Feroze to fight Janasheen ban cry

Mumbai (PTI): Film producer Feroze Khan will file an affidavit in Bombay High Court on Monday in response to a petition filed by the People for Animals seeking a ban on his latest film Janasheen, in which wild animals are allegedly made to perform without obtaining legal permission.

The court had early this month asked the producer to file an affidavit in reply to the allegations and posted the matter for hearing on January 20.

The NGO pleaded that it was mandatory for the producer to seek permission from the Animal Welfare Board of India before using animals for shoots. No such permission was obtained by Khan, the public interest litigation alleged.

It said the appearances of a tiger in the movie was illegal as there was a ban on exhibiting animals in films.

Khan’s lawyer, however, said the producer had taken permission from the authorities before using the animals at foreign locations.

The film has been shot in Thailand and a monkey, elephant and a tiger were used during the shoot.

Sadhus arrested for teen rape

Shivpuri (PTI): Two sadhus have been arrested for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl who subsequently lost her eyesight on consuming some crude medicine for abortion.

Superintendent of police Anshuman Yadav on Sunday said the prime accused, Baba Balak Das, 30, was arrested on Saturday at Vichoniya village while his accomplice Baba Omkar Yadav was caught from Aakoda village.

The police had registered a case against Das for allegedly raping the girl in his ashram and ordered a probe. A separate case was registered against Yadav for allegedly helping Das.

Raids were also carried out at the ashram but both the accused could not be found, the police said.

The girl’s father Dhooman Lodhi said his daughter was raped when she had gone to give food to the sadhus.

Balak Das had offered her prasad laced with sedatives after consuming which she became unconscious and was raped, the police said.

The girl did not inform her parents about the incident but told Yadav about it. He allegedly gave some medicine for an abortion, the police said.

After consuming it, she lost her eyesight and was admitted to the district hospital where she gave birth to a still-born on December 26.

Man maimed for ‘molesting’

Vadodara (PTI): A couple was arrested for chopping off the private parts of a man on Saturday for allegedly attempting to molest women in a village in Vadodara district.

The couple — Rayjibhai Mali, a bootlegger, and his wife Shantaben — infuriated by the attempts of Mangal Mali, also a bootlegger, to molest women, chopped off his private parts with a knife, the police said. “After maiming Mali, the couple surrendered before the police,” they said.

Illegal migrants

Athens (AP): Greek coast guards detained 78 illegal immigrants, including Indians and Pakistanis, and arrested the crew of a North Korea-flagged cargo ship, authorities said. The ship, Rex, with the immigrants — 64 Egyptians, nine Indians and five Pakistanis — on board was sailing near the port of Pylos, about 335 km southwest of Athens.

House attack case

New Delhi (PTI): The final round of litigation between police and the accused in the Parliament attack case will begin on Monday. The Supreme Court will hear two appeals challenging a Delhi High Court verdict acquitting two and confirming the death sentence on two others.

Peace prayer

Tiruchirappalli (PTI): A man rolled all the way up the 471 steps to the Rockfort hill temple here on Sunday to offer prayers for peace and harmony in the world. Nagarajan first rolled all the way up to the temple, atop a 600-feet-high hill, to pray to Lord Ganesha, and then returned, rolling down, to pray at Sri Tayumanavar Swamy temple at the foothill.

ADMK men killed

Madurai (PTI): Three ADMK men were electrocuted and five injured when they were tying the party flag to a post in Tirunelveli district. Police said the mishap occurred when a partyman climbed up the rusted post which broke and fell over the high-tension wire.

Life sentence

Akola (PTI): A man was sentenced to life imprisonment by the sessions court at Buldana district for murdering his first wife.

The White House will organise a special one-day ceremony in February to mark the 400th birth celebrations of the Guru Granth Sahib, said the president of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, a Washington-based NGO.