A 24-year-old factory worker in Ghaziabad, Noida, allegedly hanged himself to death after an row with his wife — but not before he tied and gagged her, forcing her to watch as he made a noose with a bed sheet and proceeded to kill himself.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Nasreen and Rizwan, residents of Bihar's Samastipur had eloped and married a couple of months ago. They settled down in Uttar Pradesh, where Rizwan found himself a day job.

Nasreen told the police her husband was stressed by his work and his health was not well. On Friday, when he complained of being depressed, she urged him to find a regular job, which led to a fight between them. At one point, Rizwan allegedly tied her up, gagged her mouth, and made her look on as he went on to hang himself. By the time Nasreen had managed to free herself and screamed for help, it was too late.

When the neighbours rushed in, Rizwan was already dead and Nasreen fainted from the shock of the news. The body has been sent for post-mortem investigations.

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Thiruvananthapuram, May 20 (IANS) — The genitals of a 54-year-old Swami were cut by a 23-year-old girl here, after she was subjected to sexual harassment for the past five years, police said on Saturday.

Hari Swami of an ashram near Kollam was on Friday night brought to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College hospital here around 12.40 a.m. with his genitals severed almost 90%, a hospital statement said.

A team of medical professionals conducted a plastic surgery on the Swami, and is now out of danger, the statement said.

According to the girl, the Swami was a frequent visitor to her home and used to conduct religious ceremonies. The girl was under duress from Class 12, she said.

After being unable to bear this excess, she on Friday night slashed the Swami's genitals with a knife.

The police have registered a case against the Swami.

Prameela Devi, member of the Kerala State Women's Commission, said she was proud of the girl for doing this.

Such an act by anyone especially when it comes under the guise of a religious tag, irrespective of the religion, is in no way acceptable, as such people should be role models to all, Devi said.

Meanwhile, the police were confused on what legal proceedings needed to be taken against the girl.

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Luis Gómez Romero, University of Wollongong

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, prides himself on his business acumen. But his protectionism may get America a truly bad deal when it comes to North America's next big market: marijuana.

Fulfilling a campaign promise, on April 13 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presented a bill to legalise cannabis for recreational uses (medical marijuana has been legal in the country since 2001).

Two weeks later, Mexico's Congress followed suit, passing a bill to authorise cannabis use for medical and scientific purposes.

Two of three North American countries are now well positioned to unlock an industry that, according to Forbes magazine, was worth an estimated US$7.2 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 17%.

In the US, on the other hand, a protectionist administration has threatened to withdraw from the "terrible" North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and actively relaunched the US drug war. It looks like America's businessman president may allow his country to miss out on the cannabis boom.

Prohibition is a commercial disaster

Medical marijuana research is a growth industry. Cannabinoids, a main (non-psychoactive) chemical component in marijuana, hold significant prospects for development in the pharmaceutical industry, as potentially does tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the ingredient that makes users feel high.

Marijuana has been scientifically proven to soothe the effects of chemotherapy, treat glaucoma and ease some chronic pain. But many fields of inquiry remain untapped, thanks in large part to stringent US laws that classify cannabis as a Schedule I drug. That's the most tightly restricted category, reserved for substances with "no currently accepted medical use."

Pharmaceutical companies are keen to further disprove that thesis, knowing they will soon be able to patent cannabis-based medicines in both Mexico and Canada. Patients and doctors, too, have pleaded for restrictions on medical marijuana research in the US to be eased.

In the US, eight states and Washington, DC, have also legalised recreational marijuana. A total of 29 states plus the nation's capital have legal medical cannabis.

But US Attorney General Jeff Sessions (who has declared that he "rejects the idea that America will be a better place if marijuana is sold in every corner store") and Homeland Security chief John Kelly (who has erroneously called marijuana a "dangerous gateway drug") consistently overlook this fact.

The Trump administration is determined to revamp prohibitionist policies. In a radical rollback of Barack Obama's compassionate approach to nonviolent drug offenders, Sessions has actually ordered federal prosecutors to charge suspects of any drug-related crime with the "most serious, readily provable offence", or whichever crime entails the harshest punishment.

