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TOI : PUNE: Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist carries on with his exploits with the Artful Dodger, while the legendary Robin Hood sets off on yet another adventure as an outlaw.

These innovative takes on old yarns have been conceptualised and written by well-known British graphic novelist and comic book writer Tony Lee, who visited the British Council Library here on Saturday evening.

A writer and journalist for television, print and radio for over 20 years, Lee has worked on series such as X-Men’, Spider-Man’, Starship Troopers’, Doctor Who’ and 2000 AD’.

Midnight Kiss,’ a take on The Wizard of Oz’, and From The Pages Of Bram Stoker’s Dracula’: Harker’, are among his other works.

“I have taken legendary and mythical characters on whom literary works already exist and woven stories around them to show their journey from where their original novels end. A graphic novel allows you to do this,” says 39-year-old Lee, who got into full-time comic books writing six years ago.

England has had a potent comic book culture for over three decades now, with shops dedicated to comic books all over the country. And Lee grew up on a healthy diet of comics. “Spiderman, Iron Man and Doctor Who have always been there. But there are also British comic books like The Beano’, The Dandy’, Bunty’ and Misty’, among a plethora of others, that have been lapped up by comic book lovers. Point is, comic books are more than just illustrations and related text. There is so much drama in them,” says Lee.

But things, however, are changing now, rues Lee. “Today, there are more varieties of comic books in the British market, but a lot more on the internet too. That is leading to the web comic book culture. But this also results in poor quality control over the comic books being churned out. So now there’s more of quantity and…More

TOI : PUNE: The Yerawada police on Saturday arrested an autorickshaw driver for allegedly kidnapping and raping a two-and-a-half-year-old girl. The victim was found dumped on roadside garbage on November 11.

A police team led by senior inspector Deepak Sawant arrested the suspect identified as Kailas Amruta Lashkare (34) of Yerawada.

The investigations have revealed that, after raping the girl Lashkare had dumped her on the roadside on the night of November 10. Next day, he participated in the search for the girl and found’ her. He also helped in shifting the victim to the Sassoon general hospital, where it was found that the girl was raped.

Deputy commissioner of police (Zone-IV) Jalindar Supekar told the media: “We suspected Lashkare because he was the one who located the girl. During interrogation he admitted to his involvement in the crime.”

Supekar said that Lashkare was acquainted with the family of the victim. On the evening of the incident, he allegedly lured the girl with chocolate and took her to an empty room and raped her.”

Supekar said, “Though the victim was very small and unable to narrate what had happened, the police managed to identify and arrest the culprit.”

Lashkare was produced in the magistrate court on Sunday and remanded to police custody till November 20.

The investigation team comprised inspector (crime) Vishwnath Ghanwat, assistant inspector Mahcchindra Dangade, constables Ganesh Bhosale, Mayur Suryavanshi and Vishnu Gaikwad. Topics: yerawada Deepak Sawant More Stories from this section For him, it’s about new beginnings for old yarns Now, entrance test for courses in Indian medicine Burglars break into seven shops at Nigdi Ten students from Pune make it to NDA Politicians using regio…More

TOI : PUNE: The Bund Garden police have registered two separate offences against seven people for duping the State Bank of India (SBI) to the tune of Rs 37 lakh by selling properties which were mortgaged with the bank.

The complaints were registered by Balkrishna Tulsakar, an official from the loan and recovery department of SBI, with the Bund Garden police station.

In the first case, the police have booked four suspects identified as Satpalsingh Saluja, Bhupindrasingh Saluja, Jaswirsingh Chabra and Surindarkaur Chabra, all from Cycle Society at Quarter Gate for cheating the bank of Rs 26.41 lakh. In the second case, the police have booked Sandesh Dirde of Katraj, Vijay Pawar of Dhankawdi and Zakir Siraj Shaikh of Kondhwa for duping the bank of Rs 11.12 lakh.

Police sub-inspector Ashok Randive of Bund Garden police station said that in 2002, Saluja and Chabra obtained loan of Rs 26.41 lakh against the purchase of a flat in Dhankwadi. “They did not pay the instalments and sold the flat to a third person. The fact came to light when the bank officials went to Dhankwadi for recovery of loan,” Randive said.

Randive added that the suspects had duped the bank by selling the mortgage property to another person. “We have booked Saluja and Chabra in this regard and further investigations are on,” Randive said.

In a similar incident, Sandesh Dirde and Vijay Pawar took a loan of Rs 11.12 lakh from the Bank to purchase a property at Kondhwa in 2007. The suspects later sold the property to one Shaikh without informing the bank. All the three have been booked for cheating.

Topics: SBI Bund Garden More Stories from this section For him, it’s about new beginnings for old yarns Now, entrance test for courses in Indian medicine Burglars break into seven shops at Nigdi Ten students from Pune make it to NDA Politicians using…More

TOI : PUNE: If the human resource development (HRD) ministry has its way, students at the UGC-recognised colleges and universities across the country may soon get low-cost computers to aid learning in anytime-anywhere’ mode.

