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TOI : PUNE: In a miraculous feat, a team of surgeons successfully operated upon a man to remove a six-feet iron rod from his stomach in Pune.

Santosh Kumar, a 21-year-old construction worker had a nightmarish experience when a six-feet iron rod fell from the tenth floor of the building at the construction site and pierced into his body through shoulder before finally coming out of his left thigh.

The worker from Bihar was brought to the ‘Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital’ where a team of skilled surgeons operated upon him and successfully removed the rod from his body after an operation, which lasted for five-and-a-half-hours.

The rod had penetrated Kumar’s intestines in multiple locations and made 16 holes, causing a lot of damage. Terming the surgery as a ‘miracle’, the doctors said Kumar was really lucky to have come out alive from the incident.

“It is an amazing feat. Such incidents are very rarely reported in medical literature. The people who have undergone such accidents have not been able to come out of them alive,” said Gajanan Wagholikar, Senior Gastro-Intestinal Surgeon, who operated upon Kumar.

Though the rod is out of Kumar’s body, the scars have remained to tell the tale of the nightmare.

For Kumar, it is rebirth after what he went through. “I have got a rebirth in Pune,” he said.

Injuries with a penetrating object lodged in the body are known as impalement injuries and are extremely rare in surgical trauma practice and most of the times people do not survive.

In a similar incident, a team of doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had successfully removed an iron rod from a man’s chest earlier this year.
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TOI : PUNE: An African student allegedly slapped an assistant police inspector and manhandled two constables of the Cantonment traffic division over paying of fine.

He was caught by the cops for allegedly talking on his mobile phone while riding a two-wheeler at the Pulgate chowk on Thursday.

The incident, which threw vehicular traffic out of gear, enraged motorists and passersby, who in turn thrashed Ernest Hunno (26) of Ghana, who is a second year commerce student of a city college.

Thursday’s was the first incident in which a foreigner assaulted traffic policemen in the city.
Assistant police inspector (API) M.S. Sawant and constables Kailash Akute, Dattatraya More and P.P. Gaikwad rescued Hunno from the angry mob and appealed for peace besides issuing a warning.

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TOI : PUNE: The seventh edition of the Pune International Film Festival (Piff) will be inaugurated on January 8 at the Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. During the eight-day long festival, films will be screened at E-square, Inox, Citypride-Kothrud, the National Film Archive of India and the Ganesh Kala Krida Manch.

Like every year, this year too the festival will have an international film competition as well as a competition for Marathi films that will ensure some great viewing for the audience. Cash awards will be presented to the best international film, the best director of an international film and the best Marathi film. A separate competition will be held for students under two sections, live action and animation films.

Different kinds of films, such as Marathi, regional, international, retro films, movies paying tribute to some prominent people, documentaries and also films of those stars who have been awarded lifetime achievement awards will be screened during the festival.

The festival is being held with the support of the state ministry of information and broadcasting, PMC, NFDC and FTII, among others.

Registration for the festival starts on January 3. Details are available on the website

www.puneinternationalfilmfestival.com. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: In an attempt to combat rising neurological disorders, research projects on stem cell therapy for stroke, neurodegenerative disorders and spinal cord injuries are being carried out at various centres in the Armed Forces, said director general of the Armed Forces Medical Colleges Lt Gen Yogendra Singh.

Singh was in the city on Wednesday to inaugurate the four-day 57th national conference of the neurological society of India, NEUROCON 2008, organised by the city-based Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC).

Singh said the newer drugs and modalities like the stem cell therapy are enormously expensive and out of reach of the common man. “I take this opportunity to call upon the medical fraternity to accelerate efforts towards making these treatments readily available, acceptable and affordable,” Singh said. The neurological problems confronting us are indeed staggering, he added.

As per available statistics on various neurology-related disorders in India, the number of people suffering from epilepsy are approximately 600 per lakh, Parkinson’s 200 per lakh and dementia 35 per thousand of the elderly population. True prevalence rate of stroke ranges from 90 to 200 per lakh and is a major public health issue. “Around 80,000 Indians are killed and 3.5 lakh suffer from head injuries every year as a result of road mishaps,” Singh said.

The actual practice of neurosciences in India started in the fifties and it’s gratifying to note that the Armed Forces have made a significant contribution in the field right from its inception, Singh added. A 100-bedded neurological centre was established in Pune in 1944, during the Second World War, Singh said.

