Driver in hurry, now in lock-up

Sidhiqui Faqruddin was desperate to be a driver with Mumbai police, but tried to pull a fast one while being tested.

The 20-year-old, whose father and elder brother are with the police, appeared for the test twice to ensure his entry. But the selectors stumbled upon the trick just in time.

Police officials say Faqruddin sent two applications before he was called for the tests at Naigoan police station recently.

He slipped into the examination hall twice to appear for the written test with 1,599 other candidates. He sneaked through the medical exam later and cleared the driving tests twice — right under the noses of senior officers.

A selector was surprised when the computer flashed Faqruddin’s name twice in succession. His plans punctured, the wannabe driver is cooling his heels in a city lock-up and faces cheating charges under Sections 419 and 420 of the IPC.

Court call for Yuvraj

Yuvraj Singh has a date soon after he returns from the World Cup, but the tall southpaw won’t be looking forward to it.

Accused of settling scores in a manner the law doesn’t approve, Yuvraj will have to appear before a Gurgaon court on May 3, along with his mother.

At a party in Gurgaon on the night of December 12, Yuvraj, his mother Shabnam and girlfriend Kim Sharma allegedly beat up another reveller, also called Yuvraj.

Neelam, Yuvraj Siddharth’s mother, had filed an appeal to prevent the cricketer from travelling to West Indies, as his absence would delay her son’s case. Recently, her plea was rejected.

“The petition was also meant to prevent Yuvraj from skipping the hearing, which he did, citing the World Cup,” Akash Tyagi, Neelam’s lawyer, said.

Peg after protest

Jayalalithaa sat through her recent eight-hour fast without a drop of water. There was no way one could dilute a protest like that — even if it was about Cauvery water.

But the swarms of party activists at the venue were left high and dry. Perhaps, they hadn’t expected their leader to be so rigorous in her protest. But Amma was determined to make a point to chief minister M. Karunanidhi. And, she did succeed, if the number of onlookers at the city-centre venue was any indication.

The protest ended around 5 in the evening, when MDMK leader Vaiko offered Amma a glass of orange juice. For the scores of cadres and hangers-on, however, there was no natural drink. So, they went for their daily peg. Of great help to the thirsty hordes was a state-run wine shop bang opposite the venue.

Lost and found

Two suitcases washed ashore one after another near the city’s Foreshore Estate area caused a flutter early last week.

They were found to contain a Panchaloha idol, some jewellery and silk saris, police said, adding two persons who stumbled on the suitcases took them to a nearby temple. A spear, jewellery embedded with precious stones and some peacock feathers were also found in the one that had the idol.

But the police, who rushed to the temple after learning about the precious find, seized the suitcases, marked them “unclaimed” and sent them to the tehsildar’s office for further investigation. The value of the items is not known, but this is one lost property worth a claim.

Delhi: Catch a glimpse of contemporary Tibet in Dreaming Lhasa, a 90-minute film with English subtitles that explores the aspirations of the youth there. It will be screened on March 26 at India International Centre at 6.30 pm. Passes on a first-come-first-served basis.