This move will have well-documented implications for law enforcement. In 2015, marijuana arrests outweighed those made for all violent crimes combined, including murder and rape, 574,000 to 505,681, according to the NGO Human Rights Watch.

Now America's drug war will have commercial consequences too. In the US, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has developed research mainly on the negative effects of cannabis, only marginally considering its potential medical uses.

Medical trials conducted on human beings require permission from several federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, and, when it comes to illegal substances, the Drug Enforcement Agency. That makes getting clearance for cannabis trials unduly complicated.

The inconsistencies between federal and state legislation also discourage research because they do not offer a secure legal ground for patenting cannabis-based medicines. Potential investors in medical cannabis are forced to consider not only corporate competition but also criminal prosecution.

Likewise, because budding American cannabis producers struggle to access investment funding, the industry's growth potential remains stunted.

Outsmarting Trump

If all of this sounds bad for American investors and patients, it's good news for Mexico and Canada.

The Mexican medical marijuana bill championed by President Enrique Peña, who is not a bold politician, is quite limited. It emerged in response to the story of Grace, a profoundly epileptic eight-year-old girl for whom cannabis oil, illicitly administered by her desperate mother, proved a literal lifesaver.

By removing from cannabis the legal label of "forbidden plant", the law will enable it to be used for medical or scientific purposes and permit the health ministry to conduct clinical research.

In legal terms, Mexican cannabis is now a commercial good that falls under NAFTA's purview. Medical cannabis is estimated to bring in between US$1 billion and US$2 billion to Mexico over the next ten years.

Canada is making a bigger bet on marijuana. Once its cannabis-regulation bill is implemented in July 2018, it will become the second country in the world to fully legalise marijuana, after Uruguay. Although it will stop short of establishing an open market; provinces will decide where and how marijuana may be sold and priced, in conjunction with the federal government.

As in Mexico, Canadian cannabis will comprise a commercial good. Its medical marijuana market is expected to be worth US$1 billion by 2020, while recreational marijuana prospects run as high as US$22.6 billion.

Once both countries' systems are up and running, cannabis trading between Mexico and Canada can begin. The world's first cannabis-focused exchange traded fund has already opened on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

In theory, Canada and Mexico could also trade medical marijuana with dozens of US states. But given the current administration's "America First" motto, anti-Mexico rhetoric and fearmongering about drugs, that may prove difficult.

The biggest losers

The federal government is also forcing the US to miss out on something more valuable than profit: improving public health and social well-being.

Drugs in general and cannabis, in particular, can do harm if misused. But they are far less dangerous than the drug war itself. After all, the health risks associated with legal cannabis can be prevented by strict packaging and labelling guidelines.

For Canada, which has long been progressive in its drug policy, cannabis legalisation should continue to reduce the harm created by the illicit drug trade.

Mexico's bill has more radical implications for health and public safety. An average of 51 people die every day in the country's violent drug war. That's so many homicides that male life expectancy has actually dropped by more than half a year since 2010.

For many Mexicans, the revenue from medical marijuana is less important than the possibility of rolling back the deadly drug war. The country's timid steps towards legalising medical marijuana have begun a critical process of democratic deliberation around using the military for law enforcement in the war on drugs.

As for the US, it needn't miss out. If only to keep America from falling behind Canada and Mexico, a scenario that would haunt its president. Trump could take action to improve the health, wealth and safety of his people. And that, to use his own words, would actually be a "fair deal for all".

Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The ongoing hearing on triple talaq in the Supreme Court has gathered unprecedented public attention, which in itself is a step forward in the attempt to decode religions that have, unfortunately, become instruments to perpetuate dominance over women and other marginalised sections. While the judgment is still awaited, the discussion around triple talaq will allay the suspicion around Islam and the misinterpretation of the Quran. The situation is particularly threatening for the ulemas who have enjoyed unquestioned authority.

