seems to be devising newer; far more innovative and zara hatke ways and means of promoting it's forthcoming releases and here is one more such promotion...........
Hindi film industry stars; wannabe stars; newbies; bigwigs; producers; directors; promoters et al certainly seem to be pulling out all stops in an effort to provide that much desired cutting edge to their product as promotion has become the name of the game today and can often make the difference between a resounding success and damp squib at the box office........
Newcomer Sapna Pabbi who came into the limelight by playing Anil Kapoor's daughter in the "super hit" television series 24; will soon be seen in her first starring role in Mukesh Bhatt's erotic thriller "Khamoshiyan" and is certainly doing more than her bit to ensure the success of her theatrical/matinee debut........
Sapna will soon be initiating a "series of midnight chats" with a few selected men in a somewhat "different" measure to promote her debut film Khamoshiyan on various social networking and other such frequently visited sites that can guarantee the venture the much desired eyeballs and publicity.......
According to a source within the Bhatt camp; Sapna will soon initiate a series of flirtatious;fun and somewhat leading and suggestive chats with a few chosen men on social networking sites as the movie is an erotic thriller that both intends to titillate as well as shock it's audiences beyond belief...........
In order to keep the balance and not offend people's delicate and fragile sensibilities; the questions put forth to Sapna will be filtered; vetted and vetoed by a team of individuals earmarked exclusively for this very purpose.........
So do go ahead and try your luck as you have nothing to luck and may be just end up being one of those testosterone laden males who gets to chat up the Hindi film industry's newest temptress and femme fatale..........

SHANE BOND TO JOIN MUMBAI INDIANS COACHING STAFF.........

Adding to the Mumbai Indians IPL franchises already considerable coaching staff; New Zealand fast bowling legend Shane Bond has announced that he will be joining the franchise as it's bowling coach from the 2015 season onwards..........
Bond who earlier today announced his decision to step down as his nation's (New Zealand's) fast bowling coach after the completion of the 2015 World Cup will be assuming charge of his new assignment some two weeks before the commencement of the domestic T 20 tournament sometime in April.........
Shane Bond will therefore augment or swell the ranks of the already appointed Mumbai Indians Coaching Staff; Ricky Ponting (newly appointed chief or head coach in the place of John Wright); Jonty Rhodes (fielding coach); Robin SIngh (batting coach) and last but not the least Indian great Anil Kumble who has been roped in to mentor and encourage the team......
39 year old Bond is no stranger to the IPL as he did experience the ebbs and flows of the tournament during his stint with the Shahrukh Khan owned Kolkata Knight Riders franchise during the 2010 IPL season with moderate success...........
Exuding confidence about his ability to settle down quickly in his new role; Bond said that he ardently looked forward to synergising his experience; thoughts and cricketing acumen with cricketing legend Ricky Ponting and taking the most highly regarded IPL team to unprecedented and heady heights in tandem with the rest of the team's coaches and mentors........
"I will be spending my time with the Mumbai Indian bowlers and passing on my experiences and tricks of the trade to them in a manner that is easily to follow; adopt; incorporate; and take on board with consummate ease; elan and chutzpah"; the dashing;dapper and effusive Kiwi signed off.......

RAPACIOUS BROTHER-IN-LAW REVEALS HIS DEMONIC SIDE.......

Warding off the avaricious and lasvicious tendencies of your brother-in-law can be fraught with danger and cause untold harm to your well being as this hapless woman realised at her own peril........
A Muzaffarnagar (Bihar) based woman sustained grievous and life threatening burn injuries on her face neck and other parts of her anatomy as her incensed and brother-in-law doused her with the viscous liquid (acid) after making a furtive and abortive attempt to force himself upon her at Khurda Village in the Chapra area of the district early on Friday morning.........
According to district police sources; the hapless woman who suffered more than 55% burns as a result of her brother-in-law's barbaric and despicable actions has since been admitted to the district government hospital where her condition is being constantly monitored by a team of doctors........
In her statement made to the police from her hospital bed; the seriously injured woman said that her brother-in-law Jahangir made an attempt to sexually assault her for the first time when they were returning to their village abode from a neighbouring village on his motorcycle and yet another attempt when she warded off his initial advances and alighted from the bike........
He then sped off from the spot and returned in no time at all to throw a copious amount of acid on his alarmed and disturbed sister-in-law who was making her way home on foot after the two attempts made on her being by a person she trusted and revered..........
A case has been registered against the assailant who is still at large and all possible efforts to nab him at the earliest have been initiated or launched by the Muzaffarnagar police.........
On wonders whatever happened to the measures that all state governments were supposed to take up on a war footing to regulate the sale of acid in their respective territories after the Supreme Court had passed orders and made a series of acerbic and biting observations in this regard; will the concerned state governments wake up from their self enforced slumber at long last and make all out efforts to comply with the Supreme Court's orders or then will long suffering women continue to bear the brunt of the wrath of a few demonic males who know no better........

