Lucknow-Agra Expressway: Over 10 cars pile up in dense fog, dozen injured

At least a dozen people were injured after dense fog led to the collision of several vehicles on the busy Lucknow-Agra Expressway here this morning, police said today.

Reduced visibility due to dense fog was stated to be the reason behind the accident, police said.

"Pile-up of around a dozen vehicles took place early this morning on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Jogikot village under Bangarmau police station," said Additional Superintendent of Police Ambrish Bhadauria.

Around a dozen people have sustained injuries in the accident, he added.

"The injured persons were administered first aid at the community health centre in Bangarmau, and were subsequently sent home," he informed.
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Hotels can charge you more than MRP for bottled water: What you should know

Can a hotel or a restaurant charge for a bottle of drinking water more than the maximum retail price marked on the container? The answer is yes. In a major blow to consumers, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held that hotels and restaurants are not bound by the maximum retail price (MRP) when they sell bottled mineral water and packaged food items.

The court rejected the government’s argument that overcharging for pre-packed or packaged products was an offence under the Legal Metrology Act, which attracts a fine of Rs 25,000 or a jail term, according to ET.

A bench headed by Justice Rohinton Nariman said the provisions of the law will not apply to hotels and restaurants, and these establishments cannot be prosecuted for selling such items above the MRP.

“It is not a case of simple sale. Nobody goes to a hotel to buy or take away a bottle of mineral water,” the bench observed, hearing a petition by the Hotels and Restaurant Association of India.

Earlier, in its affidavit in response to a petition filed by the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said that overcharging for pre-packed or prepackaged products was an offence under the Legal Metrology Act.

“Sale of packaged water over MRP by hotels and restaurants may have implications regarding tax evasion as a bottle purchased by a hotel at cost price, which should be sold at MRP or less, is being sold at much higher prices, leading to possible loss of additional revenue to the government in the form of service tax or excise duty etc.,” the government had said.

Arnab Goswami gets notice from Delhi HC for alleged Times Now 'theft'

The Delhi High court has issued a notice to former Arnab Goswami, the former editor-in-chief of the group's Times Now channel, in the case pertaining to the alleged breach of employment contract and misusing intellectual property of Times Now, the channel owned by Bennett Coleman and Company Ltd (BCCL), Live Law reported.

The Group had filed a criminal complaint against Arnab Goswami. Soft copies of the complaint and an executive summary thereof were reviewed by Business Standard.

Times Now, Goswami’s previous employer, alleged that the audio tapes played during the Sunanda Pushkar story and the earlier Lalu Prasad controversy on Republic TV were ‘procured and accessed’ by Goswami and Sridevi while they were employed by Times Now.

Republic TV is the name of the news channel that Goswami launched on May 6,  months after he quit Times Now last November.

In its complaint, BCCL sought to slap Goswami and Sridevi with various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, for allegedly using material that belonged to BCCL on Republic TV. BCCL claims the duo had access to stories, audio-video content, documents, tapes, while they were still employees of Times Now, and had used some of these in the channel that Goswami launched on May 6.

In its executive summary, BCCL submitted that on the first day of its launch, Republic TV carried an expose on Lalu Prasad Yadav in which audio tapes containing phone conversations between the ex-chief minister of Bihar and Shahabuddin allegedly while he was still in prison were played out.

BCCL further claimed that another expose was done on Republic TV by Goswami on May 8 in which audio tapes of phone conversations between Prema Sridevi (former News Reporter of Times Now) and the Late Sunanda Pushkar (wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor) and their house help Narayan was broadcast.

BCCL alleged that both these exposes displayed material (in the form of audio tapes of phone conversations) that was procured and accessed while Goswami and Sridevi were in the employment of Times Now. It said that an internal inquiry clearly pointed out that these tapes were procured and in the possession of Goswami and Sridevi while they were in the service of BCCL.

The complainant also alleges that Goswami and Sridevi had on Republic TV admitted and claimed that the audio conversation in the Sunanda Pushkar case aired on May 8 was in their possession for the last two years when they were with Times Now.  