The move forms part of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT) that envisages, among other things, computer infrastructure and connectivity to over 18,000 colleges and each department of the 419 universities through the department of telecommunication. The idea is to leverage the potential of ICT in providing personalised and interactive knowledge modules over the internet to learners in higher education.

At the heart of the mission is the effort to enhance the gross enrolment ratio (i.e., the percentage of Std XII-passouts making it to higher studies) from the existing 10 pc to 15 pc by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12).

The NMEICT also aims at bridging the digital divide the gap between those who can use computing devices for teaching and learning and those who have remained untouched by the digital revolution in urban and rural areas.

According to Kannan M Moudgalya, member, standing committee, NMEICT, “The ministry has identified a low cost computer costing around $ 37 each (approx. over Rs 1,700) and may opt for its distribution among a large number of students. The computer will primarily serve as an internet connecting device.”

Moudgalya, who heads the centre for distance engineering education programme at IIT Bombay, said, “The government has allocated $ 1 billion (approx. Rs 4,600 crore) for the mission under the ongoing five-year plan and 60 pc of this amount is to be spent on establishing the connectivity network and provisioning low-cost computers.” The computers would enable overcoming the issues relating to landline connectivity and power, he said, adding, “There was a presentation before the HRD higher-ups recently in relation to the low cost computer.”

In a letter…More

TOI : PUNE: The state government is yet to pay dues amounting to Rs 163 crore for the projects undertaken in the Pimpri-Chinchwad township as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission(JNNURM).

Speaking to TOI on Saturday, Ashish Sharma, municipal commissioner, PCMC, said that the civic administration was conducting a follow-up to get these funds.

Under the JNNURM, the Union government provides 50 per cent of the project cost, while the state government has to provide 20 per cent. The remaining 30 per cent has to be borne by the municipal corporation.

According to official sources, the PCMC has not received any funds from state government for JNNURM projects in the current financial year since the election code of conduct for Lok Sabha elections came into force. The civic body has sent letters to the government to obtain these funds.

Officials said that the PCMC has received sanction for projects with a total expenditure of Rs 2,546 crore. So far, the corporation has received grants of around Rs 600 crore, with which it has undertaken road development projects, four sewage treatment plants, augmentation of water supply and solid waste management projects.

Meanwhile, Sulabha Ubale, group leader of Shiv Sena corporators in the PCMC, said that, “the corporation is spending more than its share of funds for implementing JNNURM projects. As a result, small ward-level works are not being implemented.

Independent corporator and social activist Maruti Bhapkar also said that the PCMC is not undertaking ward-level projects like repair of roads, gutters and footpaths “as it has no funds. But it is spending more than its share on the JNNURM projects. The small ward-level works are important for the common man.”

Sharma, however, refuted the allegations that ward-level projects are affected due to the expenditure on JNNURM projects. “There are different budgetary allocations for JNNURM projects and ward-level works. The PCMC has not…More

TOI : While others of his age are content with a walk on the Taljai hill and spending time chatting with their friends, 69-year-old P S Tambe is on a mission to paint the hill green. And, here’s the result: Tambe has single-handedly transformed a five-acre area on the hill from a barren patch to a green haven by planting more than 300 trees, and conserving water by constructing bunds.

Tambe, who has been working passionately and selflessly for the last eight years says he will continue with his endeavor until his health permits him to do so.

Reminiscing how it all started, Tambe say after his retirement in mid-2001, he started visiting the Taljai hill for morning walks, as it was close to his residence in Sahakarnagar. “I went there for about five to six months and met other senior citizens like me. Soon, however, I started feeling restless as all they did was chit-chat on political issues and other topics of no worth. They spoke of environment conservation but there was no action. That is when I decided that a change can be brought about in some patches of the hill which had dry trees.”

Tambe then planted the first sampling of an audumbar tree at the hands of his granddaughter in 2002. Since then, there is no looking back.

Armed with a shovel and few other tools to dig pits for creating bunds, Tambe devotes three hours every morning at his corner on Taljai hill. All the expenses for the initiative goes from his own pocket.

“Initially people would laugh and make fun of the job I had undertaken, but I never paid heed. I was keen on utilising my time to the fullest. Since I always had an inclination towards social work and loved nature, this was the best I could do,” Tambe reasons. The rest of the day is spent in…More

TOI : PUNE: Two impostors, posing as CID officials, duped two people, including a senior citizen, to the tune of total Rs 70,000 in two incidents happened at Sahakarnagar and Kondhwa on Saturday evening.

In the incident at Kondhwa, when Savita Nebhanani (76) of Sahani Sujan Park was on her way home, the impostors stopped her around 5.50 pm. They asked her to put her ornaments in her bag as a police checking was going on. While pretending to help her remove her jewellery and put it in the bag, the duo fled with the ornaments worth Rs 25,000.

Around half an hour later, a similar incident took place near Gajanan Maharaj Temple at Sahakarnagar. When Rajesh Ashtekar (50) of Vasant Vihar was on his way to the temple, two men posing as CID officials asked him to remove his chain worth Rs 44,000 and keep it in his bag. While he was removing the chain, the duo fled with it.