RUBEL HOSSAIN'S WORLD CUP DREAMS SHATTERED.........

Your happy; idyllic and ideal world can certainly come crashing to it's knees within a mere matter of a few hours; don't believe me; then contact now disgraced Bangladeshi medium pacer Rubel Hossain for confirmation........
Hossain who was named in the Bangladeshi squad for the 2015 World Cup in Australia-New Zealand; found himself behind bars early on Thursday morning after being remanded to judicial custody by a local court on charges of raping an actress after dangling the much abused marriage related carrot..........
A judicial magistrate presiding over a Dhaka based court pronounced the order incarcerating Rubel Hossain in a local jail for the time being after 19 year old Naznin Akter Happy an up and coming actress levelled "rape" and "false promise of marriage" related charges against the Bangladeshi medium pacer in the last week of December 2014..........
This decision taken by the court about sentencing him to a jail sentence all but ended Hossain's chances of participating in the 2015 World Cup despite his name making an appearance amongst the fortunate 15 chosen or named by the Bangladeshi selectors on January 6; 2015 as the concerned court has not yet set a date for the case's future hearings......
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Police; Anisur Rehman; the concerned court outrightly rejected Rubel Hossain's bail plea on Thursday morning and sent him to a local jail pending the next hearing of the case on a yet to be disclosed date.........
Dhaka police had launched an investigation into the sordid affair as soon as it received a written complaint from Ms. Akter alleging that Rubel Hossain had backed away from an earlier commitment about honourably marrying her despite being involved in an eight month long passionate and intensely physical affair with her..........
Taking due cognisance of the written complaint; the said court ordered both Ms; Akter as well as Mr. Hossain to undergo a series of medical as well as DNA tests that conclusively proved or established Ms. Akter's allegations about the two being sexually intimate...........
This scandal has not only been ruling the airwaves and headlines within the country but also served to shock a conservative and dogmatic nation beyond all reasonable belief; to her credit; Ms. Akter had said that she was more than prepared to withdraw her case against Rubel Hossain as soon as he honoured his marriage related promises or commitments while Hossain maintained that he had made no such promises and in turn alleged that Happy was trying her utmost to "blackmail and entrap" him into marrying her.........
Rubel Hossain who has thus far appeared in 22 tests and 53 One Day Internationals garnering or then scalping 32 test as well as 69 ODI wickets or victims including an increasingly rare hat trick against New Zealand now finds himself on the wrong side of the law and is contemplating an increasingly dismal and bleak future in which his international cricketing career might just be the first casualty..........

21 YEAR OLD BRAVE HEART FOILS DACOITY BID.........

A 21 year old woman showed tremendous courage; pluck; determination and presence of mind in foiling a dacoity attempt on her family's plush Bhopal residence.........
Charanpreet Kaur; the 21 year old brave heart emerged from her bedroom brandishing a sword as soon as she heard a few strange; sinister; guttural and unfamiliar sounds and cries emanating from the vicinity of her family's sprawling residence in Bhopal's posh Ansal Pradhan Enclave early on Wednesday morning.......
Brandishing the sword she was carrying with renewed vigour and enthusiasm; Charanpreet shouted out warnings to her father and other menfolk in her family about a group of men having entered their family abode under the cover of darkness.......
Charanpreet's cries of alarm and the lights going on within the house they planned to rob as well as neighbouring houses dissipated the five man gang of dacoits bravado and bravura and they fled from the spot like a pack of cornered rats leaving behind the iron rods; lathis and boulders that they had carried along with them.........
A case of attempted burglary and failed dacoity was duly registered at Bhopal's Shahpura police station later on Wednesday morning; according to police sources; the failed dacoity bid occurred at the sprawling residence of one Harvinder Dheer Singh; 51, a reputed civil contractor of Bhopal city........
His daughter Charanpreet Kaur; a second year engineering student woke up at around 3 am or so in order to study for her fast approaching examinations when she heard the afore mentioned sounds and emerged from her bedroom brandishing her trusty sword.........
This band of five masked men had gained access to the house by breaking open a lock on the ground floor while Harvinder Dheer Singh; his wife; two daughters; and a couple of male servants slept on in their rooms on the first floor oblivious of the presence of these masked men in their house..........
Charanpreet's alertness; courage and remarkable presence of mind played an integral part in foiling the proposed or intended robbery/dacoity and the gang had to return empty handed as a result of the brave young woman's pluck; the city police will certainly honour her bravado and sheer courage under trying circumstances by honouring her with a citation and cash award at a public function that will be organised in the very near future; a senior police official said......