While I, to an extent, agree with critics who say that the Supreme Court and government should not interfere in religion, there is also an urgent need to address regressive social customs and keep up with the times. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board is now talking about the rights of women and their ability to also pronounce triple talaq, but it's a little late in the day. Had it made a concerted effort to educate the community about this earlier, this embarrassment could have been avoided. As the matter stands now, a judgment in favour of the abolition of triple talaq would be a historic moment for gender rights.

A blasphemous atmosphere has been created around religion, based on extreme fear of divine punishment—it has convinced women to blindly accept anything that is propagated by ulemas.

Religion is said to be the opium of masses, but it is also a weapon that has been used to control and subjugate women—regardless of what the scriptures actually say. Anyone who has read the Quran would know that there are strict rules for divorce, with rights also granted to women. The 65 Sura of the Quran, Sūrat aṭ-Talāq , for example, does not mention pronouncing triple talaq in one go and prohibits men from divorcing when the wife is pregnant or in the absence of witnesses. The question of doing it through email, SMS etc—practices that we see today—are therefore antithetical to what is prescribed. Nonetheless, the fact remains that Muslim women have received the short end of the stick.

In the absence of education and under sustained suppression, women have never gained the vocabulary to question religion, leave alone exercise the rights granted under the holy scriptures. Data from the 2011 Census of India shows that 48.1 % of Muslim women in India are illiterate. With complete financial and social dependence on men, and having been taught that disobeying will invite divine punishment, women do not have the wherewithal to invoke their rights, even in cases of extreme abuse. The scenario is slowly changing for the urban educated class, but in a very negligible proportion. Even as an educated woman, at the time of my marriage, I was unaware of my right to personalise my nikah (marriage) contract. A blasphemous atmosphere has been created around religion, based on extreme fear of divine punishment—it has convinced women to blindly accept anything that is propagated by ulemas.

I very well recall how I was repeatedly brainwashed on the kinds of clothes to wear, the need to be domesticated, undying obedience to father, husband or brothers, the one-sided responsibility to please the husband. Every attempt to make girls submissive is done on the pretext of gunaah (punishment in eyes of God). One major problem with Muslims in the Indian subcontinent is that they read the Quran but do not understand Arabic. This ignorance of language has given birth to numerous interpretations in Islam, which gets even more maligned on hearsay. Until I started studying the Quranic more deeply, I too believed in the supremacy of man over woman. On delving into the text, however, it was not difficult to see the emphasis on education, property rights and equal laws of consent and divorce for marriage, amongst the many rights granted to women.

The basic concepts of Islam have been co-opted by middlemen spuriously claiming authority. Now this status quo is heading towards an upset.

The basic concepts of Islam have been co-opted by middlemen spuriously claiming authority. Now this status quo is heading towards an upset. The guardians of religion, anxious of the demands of women, should understand that this is just the beginning. Muslim women have been generous in their demand by merely seeking what is enshrined in religion. The day women demand equality under the Constitution, male hegemony over religion would be dismantled.

Matru Devo Bhava (Mother is God)—Taittiriya Upanishad

The glorification of parents is a distinctly Indian trait.

Our mythological epics abound with devotion to the Mother—Rama embarks on vanvaas to fulfil Kaikayi's promise, Ganesha fights Shiva on Parvati's command, the Pandavas share Draupadi to uphold Kunti's word.

Whether it is Mother India, Deewar, or Karan-Arjun—we put the "ma" in "cinema".

Our films use the Mother to squeeze emotions from our gullible hearts—whether it is Mother India, Deewar, or Karan-Arjun—we put the "ma" in "cinema". Our literatures praise the Mother, our swearwords reference her. From our scriptures to our school essays, the image of the Mother as the compassionate, sacrificing, loving one has endured for centuries.

***

Fact: Indian societies—for all their positives and negatives—are among the cruellest to wives and mothers. The Indian mother has to live with strangers, serve her in-laws like her own parents, take on the onus of raising the child, and will be blamed if the child grows up to be a psychopath.