NEUROCON 2008 witnessed participation from senior practitioners in the field as well as about 1,000 delegates from India and abroad. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: You don’t need H G Wells’ Time Machine to go back in time. Just walk with city-based Aranyavaak, as they organise two heritage walks this weekend.

Aranyavaak, an organisation involved in education and the spread of history and nature, has organised the walks from Shaniwarwada to Vishrambaugwada on Saturday and Sunday from 4 to 9 pm. Noted history scholar Ninad Bedekar will be the guide for both the walks. While the medium of instruction for the Saturday walk will be Marathi, the Sunday walk will be conducted in English. The walkers will be shown both these historical sites and treated to the sound and light show at the Shaniwarwada from 8 pm on both nights.

Says Hrishikesh Talwalkar, founder, Aranyavaak, “Heritage walks are organised in our city intermittently. We felt there was a need to revive and revitalise the concept.”

According to Hrishikesh, the organisation’s objectives are three-fold. “We want Puneites to be made aware of their rich, cultural heritage, we want to reach out to the growing immigrant population that does not know the city and finally offer something of interest to foreign tourists.”

Hrishikesh says he derives his inspiration from the two-month course in ‘ancient monuments, history and sculpture’ that Aranyavaak conducts with the Bharat Ithihas Sanshodak Mandal in the city. “A walk from Shaniwarwada to Vishrambaugwada is part of this course. However, this weekend, we are throwing the heritage walk open to public.”
Hrishikesh says the participants will be shown every nook and cranny in Shaniwarwada and anecdotes and stories related to the Peshwas will be narrated by Bedekar in his inimitable style. “At the Shaniwarwada, for instance, Bedekar will identify the destroyed inner chambers, fountains and rooms of the Peshwas.”

The history expert is excited about the opportunity. “When I visited London, I remember enjoying the ‘London walk’ heritage tours. Pune is a historical city and a mere…More

TOI : Pune: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday brought antique arms dealer Rakesh Dhawde to Pune for conducting investigations in the Nanded bomb blast case of 2006.

A CBI team interrogated Dhawde at the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) office in Pune. Later, he was taken to his residence at Wadgaon Dhayari and a farm house on Sinhagad road. However, the outcome of the investigations was not known.

ATS chief Peter Lobo confirmed that the CBI had brought Dhawde to Pune for conducting a routine inquiry and later took him to Mumbai for further
investigations.

Dhawde has a sound knowledge of weapon-making and has held many exhibitions on the topic. He had also imparted training in handling of weapons to actor Amir Khan during the production of the film ‘Mangal Pandey’.

Fond of collecting and documenting antique weapons, Dhawde had also held an exhibition of his weaponry at Bhonsla Military School in Nashik in October last.
The CBI has claimed that Dhawde provided arms training to those involved in the Nanded blast.

The CBI would also try and probe the links, if any, of those arrested in the Malegaon blast case, including Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit, with the Nanded case.

The Nanded bomb blast took place on the night of April 4, 2006 at the residence of Laxman Rajkondwar, an RSS worker.

Rajkondwar’s son Naresh and Himanshu Panse, both VHP activists, were killed allegedly while assembling a bomb.

The agency had filed a chargesheet on March 15, 2008 against 10 people, including Sanjay Chowdhury, Yogesh Deshpande, Maruti Wagah, Gunniraj Thakur and Mahesh Pandey, allegedly associated with the Bajrang Dal, besides the two who were killed.

Meanwhile, Dhawde’s wife Varsha said that the CBI informed her on Thursday afternoon that her husband was brought to Pune for investigation in connection with various blasts. However, she could not meet him…More

TOI : PUNE: The general body of the Pune Municipal Corporation on Thursday approved a 10 per cent cut (about Rs 65 crore) in its 2008-09 budget to complete the pending civic works. With this move some of the proposed development works may be put on hold.

The civic administration had proposed a 17 per cent (Rs 111 crore) cut in the budgetary allocation for development projects in the current year. However, the general body (GB) approved only 10 per cent cuts. All parties except the BJP supported the proposal.

Talking to reporters, municipal commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi said, “In 2007, the expenditure on civic works reached Rs 1,000 crore but the expected income never came to the civic coffers. The works were started and many remained incomplete due to lack of funds. We have to complete these projects which include important ones like sewage treatment plant.”