ALVIRO PETERSEN ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT.......

Unheralded; lesser known and largely nondescript South African (Springboks) opener or then opening batsman Alviro Petersen has decided to hang up his boots or then is it bats for good following his team's consummate 8 wicket triumph over a struggling West Indian team in the just concluded test match at Newlands.........
Petersen who had been experiencing a monumental dip in both form as well as cricketing fortunes during recent times represented his nation's cricket (test) team in 36 fixtures (test matches) from 2010 onwards and aggregated 2,093 test runs at a less than stellar average of 34.88........
Five centuries embellished or adorned his test match batting exploits but an extended dip in form and constant frustration at his repeated inability to resurrect both his batting from and cricketing fortunes forced him to take a good; hard and insightful look at his cricketing future and arrive at this decision........
34 year old Petersen who also featured in the South African One Day International Side in barely a handful of fixtures will now be moving on with his cricketing career and solely focus his energies on representing an unnamed English county side as well as the Johannesburg based local side Lions in South African domestic cricket fixtures for the next four years or so before transforming himself into a certified cricket coach.........

UNNECESSARY; UNWARRANTED AND SENSELESS DEMISE..........

The ugly sinister and macabre sceptre of ragging and brutalising raised it's ugly head in a Coimbatore based engineering college despite the same being outlawed and ended up claiming the precious and irreplaceable life of a 21 year old young man.........
A 21 year old mechanical engineering student of an engineering college affiliated to the Coimbatore based Karpagam University succumbed to the grievous head injuries inflicted on him by a mob of fellow students during the course of nasty and acrimonious so called "introductory and familiarisation" session two days ago..........
Karthikeyan B a long time resident of Tamil Nadu's Namakkal district was brutally and inhumanly attacked by a group of students with iron rods and wooden stumps after the so called afore mentioned session on Monday night; Karthikeyan who was admitted to a city hospital after slipping into a coma because of the grievous head injuries inflicted on him by the demons masquerading as fellow students never regained consciousness and succumbed to the very same injuries in the hospital early on Wednesday morning..........
He is survived by an aged father Balusamy; a lorry driver employed in Maharashtra and an aged mother who is shocked/numbed beyond belief and still struggling to come to terms with her only son's wholly unnecessary; untimely and senseless demise that has robbed her of her only reason to live.........
In the meanwhile; the Coimbatore police have registered cases against both the college management as well as the yet to be identified mob of students who inflicted the life threatening injuries on Karthikeyan and are carrying out detailed investigations into the deplorable and condemnable incident that has brought untold shame to the whole educational fraternity...........

SHAME ON A WOMAN CHIEF MINISTER.........