Topics: CID Sahakarnagar More Stories from this section For him, it’s about new beginnings for old yarns Now, entrance test for courses in Indian medicine Burglars break into seven shops at Nigdi Ten students from Pune make it to NDA Politicians using regio…More

TOI : PUNE: After a gap of nine years, the district and sessions court has re-introduced morning courts to settle petty offences.

Four morning courts include three at the sessions court in Shivajinagar and one at the Pune Cantonment court. The court which started functioning from November 7 is presided over by special magistrate second class.

The concept of morning courts was introduced in Pune in 2000 to bring down huge number of pending petty criminal cases. However, the courts were disbanded after a year for administrative reasons.

However, the chief judicial magistrate in-charge of magistrate courts in Pune district has now issued an order to reactivate them, following a notification from the Bombay High Court.

Assistant superintendent of the Pune Cantonment court S C Darur said the district court had designated four court officials K R Adsul, D M Bansode, Ramdas Kadam and Ramesh Nandode as special magistrates to preside over the morning courts, which will operate between Monday and Friday, from 8 am to 10 am.

“Morning courts are an innovation that entail minimal extra expenditure. The beauty of it is that apart from disposing of petty cases like traffic rule violations, encroachments by hawkers, running shops without licence, running shops till late night, public nuisance and breach of peace, these courts will give young lawyers an opportunity to hone their skills,” said senior lawyer Dnyaneshwar Bhusari.

“The magistrates will use the existing infrastructure and staff. The offices could open at 7.30 am and cases could be heard till about 10.30 am before regular courts start functioning at 11 am,” Bhusari said.

Bhusari further said if an offender does not plead guilty, the magistrate can release him on bail and refer the case to the regular court for conducting a hearing.

Lawyer Sultan Inamdar, president of the Pune Cantonment Bar Association, said the morning courts have powers only to fine offenders…More

TOI : PUNE: The Siberian Craneone of the most popular visitors to India has not been seen in the last few years primarily due to hunting along the flyway mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan, said George Archibald, president of the International Crane Foundation (ICF).

Archibald was in the city to deliver a lecture on the endangered species, organised by the Ecological Society at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, on Sunday.

“The traditional migratory and wintering habitats of this species are under constant pressure from the demands of growing human population. Agricultural development, wetland drainage, oil exploration, hunting and water development projects have contributed to their loss. The western population is primarily threatened by hunting whereas the eastern population is at risk from loss of wetland habitat,” said Archibald.

The Siberian Crane is presently an endangered species. Large number of birds have been hunted down over the years especially when they undertake the perilous journey across the Himalayas to reach the wetland. They are shot down in Pakistan to be gifted to friends and relatives. “This has led to a severe decline in the number of Siberian Cranes in the world. The immediate need of the hour is to provide them safety along the migratory route,” said Archibald.

This popular visitor has not been seen in India in last seven years. The last pair of Siberian Cranes seen at Bharatpur bird sanctuary was in 2002 was not seen thereafter. “Their absence is indeed painful and one of the aims of the Crane Foundation is to bring back the Siberian Crane to India,” said Archibald.

The Siberian Crane’s migratory route also appears to work against its survival. This crane covers 6,000 km from its Siberian breeding grounds to Bharatpur, halting at Lake Ab-i-Istada in Afghanistan, where they run the risk of being shot by hunters.

Archibald cited the example of the Whooping Crane the tallest…More

TOI : PUNE: The traffic department has assured action against state transport (ST) buses using Tilak road, which is out of bounds for heavy vehicles.

Following complaints by citizens and activists, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Manoj Patil said he had already spoken about the issue to top officials of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). The authorities, Patil stated, had replied that the violators usually were bus drivers coming to the city from outside the district. It is not possible to inform all drivers about the ban on using Tilak road, they said.

Activist Vivek Velankar, in a letter to the traffic department on the issue, had pointed out that ST buses also plied on Mhatre bridge, which too is closed to heavy vehicles.

Patil, in his reply, said buses coming from Mumbai will not be allowed to use the Chandni Chowk-Nal Stop-Swargate route if the violations continue. They will then have to take the longer route via Sinhagad road. Traffic officials have once again been directed to strictly enforce the ban on heavy vehicles using Tilak road, Patil added.

In the letter, Velankar wrote that MSRTC buses made up around half of the heavy vehicles flouting the ban. Traffic policemen, he added, are posted between 7 am and 9 pm at Puram chowk on Tilak road and at Alka theatre chowk. But they are unable to curb the violations, he wrote.

Velankar also questioned why a camera monitoring system was not being employed on Tilak road. He further pointed out that a number of schoolchildren use the road in the morning and evening hours.

Topics: traffic MSRTC More Stories from this section For him, it’s about new beginnings for old yarns Now, entrance test for courses in Indian medicine Burglars break into seven shops at Nigdi Ten students from Pune make it to NDA Politicians using regio…More