Mumbai Sep 22 PTI When a fire broke out on the 19th floor of the One Avighna Park building in central Mumbai around noon on Friday Arun Tiwari 30 a security guard was among those who rushed to help a family stuck inside a flat They succeeded in rescuing a woman and two children but Tiwari got trapped inside A video showing a hapless Tiwari holding onto the railing of the balcony of the flat on the 19th floor and dangling precariously before falling down went viral even as fire brigade vehicles rushed to the spot He was taken to the civic-run KEM hospital but was declared dead Some colleagues of Tiwari who did not wish to be named said he was making routine rounds when the fire alarm went off and the buildings security guards received a message about fire in a 19th floor flat He and other guards rushed to douse the fire using fire extinguishers they said A woman and two children were inside the flat where the fire had erupted probably due to a short circuit The guards rescued them and tried to douse the flames using extinguishers they said But soon the flat was filled with thick black smoke making it impossible to breath so they ran out into the corridor Tiwari however was trapped inside a colleague said adding that he probably could not find his way out as the fire was near the flats door He called me on my mobile As it was impossible to escape through the door I asked him to wait in a corner of the balcony till the fire brigade came to rescue the colleague said Another colleague said that Tiwari then possibly tried to descend onto the small cubical balcony on the floor below but misjudged its position and distance and was left dangling before losing grip and falling A fire brigade personnel said that Tiwari first hit the corner of the parking area and then fell down further on top of a fire engine while its ladder was being raised to rescue him Tiwari who hailed from a village near Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh was working at One Avighna Park for the past eight years and everyone in the building knew him as a nice human being his colleagues said Only two security guards from the agency which managed the buildings security earlier were retained and one of them was Tiwari said one colleague He was a very nice man hard-working he said with moist eyes while waiting for the hospital to release Tiwaris body after autopsy Recently he had bought a new mobile phone Tiwaris colleague said Somebody had gifted him a bag which he planned to take with him while visiting his native place He had also bought a new pair of shoes which he had not worn even once Mukesh Pandey a distant relative of Tiwari said he was unmarried and is survived by his mother and an elder brother who live near in Uttar Pradesh Another relative said they have decided to take the body to his village for the last rites PTI KK KRK KRK

Mumbai Sep 30 PTI As many as 30 medical students of civic-run KEM Hospital in Mumbai have tested positive for COVID-19 a BMC official said on ThursdayOne of the MBBS students who has mild symptoms of the infection has been admitted to SevenHills Hospital for treatment said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC officialThe other students are asymptomatic and have been quarantined he saidAll the infected students were staying in a hostel inside the hospital complex located at Parel in central Mumbai the official said PTI MR RSY RSY

Mumbai Sep 30 PTI A senior inspector of Andheri police station in Mumbai has been suspended for alleged negligence in duty days after a raid was conducted at a bar which was found to be indulging in illegal activities an official has said Senior police inspector Vijay Belge was suspended on Wednesday based on a report submitted by his seniors to Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale he said On September 23 a DCP squad had conducted a raid on the bar located in Andheri which fell under the jurisdiction of Belges police station Later an inquiry revealed negligence in duty on the part of Belge following which he was suspended the police official said Belge was earlier posted as an inspector at Vakola police station He had taken charge as senior inspector of Andheri police station a few months back he said Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone 10 Mahesh Reddy confirmed Belges suspension PTI ZA NP NP

Mumbai Sep 30 PTI The Mumbai police rescued a nine-year-old girl who was allegedly forced to do domestic work and arrested a businessman who had brought the minor from Bihar to work at his house here an official said on Thursday According to the police the accused Irfan Haider 29 and his mother brought the girl here from Muzaffarpur in Bihar two months ago to do domestic work The police recently received a video in which the girl was seen cleaning the staircase and removing garbage from the mans two-storey house at Netaji Nagar in suburban Santacruz the official said After watching the video we were shocked that a nine-year-old was made to work for a family of six people We tried to contact the childs mother in Bihar but couldnt get through to her inspector Manoj Shinde from Vakola police station here said The official said Haider told the police that they had brought the girl from Bihar to do domestic work Besides the mans mother told the police that the girls mother had willingly handed her over to them as the childs father was an alcoholic and would beat her up he said The girl was rescued on Wednesday night and sent to St Catherine childrens home in suburban Andheri he said adding that a special team will be sent to Bihar to take her back to her family The Vakola police arrested Haider on Thursday under relevant sections of the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act while his mother is wanted in the case the official said PTI ZA ARU GK GK GK