Shame on a woman chief minister who finds defending lynch mobs worth her while instead of coming to the aid of women/girls who are being sexually violated during the reign of a floundering chief minister who is yet to deliver the much awaited "poribartan".........
A teenaged girl hailing from the increasingly lawless state of West Bengal and travelling from Ludhiana to Sitamarhi via Muzaffarpur was inhumanly and savagely sexually violated within the precincts of the Muzaffarpur collectorate by a group of five (5) sexual predators including the driver of the additional district magistrate on a typically chilly Sunday night........
According to local police sources; the gruesome incident occurred when the 16 year old rape survivor and her brother-in-law's close friend Vinod got off the train and ventured outside the Muzaffarpur railway station in an effort to satiate their hunger pangs..........
Jitendra Kumar; temporary driver of the additional district magistrate and his four other accomplices set their avaricious sights on Vinod and the girl; accosted them; beat Vinod black and blue; abducted the girl and led her towards the collectorate where they proceeded to debauch and demonise the now terrified and traumatised girl who was pleading with them for mercy and an iota of humanity.........
A good samaritan who noticed the bruised; battered and deeply disturbed rape survivor weeping copiously outside the Muzaffarpur Railway Station in the wee hours of Monday morning brought her rather sorry and heart rending plight to the notice of the railway police personnel and they in turn accompanied her to the Town Police Station where a case was duly registered against the five accused persons (if one can call them that).......
To their credit; the Town Police higher ups immediately constituted a team led by DSP Anil Kumar who successfully managed to nab one Nikku Kumar a resident of West Champaran district within a matter of a couple of hours or so.........
Nikku Kumar broke down under the relentless police interrogation; confessed to the inhuman crime and also named his four accomplices; Jitendra Paswan; temporary driver of the ADM; his close friend Gautam Jha; Vikas Tiwari and Deepak Kumar and also said that the four would be found in the Begusarai area where all four of them resided...........
Two teams have been despatched to Begusarai in order to apprehend the absconding four accused at the earliest and the survivor's statement has been duly recorded in the presence of a judicial magistrate; a medical test carried out on the survivor at a local government hospital has conclusively established the occurrence of the grotesque crime..........
Which brings us back to the moot question whether or not a woman chief minister who thinks no end of herself should be doing a lot more to ensure her fellow beings safety and security instead of justifying the murderous tendencies of lynch mobs and ascribing political motives to the activities of an investigating agency that is doing it's job with fear and favour for once............

WILL TEAM INDIA BE ABLE TO MOUNT A SUCCESSFUL TITLE DEFENCE.........

Yes; the names of those 15 men who will go into battle and defend the World Cup title won by a proud and cricket crazy nation after a rather long; painful and exhausting 28 year interval have been made public around three hours or so ago; but does this team chosen by the five "wisest" men in Indian cricketing circles really have the wherewithal to mount a title defence..........
Yes; the batsmen do choose themselves beyond a shadow of doubt as they and only they have been consistently winning laurels for the nation for the last so many years; but pray will someone tell me the logic or rationale behind picking a woefully out of form Shikhar Dhawan who is currently warming the benches owing to his woeful run of scores; yes Dhawan has indeed been more than successful in the shorter formats of the glorious game; but the fact remains that he has been found out by the opposing bowlers and will continue to be a sitting duck unless he makes the much required technical adjustments to his flawed technique within the next 10 days or so............
Ambati Rayudu is one more such pick that defies all cricketing logic as he is nothing more than a flat track bully who has flattered to deceive on batsmen friendly Indian pitches; his recent run of scores in the ongoing Ranji trophy also do not inspire any confidence whatsoever and one wonders whether the selectors indeed missed a trick by not picking Yuvraj Singh who has notched up three consecutive centuries for his Ranji trophy team recently and is indeed in a rich vein of form at the present time.......
Will someone kindly enlighten me on how and why a floundering Umesh Yadav who has thus far conceded more than 5 runs of every over he has bowled in the ongoing test series for extremely meagre returns has held onto his place in the World Cup squad; I for one would have been far more satisfied and enthused if a fit; enthusiastic and raring to go Mohit Sharma had been picked instead of him as he would have done a far better job.......
According to news emanating from BCCI sources; both Ishant Sharma as well as Ravindra Jadeja are afflicted by short to medium term injuries that would require rest; rehabilitation and constant monitoring as well as supervision yet both of them find themselves in the squad; is the Indian team's physiotherapist endowed with divine powers or then did the fact that Messrs Ishant and Jadeja are known Dhoni acolytes force the selectors hand in this matter..........
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one more selection that gets my goat; Australian pitches are far more friendly to seamers rather than swing bowlers and Bhuvi's display on the first morning of the ongoing Sydney test match only reinforces this belief more than ever; Bhuvi has never ever bowled at speeds in excess of 130 kmph all through his cricketing career and if the ball does not swing prodigiously at this rather pedestrian pace; he will be nothing more than cannon fodder for the opposing batsmen........
I can carry on for much longer and keep filling up volumes with my litany of complaints against the choices made by these jokers who go around masquerading as selectors but will satisfy myself with this much for now; best of luck to the chosen 15; I for one will be praying harder than anyone else for your success but then my brain gleefully points out the rather distressing fact that this team might indeed make it to the last four but will then struggle to make it any further............

STARC REPLACES JOHNSON FOR FINAL TEST.........