Accusing Goswami and Sridevi of wilfully and deliberately using Times Now's intellectual property, BCCL has sought to prosecute the duo for criminal misappropriation of property under section 403 and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code, and certain sections of the Information Technology Act.

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2008 Malegaon blast: Bombay HC grants bail to Sadhvi Pragya

The Bombay High Court today granted bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Takhur but denied any relief to co-accused former Lt Col Prasad Purohit in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

"The appeal filed by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is allowed. The applicant (Sadhvi) is directed to be released on bail on a surety of Rs 5 lakh. The appeal filed by Prasad Purohit stands dismissed," said a division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Shalini Phansalkar Joshi.

The court directed Sadhvi Pragya to surrender her passport to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

It also directed her not to tamper with the evidence and to report to NIA court as and when required.

"We have said in our order that prima facie there is no case made out against Sadhvi," Justice More said while refusing to stay today's order.

Sadhvi Pragya and Purohit accused of involvement in Malegaon bomb blast case in which eight persons were killed and nearly 80 others were injured when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle had exploded in Malegaon on September 29, 2008.

Sadhvi Pragya and Purohit were arrested in 2008 and are in jail since then.

The court was hearing the appeals filed by Sadhvi Pragya and Purohit challenging an earlier order of a special court rejecting their bail pleas.
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And the winner of 'Indian Idol 9' is L.V. Revanth

Hyderabad-based playback singer L.V. Revanth was on Sunday night declared to be the winner of the season of the singing reality show 'Indian Idol'.

26-year-old Revanth, has won a prize money of Rs. 25 lakh and a contract with Universal Music.

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar handed over the trophy to Revanth with other judges Anu Malik, Farah Khan and Sonu Nigam in attendance.

The season finale witnessed three contestants - L.V. Revanth, Khuda Baksh and PVNS Rohit - battle it out to win the title of Indian Idol.

The first runners-up was Khuda Baksh, the second runners-up was PVNS Rohit.

Revanth had a terrific journey on the show by singing songs like 'Moh Moh Ke Dhaage' from 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' for the semi-finals.

He hails from Vishakhapatanam and is not a new comer to the world of singing as he had lent his voice to one of the biggest projects including the regional version of 'Baahubali'.

His song 'Manohari' also made him win the IIFA Utsavam award.

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No end to saga? Mistry to challenge Chandra's appointment at Tata Sons

Latest Business News - The sparring match between Tata Sons and ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry is far from over as the latter has now decided to oppose the appointment of Natarajan Chandrasekaran as his successor.

According to a report published in The Economics Times, Mistry has shot off a letter to the Tata Group board challenging the legality of the appointment. He has termed the appointment 'illegal' as the matter was still sub-judice.

Cyrus Mistry, who is still a director of Tata Sons, had not attended the meeting that appointed Chandrasekaran as its chairman. 

"Unlike the October board meeting when the decision to sack Mistry was not mentioned in the board agenda circulated before, this time the members were aware of what to expect. Mistry is still a director of Tata Sons and the agenda papers were circulated to him as well. That prompted the mail from him," an official told ET.

Did Tata Sons follow instructions in appointment of its Chairman?

Article 118 of the Articles of Association of Tata Sons, passed under a special resolution following a Tata Sons EGM on December 6, 2012, lays out the terms for the appointment of the chairman. It says: "For the purpose of selecting a new Chairman of the board of directors and so long as the Tata Trusts own and hold in the aggregate at least 40% of the paid up Ordinary Share Capital of the Company for the time being, a Selection Committee shall be constituted in accordance with the provisions of this Article to recommend the appointment of a person as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Board may appoint so recommended as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, subject to Article 121 which requires the affirmative vote of all Directors appointed pursuant to Article 104B." Similarly, Section 196 and 104 (i) (ii) of Companies Act also stipulates the grounds for the appointment of chairman, MD and directors.(Read More)