A special CBI court has taken cognizance of a fresh Central Bureau of Investigation chargesheet accusing former coal secretary HC Gupta of “misleading the (then) prime minister officer” in a 2007 coal allocation scam. The court has summoned Gupta. The then Joint Secretary Coal KS Krofa and two others have accused Gupta and other officials of showing “unfair side” to a private company based on the chargesheet.
The court has held that there is “sufficient material to show the offenses” of cheating, criminal conspiracy and charges of corruption under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The court has left it to the “intelligent” of the CBI to challenge the denial of government sanction to prosecute the then Coal Ministry director, who, according to the chargesheet, “willfully ignored the violation of guidelines” for coal block allocation. intentionally chosen to do”. in Jharkhand.
While the CBI got nod to prosecute Gupta, the government refused to sanction the prosecution of the then director KC Samaria. The court has made it clear that “if during the course of the trial, the role of any other person involved in the process – be it a private party or a public servant – comes to the fore, necessary action will also be initiated against them by law”.
The CBI had earlier filed a closure report against the involvement of government employees in the scam, but in 2017 a CBI court rejected it and asked the agency to conduct further investigation. As per the directions of the court, the CBI conducted the investigation and filed a fresh charge sheet in December 2021.
The charge sheet alleges that Gupta “misled the PMO and deliberately overlooked apparent discrepancies and changes in the application format in favor of Consteel Limited (co-accused)” and that the company was sold to Hurilong and Hutar Sector-C Coal in Jharkhand. Block allocation is recommended.
“It was the duty of the Joint Secretary Coal to place before the members of the Screening Committee the relevant data/recommendations of the concerned Administrative Ministry and State Governments so as to facilitate the Screening Committee to take an objective decision, but failed to do so,” it alleged. Put it.
The charge sheet claimed that the accused conspired together and deceived the Coal Ministry’s Screening Committee to persuade Contestyl to recommend coal block allocation.
Paris, Regine Zilberberg, the nightlife powerhouse who ran a club empire spanning from Rio de Janeiro to Kuala Lumpur, has died at the age of 92, French media have reported.
The redhead, long known for the international jet set by her maiden name, died “peacefully” near Paris on Sunday, her granddaughter Daphne Rotkej told AFP news agency.
Comedian Pierre Palmade wrote in a tribute released at the family’s request, “The queen of nightlife is gone: shut down due to a long and storied career.” Although he and Regin were about 40 years apart in age, they were close friends and also collaborated on stage.
In addition to running a nightclub, Regin was a singer, performing tunes written by such luminaries as Serge Gainsbourg and Charles Aznavour, and appeared at Carnegie Hall in 1969.
Nicknamed “La Grande Zoa” after one of her songs, Regin often performed wearing a feather boa – although she was also known to walk around her clubs with a live boa constrictor.
A Jewish survivor of World War II, the Belgian-born entertainer opened his first nightclub in Paris in 1957, drawing an eclectic crowd.
“There is no nightclub owner in the history of France who was as famous as him,” said journalist Bertrand Dikel on France Info radio. “She was the first to open a venue where people come to dance to fashionable records. She was one of the first to decide that everyone was welcome and that it would be not one clan, one family, but everyone.
Model Pat Cleveland in costume with Halston, Martin Snarik and Marina Schiano at Regin’s Rio Carnival party on March 3, 1980 in New York.
Dustin Pittman / WWD
Singer Rekha Renaud, Prime Minister Jean Casteux, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Culture Minister Rosaline Bachelot were among those who paid tribute to the entertainer on Sunday.
“Goodbye Regin, you brightened up nightlife with humor and panache, and made a mark on French music with songs that have become classics,” Bachelot wrote on Twitter.
Born Regina Zilberberg in Etterbeck, Belgium, to Polish Jewish parents, Regina grew up with an absent mother and a gambler father, who was learning to draw from her own intelligence.
Hiding in France during the war, she helped with the resistance effort. “I’m not a medium, but I have an instinct,” she told WWD in 2015. “During the war, I used to go out at night. Curfew, German – I was not scared. I will deliver the message.”
But this period ended in tragedy for Resene when her boyfriend, Claude Heymann, was exiled in 1944. “That was my first love, and I think, for me, my only love – voila,” she recalled in a factual tone.
With steely resolve, Rezin hoisted himself from hat-check girl to the top of the social pyramid, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Aristotle Onassis, François Sagan and Yves Saint Laurent along the way. at one point He oversaw 23 clubs on three continents.
“I think people have a destiny,” she said. “I got divorced at 19 and a half because I wanted to do what I wanted. It was something I had set my heart on. It wasn’t about being famous, but I wanted to be loved around the world. ,
Regine Zilberberg with Diane von Furstenberg in 1979.
Sonia Moskowitz
His 2015 book “Mes Nuts, Mes Raincontres”, which translates as “People and Places”, has earned him collaborations with luminaries including Oscar de la Renta, Diana Vreeland, Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone Shown in the city. Shirley MacLaine, Julio Iglesias, Sammy Davis Jr., Charles Aznavour and Pele.