Team Australia has called up left arm quick Mitchell Starc in place of the injured Mitchell Johnson for the fourth and last Sydney Test match that is slated to get underway tomorrow (Tuesday) morning........
Johnson; the reigning "ICC cricketer of the year" is plagued by a slight and bothersome hamstring strain and the Aussie team management did not deem it fit to take any risks with it's numero uno speedster with their team already enjoying an unassailable or unconquerable 2-0 lead in the four test series and the premier ODI tournament namely the ICC Cricket World Cup slated to get underway on February 14........
Throwing further light on the issue; Australia test team skipper Steve Smith said that; "the team management did not want to risk Johnson in a dead rubber considering the sheer magnitude of cricketing slated to come up in the next few months"..........
"Johnson is going to to be the lynch pin of our pace attack during both the tri-series beginning January 16 as well as the World Cup and we want him fit and raring to go on all cylinders for the same": Smith signed off.......
24 year old Starc has annexed 45 wickets during his 14 test appearances till date and ended up snaring 2 wickets as well as scoring a quickfire 50 during his last test appearance i.e. the four wicket victory against a struggling team India at the iconic Gabba in Brisbane a fortnight or so ago..........
Starc's selection ahead of fellow speedsters Peter Siddle; James Pattinson; Patrick Cummins and last but not the least up and coming left arm orthodox spinner Ashton Agar has surely raised more than a few eyebrows in both the Australian media as well as cricketing circles considering his rather mediocre strike rate in the 14 tests he has appeared in thus far.........
But like for like seems to have loaded the dice in his favour this time and he will more than have to grab this god send opportunity with both hands if he wants to become a permanent fixture in the Australian test team.........

"BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN" UNIT HEADS FOR KASHMIR........

After a rather long and tiresome hiatus; the Hindi film industry seems to be rediscovering and re-embracing the pristine; unspoilt; virgin and breath taking beauty of the Kashmir valley once again.........
Vishal Bharadwaj's 2014 soul stirring saga "Haider" was almost entirely shot in Kashmir and reports emanating from the camp of the Salman Khan Kareena Kapoor Khan starrer "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" seem to allude to or point towards the fact that the entire cast and crew of the potential box office wonder will soon be heading towards the sylvan climes of the Kashmir valley once they finish with their Karjat shooting schedule......
Confirming the developments in this regard; "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" director Kabir Khan said that he was always keen about shooting a portion of this Eid release in the Kashmir valley and Salman and the rest of the cast and crew of the film were more than amenable to the idea when the same was discussed with them at length........
None of the cast and crew members ever raised questions about the security situation in the troubled and sometimes violent and turbulent Kashmir Valley and all security and safety measures have been put in place albeit without troubling and bothering the local populace; according to an insider........
"Yes all of us without exception will be heading for Kashmir once we wrap up the Karjat schedule and we should be heading to Kashmir in the first week of February or so for a 35 odd day long schedule of "Bajrangi Bhaijaan"; I for one am more than enthused about shooting a major portion of my film in Kashmir and my entire crew and cast share the same sentiments": a rather buoyant and enthusiastic Kabir Khan joyously signed off.......

PITCH RELATED WOES FOR MESSRS HARRIS AND JOHNSON........

Australian groundsmen beware; pace attack lynch pins Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson are extremely disturbed; dismayed and disgusted by the slow; low and almost bald pitches offered to them during the course of the ongoing test series against India and are directing both their ire and verbal repartee at the groundsmen responsible for the three pitches offered to them thus far.........
Both Harris and Johnson are of the opinion that the Aussie pacers have had to work much harder than normal ans shed blood; sweat and tears to send the Indian batsmen back to the pavilion at regular intervals notwithstanding the rather flattering 2-0 score line........
Both Harris and Johnson are of the informed opinion that the three pitches dished out to them thus far have been far slower; lower and shorn of grass; "we as a bowling unit have always enjoyed bowling on pitches that had more than a bit of grass on them; offered pace and bounce and therefore facilitated movement off the pitch like the pitches we played on during the Ashes" Harris said.........
"The pitches that we have played on thus far are definitely much more batting friendly in comparison to the pitches on which the five test Ashes series was played and we would have certainly thought that our curators would have been a little more sympathetic towards their fast bowling mates and served up pitches that had a bit more in them for us long suffering pacers who have the dice heavily loaded against us more often than not"; Harris signed off.........

MITCHELL JOHNSON RULED OUT OF SYDNEY TEST.........