Mumbai Sep 30 PTI The rupee declined by 9 paise to end at 7423 provisional against the US currency on Thursday marking its fifth straight session of fall amid risk averse sentiments and foreign fund outflows At the interbank foreign exchange market the rupee opened on a negative note at 7428 per dollar as against its previous close of 7414 It hovered in the range of 7418 to 7436 per dollar during the day before ending at 7423 against the American currency The domestic unit has lost 59 paise in the last five trading sessions The Indian rupee depreciated for the fifth day in row amid risk averse sentiments and foreign fund outflows Markets started pricing rollback of pandemic-related easing as growth recovers and inflation expectations stay high said Dilip Parmar Research Analyst HDFC Securities Parmar further said that the rupee stayed calmer on Thursday compared to the prior three days as participants are cautious ahead of the release of month-end economic data Trend seems to be bearish for the local unit following safe haven dollar demand and risk-averse tone he noted Meanwhile the dollar index which gauges the greenbacks strength against a basket of six currencies fell 005 per cent to 9429 On the domestic equity market front the BSE Sensex ended 28691 points or 048 per cent lower at 5912636 while the broader NSE Nifty declined 9315 points or 053 per cent to close at 1761815 Foreign institutional investors were net sellers in the capital market on Wednesday as they offloaded shares worth Rs 189602 crore as per exchange data PTI DRR MKJ

Mumbai Sep 30 PTI Director Shoojit Sircar on Thursday said his film Sardar Udham addresses the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre a horrific incident in Indias colonial history which must never be forgotten adding he had no opinions to offer on the recent beautification of the historical siteA renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh memorial was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last monthA sound and light show was set up to display the events that happened on April 13 1919 when the British forces led by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer fired indiscriminately on a large and peaceful gathering of protesters killing over 1000 people and wounding hundreds of themA section of people on social media had taken offence to the beautification of the site and called the move insensitive to the memory of those killedDuring the trailer launch of Sardar Udham Sircar was asked what he feels about the governments decisionIn Jallianwala Bagh as an incident the most important factor for me was what we saw in the trailer or what Sardar Udham says about that incident that we should not forget it and the world should not forget itWhen you ask about the beautification it is not in my hand What is in my hand is my expression and that is my cinema and I create that in my film the filmmaker told reportersSardar Udham is a biopic on freedom fighter Sardar Udham Singh who assassinated Michael ODwyer the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab in British India in 1940 to avenge the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacreSircar said he would not want to come in the way of the authorities decision with his opinionsWhat you are asking about Jallianwala Bagh it is the decision of the authorities I think whatever they feel is right to keep it alive is only their decision I wont come in the way of what they want to do with Jallianwala Bagh he addedFronted by Vicky Kaushal the film is billed as an intriguing and engrossing tale of a patriot with many aliasesSircar said he came to Mumbai in 2000 harbouring a dream to make this film but didnt have the resources to realise his visionThe filmmaker described Sardar Udham as a personal journey and said he has been a regular visitor at the Jallianwala Bagh since 1999Itll always be a place where Ill take my children grandchildren Jallianwala Bagh should be a big section a chapter in our book as a country he addedSardar Udham also stars Banita Sandhu and Amol Parashar It is scheduled to be released on Amazon Prime Video on October 16 PTI JUR RDS RDS BK BK

Mumbai Sep 30 PTI Keeping a child in the custody of the mother appears more natural and conducive to his welfare and development the Bombay High Court said on Thursday while refusing to direct a television actor to hand over the custody of her five-year-old son to her estranged husband A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and N J Jamadar was hearing a habeas corpus produce the person petition filed by the husband seeking a direction to the actor to hand over the custody of their son to him The court while refusing to hand over the custody of the child said there was no material which prima facie indicates that the custody of the child with the mother was detrimental to his welfare and development At such a tender age a child needs the company of the mother and hence keeping him in her custody appears more natural and conducive for the development of the child the court noted Ordinarily the amount of love affection care and protection which a mother can provide to a child of such tender age cannot be expected to be provided by the father or any other person This does not necessarily reflect upon the unsuitability of the father and other relations the court said The bench however noted that the child needs the love and affection of both parents and hence access should be given to the father The court also directed the actor to allow daily access to the father through video-conference for half an hour and physical access twice a week We hope and trust that the petitioner father and respondent No 2 the actor who claim to be adept at playing characters in reel life act in the best interest of the child in real life the court said in its order The actors husband in his plea had claimed that she had illegally kept his son away from him The petitioners advocate Swapana Kode sought custody of the child to be handed over to the father claiming that he had quit acting to take care of the boy and that his estranged wife was unable to pay attention to the childs needs and well-being as she was constantly busy with her professional commitments The actors advocate Hrishikesh Mundargi opposed the plea and argued that the child was happy with his mother and that it would be detrimental to his growth and well-being if his custody was handed over to the petitioner The bench in its order noted that due to marital discord the couple had developed a strong animosity towards each other and in such cases where the parents are at loggerheads the parameters for determination of proper custody of a child is well recognised The bench refused to accept the petitioners argument that his wife being an extremely busy actor was not in a position to devote time and effort towards the upbringing of their son In our view the issue of welfare of the minor cannot be determined on the sole parametre of the work commitment of one parent and the availability of ample time with another The fact that respondent No 2 is a busy actor cannot be construed to unfavourably judge her suitability to have the custody of the child the court said PTI SP ARU ARU