Pardeshi added that with the 10 per cent cut in current budget, Rs 65 crore would be available for the pending works. “We still need Rs 40-45 crore more for completing the pending works. We would tap various resources.”

The commissioner claimed that these ‘financial adjustments’ would not affect other development works. “The cuts would be applicable to works which were proposed but not yet started. We could make provision for these works in future. It is necessary to complete the pending works. We would be in a position to complete all major pending projects by March.”

Pardeshi added that the cuts in current budget should not be correlated with the JNNURM works. “It is not that the civic body has spent money on works related to the Commonwealth Youth Games under the JNNURM and has not received grants from the central government.”

Earlier, BJP corporators Vikas Mathkari and Ujwal Keskar opposed the proposal to prune the current budget. Mathkari said that the civic administration has made the proposal…More

TOI : Pune: Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Vinayak Nimhan has demanded administrative probe into the Kothrud Transfer of Development Right (TDR) scam.

In a letter written to state revenue minister Patangrao Kadam, Nimhan has said that the probe should be conducted under a senior revenue department official since senior officials are involved in the embezzlement.

“In the last three years no administrative probe has been initiated,” alleged Nimhan in a letter written on December 11.

He added that some of the senior IAS officials who have been posted in Pune division since about 10 years should be transferred immediately for conducting a fair probe. The scam rocked the city in October 2005 and the PMC was duped of Rs 14 crore. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: The crime branch sleuths on Wednesday arrested five alleged burglars and recovered booty worth Rs 3.30 lakh from their possession.

The police claimed the suspects were involved in as many as 15 house break-ins in Pimpri, Nigdi, Dehu road and Chakan. They were identified as Rajan Thakur (31) of Sindhudurga, Ravindra Bhalerao (26) of Mulshi, Milind alias Rahul Pawar (35) a resident of Shukravar Peth, Vikas Dilip Kale (23) and Jaysingh alias Jaisha Kale (35) — both residents of Nigdi.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by inspector Vijaysinh Gaikwad of crime branch’s unit-1 and assistant inspector Ashok Shelke nabbed the criminals. Gaikwad told TOI, “Vikas and Jaisha Kale belong to the same gang. They used to break into houses during the night. The duo was arrested at Budhwar Peth. During interrogation, they said that they were involved in six house-break-ins in Pimpri, Nigdi and Chakan area. We have recovered booty worth Rs 8,300 from their possession,” Gaikwad said.

He added, “We apprehended Thakur and Bhalerao at Budhwar Peth on Wednesday.They used to burgle houses in broad daylight. The duo confessed to their involvement in five break-ins in Nigdi, Pimpri and Dehuroad. Gold worth Rs 1.25 lakh was recovered from their possession,” Gaikwad said. The crime branch team also managed to nab historysheeter Milind alias Rahul Sanjay Pawar. Pawar has admitted to burgling four houses in Pune, Gaikwad added. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: An African student allegedly slapped an assistant police inspector and manhandled two constables of the Cantonment traffic division over paying of fine.

Speaking to TOI, Assistant police inspector (API) M.S. Sawant said, “The three policemen and I were on duty at the Pulgate chowk when we spotted Hunno talking on his mobile phone while riding a kinetic honda around noon.”

According to Sawant, constable Gaikwad stopped Hunno and asked him to furnish his driving licence and pay a fine of Rs 100 for talking on the mobile phone while driving. Hunno said he was in a hurry because he wanted to attend accounts tuition classes. He urged the policemen to excuse him and expressed his inability to pay the fine.

After Sawant requested him to deposit the licence and collect it after paying the fine, Hunno became furious and started shouting that he did not have money.

A heated argument ensued between the student and the policemen, following which he allegedly slapped Sawant and manhandled Akute and More. The incident, which threw traffic out of gear for about 20 minutes, sparked anger among motorists and passersby, who started thrashing Hunno.

However, the traffic policemen rescued Hunno and brought him to the office
of the Cantonment traffic division. He was later handed over to the Cantonment police station.

Sawant registered a case against Hunno under sections 353 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from performing his duty), 332 (assault or criminal force against public servant), 250-a (talking on mobile phone while driving/riding) and 177 (fine) of the Indian Penal Code.

Constable Akute told TOI that he fell after he was manhandled and pushed by Hunno. He alleged that Hunno tore his trousers and caused minor injury to his colleague More’s hand.
An eyewitness, Majid Khan, said people came to the rescue of the policemen after they found a…More