It also highlighted her career as an actress, having had parts in films including “The Seven-Per-Saint Solution” and “The Last Train”. Fashion designers were with him from the very beginning. She had known Karl Lagerfeld since the age of 18 and wore designs by everyone from Madame Grace to Dior, Saint Laurent, Valentino and Guy Laroche.
As might be expected, Regin was a treasure trove of juicy anecdotes.
There was a time when Mick Jagger was turned away from the opening of Regin’s New York City outpost because he was wearing a jacket and sneakers—the notoriously strict door policy specified men had to be in a dark suit.
Or her longstanding feud with Frank Sinatra over a stampede in Monte Carlo, which she wrongly believed had leaked to the press. When Regin appeared at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to sing with Paul Anka, a depressed Sinatra refused to introduce him on stage.
“I sent him flowers. He wasn’t happy—he sent them back,” he recalled. “Not that I care. Frankly, I never wasted my life even though I was part of his inner circle. I mean, that was really a pain in the ass.”
Regine Zilberberg at her 10th wedding anniversary party at her self-named nightclub in Paris on December 20, 1979.
Mark Bulka
Regin’s sharp tongue and ability to hold grudges—he referred to former friends as “the living dead”—were as renowned as his hospitality. She gleefully told a story of sending a cactus to a New York Times food critic who had dismantled Regin’s restaurant, then run by famed chef Michel Gerrard.
Then she had famous lovers, including Gene Kelly, with whom she had a three-month affair. “We remained very, very close friends,” she said, recalling the grief of seeing her go blind in old age.
Among his deepest personal tragedies was the death of his only child, Lionel Rotkage, who died in 2006 at the age of 58. Regin said of his heyday.
Her solution was to continue working well after retirement, usually getting four hours of sleep a night.
“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I’m not interested in it. I want them to laugh and be happy with me. Boring people – I have nothing to do with them. So I remove boredom from my existence.” I do, and I feel like I don’t have time to get bored,” she said.
Biocon Biologics said it could close a $3.34 billion transaction of the biosimilar business acquisition of Viatris earlier this quarter if it receives approval from regulatory agencies.
Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw told ET that equity and debt were the components to finance the deal. Mazumdar-Shaw said, “We’ve arranged it all.. There’s a huge interest, it’s a very unique story, people are excited.”
“We have said (closing of the transaction) in the second half (2022), if it can be done in the first quarter we will be very happy, .. with the regulators we do not know .. it is the regulatory agencies in India. Mazumdar-Shaw said, “It really has to accelerate.” In March, one of the largest outbound acquisitions by an Indian pharmaceutical company, Biocon Biologics (BBL) to acquire Viatris’ biosimilar assets for $3.34 billion Signed a definitive agreement.BBL will pay Viatris $2 billion in cash at the conclusion of the deal and $335 million in 2024.
Of the $2 billion, $800 million will come through equity investments from existing investors, including parent Biocon and others such as Serum Institute of India, Abu Dhabi-based ADQ. True North, Tata Capital Growth Fund and Goldman Sachs. BBL will also issue $1 billion compulsorily convertible preference shares, which when converted will amount to at least a 12.9% stake in the company at a valuation of $8 billion.
As part of the deal, BBL will get Viatris’ global commercial infrastructure in developed and emerging markets. Vytris’ global biosimilar business has projected revenue of $875 million and EBITDA of $200 million for calendar year 2022, which is projected to exceed $1 billion in revenue next year.
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII, which has made strategic investments in Biocon Biologics, told ET that their commitment to equities has been worked out. SII holds 15% stake in Biocon Biologics. “We have made a strategic investment, we can take a little more (in Biocon Biologics),” Poonawalla said.
“I cannot confirm how much and what will be announced in one-and-a-half months,” he said. ET last month quoted sources about Biocon Biologics as saying $1.2 billion through an offshore loan with the pharmaceutical company that has appointed HSBC, MUFG and Standard Chartered Bank to underwrite the proposed five-year overseas debt. Collect.
The loan is likely to be priced after adding about 220 basis points to the global rate benchmark Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), the report said.
Despite strong demand in the local market, sales of passenger vehicles continued to decline as some of the country’s major automakers restricted production due to global shortages of semi-drivers.
But even as market leaders, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India both posted 10% decline in monthly sales at 121,995 units and 44,001 units respectively, with Tata Motors, Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Skoda Auto India registering strong growth in volumes. performed well for New model launches and to a lesser extent on a lower base. “Lack of electronic components had a minor impact on the production of vehicles, mainly domestic models,” Maruti Suzuki said in a statement. The company took all possible measures to minimize the impact.
Yuichi Murata, Director (Marketing and Sales), Honda Cars India explained that even as customer sentiment continues to improve, supply chain issues remain a challenge that is impacting the industry’s ability to meet rising demand. “We expect the situation to improve as soon as possible, so that the demand-supply equation can be more balanced,” Murata said. At Honda Cars India, wholesale sales fell 13% to 7,874 units in April.
While the local market is expected to continue to gain traction, the COVID restrictions in China could put pressure on the supply chain, fear industry executives. MG Motor India said that while demand for MG products from Hector, Astor and Gloster continues to show positive momentum in inquiries and bookings, production is ‘unstable and highly impacted’ by global supply chain constraints amid the fresh lockdown in various parts of the world. ‘ Stayed.