Beleaguered members of team India must be thanking both their lucky stars as well as the almighty in equal measure as the news about Aussie pace bowling spearhead Mitchell Johnson missing out on the Sydney Test beginning January 6 begins to hit the headlines........
Mitchell Johnson has been ruled out of the fourth and final Commonwealth Bank Test against India owing to a recurrent hamstring injury that flared up again during the course of the recently concluded Melbourne Boxing Day test that ended in a honourable stalemate (draw).........
Mitchell Johnson could not take the field with the rest of his team mates for the training and net sessions held on Saturday and Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground owing to the above mentioned injury and Aussie physiotherapist Alex Kountouris did indeed confirm that he would miss out on all the action of the fourth test owing to soreness; stiffness and a slight swelling in his right hamstring........
Kountouris however exuded confidence about the 33 year old speedster being roaring fir before the start of the One Day International Tri-Series featuring the Australian; English and Indian ODI teams; beginning January 16 after a week long rest that should more than take care of the soreness he felt during the course of the third test match........
"Mitchell Johnson is an integral part of our World Cup 2015 squad and plans and me and the rest of the team management will be working overtime in order to ensure that he is fighting fit and raring to go well before the World Cup gets underway on February 14; Kountouris signed off........

"PK" MARCHES ON UNDAUNTED........

Notwithstanding the legions of naysayers; right wing fringe going berserk; self styled godmen who derided the film at every given forum and last but not the least politicos who used the flick to settle political scores as well as score brownie points; the Aamir Khan starrer PK is scaling unprecedented heights and how.........
According to the Hindi film industry's most trustworthy and erudite trade analyst; Komal Nahata; Rajkumar Hirani's "PK" has notched up the praiseworthy distinction of becoming the highest grosser in the 100 odd year old history of the Hindi film industry.........
"Expectations from the heady and seemingly unbeatable combination of Raju Hirani were more than sky high and this unbeatable combination has more than delivered and how; "PK" has thus far grossed a little over Rs. 276 crore in it's two odd week sojourn and could end up grossing over Rs. 350 crore if the ticket buying public keeps going ga ga over it in the same manner"; Nahata gushed........
"PK has comfortably overtaken both Aamir Khan's "Dhoom 3" as well as Shahrukh (King) Khan's "Chennai Express" as "Dhoom 3" had grossed approximately 265 crores and "Chennai Express" Rs. 258 crores at the domestic box office; therefore "PK" is not only the flavour of the season but also the Hindi film industry's most successful ever offering", Nahata signs off.........
Numerous and wholly unnecessary controversies notwithstanding there is no disputing "PK's" truly deserved iconic status and reputation as a film that comes around only once in a lifetime; this Vidhu Vinod Chopra productions deserves all these encomiums and a lot more besides as it is a move with it's heart and soul in the right place and hence an oddity in a film industry obsessed with churning out soul and heartless money spinners that make you cringe more often than not...........

CORRUPT GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL GETS HIS JUST DESSERTS.........

Beware the wrath of an estranged wife as she can lead to your ruination; damnation; and demise if she spills the beans about your financial shenanigans and misdoings.........
An Ahmedabad based Deputy Collector's piqued and distressed wife spilled the beans about her covetous hubbies financial misdoings and piccadiloes to the dreaded Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday........
As is the case of all such cases reported to them; the ACB sleuths got cracking separated the grain from the chaff ; verified the veracity and legitimacy of the complaint and then proceeded to duly registered a disproportionate assets (DA) case against the now disgraced Deputy Collector on Friday.........
The team of sleuths investigating this case will now record the accused Deputy Collector's statement/s and seek an explanation about his sources of income and how he came to acquire these dubious assets........
According to ACB officials; N.M. Sindhi; a police inspector attached to the ACB's Mehsana office received the estranged wife's call on Wednesday and proceeded to register an official complaint against Kamlesh Gordiya deputy collector (elections) of Botad district........
Further investigations were handed over to one P.A. Arya senior inspector Anti Corruption Bureau (Ahmedabad) and he in turn took up further proceedings in this matter as per his official mandate.......
According to Arya; the said sum of Rs. 1.04 crore that has been unearthed thus far includes government bonds and mutual funds to the tune of Rs. 68 lakh; a house worth Rs. 32 lakh and a tract of land worth Rs. 1.22 lakh at it's current market value; among other investments and assets that are still in the process of being valued........
Gordiya's estranged wife had meticulously maintained records of all his shady and dubious financial transactions and dealings and these very same recordings and notings proved to be Gordiya's Waterloo as ACB officials minutely scrutinised the very same; verified their antecedents and veracity and then proceeded to register a disproportionate assets case against the said government official.......