Maa ka pyaar, mixed with maa ka doodh, has been the founding force of our civilisation for hundreds of years now. You have to wake up before everybody else, eat after the rest are done, and remember to switch off the lights before sleeping.

Our advertisements have smiling women who take care of children's sampoorn-poshan, cook healthy for the working husband who wears formals at home, buy the best sanitary napkins for un dinon ke liye, and still look slim and pretty like a Santoor mummy! The pressure to be the perfect mother is enormous.

So enduring is our image of the caring mother, that never in Indian cinema will you see an irresponsible mother. Irresponsible fathers are a dime a dozen—the alcoholic, the stubborn, the stern—but if a mother has to be evil, she has to be the step mother.

And yet, the image of the all-caring mother comes with its own set of problems.

***

Becoming a mother cannot be the sole focus of any person on earth. And yet we attach the tag of the mother on every woman in India.

Perhaps my understanding of mothers comes from my own. My parents split when I was young, and my mother brought us up. She worked, fed us, paid for our education till we ventured to find jobs.

However, she was far from perfect. Her ideas of the world, right and wrong, dos and don'ts, were problematic. They brought us a lot of pain, and drove us all apart. And yet, it took me 30 years to be able to see it in perspective. I realised I was judging her on the basis of the world's standards of the ideal mother. She didn't need to be a great mother—it was the baggage of the perfect mother I was carrying all along.

*

I realised I was judging [my mother] on the basis of the world's standards of the ideal mother.

Mother's Day is a farce propagated by greeting card companies and social media marketeers. The truth is, behind every great mother, there are tons of unfulfilled dreams, personal ambitions squashed, and compromises made. She was a woman long before she became your mother.

By celebrating this one aspect of her, you are probably propagating a digital version of "Matru Devo Bhava." And also, you are ignoring the millions of women who choose not to become mothers. And have to go about explaining their choice as if they robbed the evening branch of Bank of Baroda.

Most Indian parents fulfil their own dreams through their children. Walk into any engineering college today, and you'll find unfulfilled parental dreams walking about with laptops in their bags. Your parents in general, and your mother in particular might be carrying ancient ideas about society, morality, sexuality and caste.

Speak to your mother. Challenge her ideas of the world, speak to her about the world you live in.

I'm sorry to break this to you. But your mom is not the greatest mother in the world.

But that's the thing. She doesn't need to be!

"[N]othingcan be said to becertain, exceptdeath and taxes."—Benjamin Franklin

Let's face it—taxes are among our biggest expenses over a lifetime. And this includes indirect taxes. We pay excise duty for manufacturing of goods, VAT on purchases, service tax on availing the taxable services, entertainment tax on movies, luxury tax, entry tax and the list goes on. Today, GST is labelled as the biggest indirect taxation revolution since Independence, and it is important to know how it will impact the bank balance of the common citizen. Will our wallets become lighter or heavier?

The seamless input tax credit across the value chain will eliminate a cascading effect. This is expected to result in a reduction of prices of products...

To begin with the basics, GST is a tax on goods and services, with a comprehensive and continuous chain of input credit set-off from the manufacturer to distributor to retailer till it reaches the end customer. It is essentially a tax only on the value addition at each stage. Through the input tax credit mechanism, a supplier at each stage is permitted to set-off the GST paid on the purchase of goods and services against the GST to be paid on the supply of goods and services.

The seamless input tax credit across the value chain will eliminate a cascading effect .This is expected to result in a reduction of prices of products—as the adage goes, "A penny saved is a penny earned!"

Let us discuss the other factors that will help you in saving the extra pennies under GST.

1. Elimination of double taxation

In the realm of indirect taxes, double taxation has long been a challenge in India. This is because a single transaction is considered as a sale as well as a provision of service. Consider an example of a restaurant with AC. The restaurant bill will have service tax and VAT. Wondering why VAT and service tax? The food and beverages are considered to be commodities and other additional services such as air conditioning and seating are considered as services. Hence, you pay VAT on 100% of the value of food and 40% of the value of the bill, and service tax may be levied at 15%. For example, a bill of ₹1000 will attract service tax of ₹60 and VAT@ 14.5% of ₹154.