“The brand is closely monitoring the situation due to the new COVID waves and is aligning its efforts to address it,” the company said. MG Motor India sold 2008 units, a decline of 22% as compared to 2,565 units sold in the year-ago period.
Domestic automaker Tata Motors bucked the trend last month with a 66 per cent rise in sales at 41,587 units.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) too saw volumes rise 57% to 15,085 units in April. Atul Sood, Associate Vice President (Sales & Strategic Marketing), TKM said, “Demand is peaking in the new financial year, as we close the month of April with an overall growth of 57% on wholesale sales in April 2021. Also. Along with Crysta, Fortuner and Legend, Camry Hybrid has also received very encouraging booking orders.”
Czech carmaker Skoda also saw a nearly five-fold increase to 5,152 units on the back of new launches – sedan Slavia and SUV Kushak.
The Center has asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe the killings of panches and sarpanches in Jammu and Kashmir. The central agency took over the investigation into the murder of sarpanch Shabbir Ahmed Mir in March in which the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested three Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorists.
Mir was the fourth panchayat member to be targeted by militants this year. There has been a sudden increase in the number of attacks on Panchs and Sarpanches in the last two years. Officials said that the panch and sarpanch are easy targets of the militants and those panchayat members who are in danger have been provided with safe accommodation. “The NIA probe will try to unearth a larger conspiracy behind these attacks,” an official said on condition of anonymity.
All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) president Anil Sharma told ET, “We are demanding that the central government get the NIA probed into a larger conspiracy behind these murders. Was targeted by terrorists between 2011 and 2022. The motive behind these selective killings should be probed and the NIA should identify those responsible for such attacks.”
Sharma said those responsible for the attacks did not want democratic institutions to be strengthened in Jammu and Kashmir. AJKPC is a registered organization of the members of Elected Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). In view of the increase in the number of attacks, the group is demanding security cover for all panchayat members. Sarpanch Manzoor Ahmed Bangru was assassinated in Pattan on 15 April. His bullet-soaked body was found in a garden.
Apart from Mir and Bangru, terrorists allegedly killed two more sarpanches this year. On March 2, Muhammad Yakub Dar of Kulgam in south Kashmir was targeted, while a week later Samir Ahmed Bhat, the sarpanch of Khanmoh, was shot dead on the outskirts of Srinagar.
More than 3,652 sarpanches and 23,629 panches were elected after the elections in 2018. However, citing threats to their lives, most of the elected members were forced to stay in hotels in Srinagar and Delhi. “Many of them have been provided security based on threat assessment by police and intelligence agencies,” a Union Home Ministry official said.
Violence in West Bengal’s Rampurhat last month claimed the tenth victim when a woman with severe burns in the Bogatui incident succumbed to her six weeks of fighting for survival.
The country’s premier investigative agency is investigating the alleged planned violence after the March 21 killing of Trinamool’s sub-panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh. Eight members of the same family were killed in the arson on the night of March 21.
With the death of Athar Bibi at Rampurhat Hospital on Sunday morning, the death toll rose to ten. Hospital sources said another woman from the same family, Najma Bibi, had also died a few days ago.
It is noteworthy that Athar Bibi was discharged from the hospital a few days ago but was admitted again. Athar Bibi’s body has been sent for post-mortem.
“We have lost all family members in the incident. From a young child, a newly wed couple, who was my brother’s daughter and her husband, had just got married two months ago, and my 78-year-old mother, my wife and My brother’s wife – all are dead. We don’t understand the meaning of being alive,” said Sheikh Lal Sheikh, one of the family members.
Two brothers of the family, Shekhlal and Mihilal Shaikh, who are alive, had survived the fire on March 21 as they were not at home at the time of the incident. He has recorded his statement before the central agency.
Mihilal Shaikh said, “Atahar Bibi, when she returned home from the hospital for a few days, told me that she saw neighbors including Milan Shaikh setting the house on fire that night.”
Chennai Super Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 13 runs in a match of the Indian Premier League here on Sunday. Ruturaj Gaikwad returned to form with 99 runs, while Devon Conway scored 202 for two after CSK were sent in to bat with a quick 85.
Gaikwad (99 off 57 balls), struggling for runs throughout the season, finally came out with a scintillating innings, but fell one short of the three-figure mark.
He was supported by Conway, who scored an unbeaten 85 off 55 balls.
The two shared a partnership of 182 runs in 17.5 overs to reverse SRH captain Kane Williamson’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss.
T Natarajan (2/42) took both the wickets of CSK.
CSK, defending the target, restricted SRH to 189 for six.
Nicholas Pooran scored an unbeaten 64 off 33 balls for SRH, while skipper Kane Williamson scored 47 and Abhishek Sharma made 39.
Mukesh Chowdhary took four wickets for 46 runs for CSK.
Brief Scores:
Chennai Super Kings: 202 for 2 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 99, Devon Conway 85 not out; T Natarajan 2/42).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 189 for 6 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 64 not out, Mukesh Chaudhary 4/46).