Mumbai Sep 30 PTI Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said the Union government should not discriminate between states while providing financial assistance in the event of natural calamities Pawars statement has come after state Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation Vijay Wadettiwar on Wednesday claimed that the Centre had sanctioned only Rs 1100 crore of the Rs 7700 crore aid demanded by the state government to deal with damages caused by various natural calamities this year It was the estimated cost of damages that were caused by cyclones unseasonal and extremely heavy rains the minister had said Speaking to reporters here Pawar said The Union government should not discriminate between states when it comes to providing financial assistance needed to help people affected by natural calamities My cabinet colleague Vijay Wadettiwar had said that the dues are worth Rs 8000 to Rs 9000 crore Earlier on Wednesday Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole had accused the Narendra Modi government of indulging in favouritism and not providing necessary help to the state which faced at least three natural calamities in the last one year When asked about the Centre informing the Supreme Court that state governments would pay Rs 50000 to the kin of people who died of COVID-19 Pawar said Once the Union government deposits the amount in the state disaster response fund SDRF we will make the payments as per the directives Last week the Centre had informed the Supreme Court that the National Disaster Management Authority NDMA has recommended that Rs 50000 be given to the kin of people who died of COVID-19 It had stated that the ex-gratia assistance will be provided by states from the SDRF PTI ND ARU ARU

Mumbai Sep 30 PTI Director Shoojit Sircar on Thursday said he does not view opting for a digital release for his upcoming feature Sardar Udham as a mistake because the decision was taken keeping in mind the best interest of the filmHeadlined by Vicky Kaushal the film is gearing up to be released on Amazon Prime Video on October 16Sardar Udham which was completed in 2019 was earlier expected to release theatricallyDuring the trailer launch of the film Sircar was asked if he feels he could have waited longer for cinema halls to reopen so that the movie could have had a big screen releaseIts a tricky question Theres a destiny for every film and Sardar Udham landed on Amazon Prime When I shot the film this wasnt the situation We shot the film for cinemasI do not feel guilty that its releasing on a digital platform We decided that this will go on the digital platform I didnt feel that this was a mistake I was making the filmmaker told reportersThe Maharashtra government recently allowed cinema halls in the state a prime market for Bollywood films to resume operations from October 22Last year during the coronavirus pandemic-induced nationwide lockdown which resulted in cinema halls being shut across the country Sircars Gulabo Sitabo was one of the first films to head to the OTT platformStarring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana the film also premiered on Amazon Prime Video in JuneThe filmmaker said he is impatient and wants to showcase his work to the audience as quickly as possible which is why both Gulabo Sitabo and Sardar Udham didnt wait for the reopening of cinema hallsWhat I also experienced after Gulabo Sitabo was the reach the film got I thought this film Sardar Udham also needs a huge global platform apart from our Indian territories That was also a good reason for me to go aheadYes the cinematic experience of a theatre will be surely missed but it is not a compromise on the cinematic narrative Itll be as cinematic on a big screen as it is on a small screen Sircar addedThe film is a biopic on freedom fighter Sardar Udham Singh who assassinated Michael ODwyer the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab in British India in 1940 to avenge the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacreThe Amazon original movie penned by Ritesh Shah and Shubhendu Bhattacharya is produced by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar PTI JUR RDS RDS

Mumbai Sep 30 PTI Amid the ongoing tussle between Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari and the Uddhav Thackeray-led state government over various issues state minister and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik on Thursday claimed that the governors official residence Raj Bhavan has become a venue for political activities Malik whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra in a statement said Governor Koshyari was acting like a BJP leader There is nothing new in the BJP leaders and workers going to the Raj Bhavan to meet him the NCP leader said It is now clear that his governors post is being used only for political reasons The Raj Bhavan has now become a venue for political activities he said Koshyari recently wrote a letter to the state government for convening a special session of the Assembly against the backdrop of the rape and murder of a woman in Sakinaka area of Mumbai following which CM Thackeray hit back saying the governor should request the Centre to call a session of Parliament to discuss issues concerning the safety of women and growing attacks on them The state government has also targeted Koshyari over the delay in nomination of 12 members in the Legislative Council under the governors quota PTI ND GK GK