Judge’s pain, court’s gain

When the chief justice has a toothache, the court goes into a tizzy.

The dispensary at Bombay High Court got a long-awaited makeover after Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar had a toothache but decided against going to St George Hospital. He had been there twice last month.

A spanking new Rs 10-lakh dental chair was delivered to the court last week.

The Maharashtra government followed it up with a bed and a machine to monitor heart rate.

A roster of doctors, including dentists and cardiologists who will visit the dispensary, has also been drawn up.

Kumar’s toothache has proved to be a boon — this is the first time the dispensary has been spruced up since it was set up in 1984.

Goodies on prisoners’ platter

Jail food never tasted so good. At least, not in Bangalore Central Jail.

So before they taste freedom, inmates here have something to look forward to everyday. All thanks to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Iskcon, which has been serving more than 2 lakh schoolchildren in Andhra Pradesh mid-day meals, has now turned its attention to the central jail on the city’s outskirts.

A special kitchen has been set up, where the meals are cooked.

Sources say the prisoners’ appetite for jail food seems to have increased. Undertrials can have food brought from outside, but they, too, don’t mind sharing meals with the rest.

Home minister M.P. Prakash clarified that jail rations are not sub-standard. However, the Iskcon initiative is welcome, he added.

At least now, the wardens can concentrate on their jobs rather than keeping a tab on the rising prices of pulses, cereals and vegetables.

Lanka blooms across border

Sri Lanka’s pride is blooming in Mumbai.

The largest — and rarest — palm tree in the world can be seen flowering across the city.

The Talipot is rare because it “needs around 50 or 60 years for its flowers to bloom”. And after bearing fruits, it dies.

Plant taxonomist Suchandra Dutta says the tree is believed to produce about 12 million flowers, which contain over 500 kg of seeds.

The monocarpic Talipot — it flowers only once — can be spotted on the St Francis D’assissi church campus (Borivli), Mazgaon, Goregaon, Vile Parle and the zoological garden.

It takes about a year for the flowers to mature, producing thousands of round yellow-green fruits that measure 3-4 cm in diameter, each containing a single seed.

Shiny shock

Former athlete Shiny Wilson and her daughter woke up to a rude shock recently. A motorcycle belonging to her husband had been gutted.

When the guards at the Railway Quarters in Nungambakkam saw smoke in the small hours, they informed the fire brigade. But it was too late. The damage had already been done.

Besides the Wilsons’ bike, two others were charred as well.

Police later found out that the fire was apparently sparked by a short-circuit in a junction box close to where the vehicles had been parked.

But Shiny is not completely convinced. After all, a series of mysterious midnight fires destroying two-wheelers and even a few cars have been reported of late from across the city.

Delhi: If you love animals, drop in to the British Council, which is holding a preview of seven films on wildlife crime funded by the UK Environment Film Fellowship on Tuesday. Young Indian filmmakers with “original ideas” will showcase their works at the event to mark World Environment Day.