Under GST, supply being a single taxable event, which is either classified as supply of goods or services, the concept of double taxation will be eliminated. This will contribute to reduction in price.

2. The concept of "furtherance of business"

Today, a VAT dealer who pays excise duty and service tax on her purchases is not eligible to claim input tax as she is not registered under those statutes. In GST, the concept of input tax credit is broadened to include any input or input services "used or intended to be used in the course of or for furtherance of businesses." This will have a bearing on price and subsequently result in reduction of the price of the product.

3. Reduction of tax rate

Today, excise duty is levied on manufacture and VAT on sale of goods. Let us consider a case of purchase where these taxes are levied. The standard rate of excise duty prevalent in most states is at 12.5% and VAT around 14.5%. On an average, you pay around 27-28% of product value as taxes. The four-tier GST structure as finalised stands at 0%, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. Thus you can expect an overall reduction in rate of taxes and thus a lessening of your financial load.

4. Anti-profiteering measure

In order to ensure that the benefit of input tax credit by businesses and subsequent reduction of tax rate is passed on to the final consumer, an anti-profiteering clause has been proposed. This stipulates the business to pass the benefit by way of reduction in product price. To examine this, an authority will be set up by government on recommendations of the GST council.

5. A more competitive market

The existing geographical trade barriers will be removed under GST and India will be one common market. With the expansion of the market beyond state boundaries, new players will emerge and the marketplace is expected to be more competitive. This would impact pricing strategy and, of course, any reduction in price will benefit the end consumer.

As temperatures soar over the subcontinent this summer, Indian cities are being hit by intense heatwaves, causing untold distress to people, even death in some cases.

In parts of Orissa, the mercury has already crossed 45 degree celsius, killing at least six people due to sunstroke. To demonstrate the fierceness of the heat, a man in Titalgarh district, cooked an egg on the road, without fire. The footage, which was captured by ANI, shows him cracking an egg on to a pan and cooking it by holding it to the sun for a few seconds.

You can watch the video here.

#WATCH Man cooks an egg on the road in Titalgarh(Odisha) to show the intense heat wave in the area pic.twitter.com/yPJFQOl1Kz

— ANI (@ANI_news) May 19, 2017

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You think a weepy, sacrificial mother in Indian cinema, and you think Nirupa Roy. In fact, Nirupa Roy -- thanks to a slew of Bollywood films in the 70s and early '80s -- became a cultural currency to describe the melodramatic mother figure.

Her name is almost synonymous with Deewaar's famous dialogue -- 'Mere Paas Maa Hai'. In the film, a dapper Shashi Kapoor walks up to an angry Amitabh Bachchan and declares, he may not have the 'bangla, gaadi' etc. but he has their mother. That dialogue from the 1975 film turned into a cultural phenomenon of sorts.

Now here's a fun fact: when 1931-born Nirupa Roy played that role she was 44-years-old. Her onscreen 'sons' -- Shashi Kapoor was 37 and Amitabh Bachchan was 33 -- were just seven and 11 years younger than her respectively.

In 1976, another film starring Dharmendra and Hema Malini as the romantic lead released. It was called 'Maa' and guess who played the titular role? No surprises that it was Roy. 1935 born Dharmendra was just 4 years younger than Roy, who played his mother.

In 1999, Bachchan was cast opposite Manisha Koirala in the film Lal Badshah. Koirala was 29, Bachchan was 57. When Om Shanti Om released in 2007, Shah Rukh Khan was 41, Deepika Padukone 21. More recently, Sonam Kapoor (then 29), played the romantic interest of Salman Khan (then 49) in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and in an interview, Khan joked that it was strange to romance his friend's daughters.

Oh and wait, should we also talk about the women who have been playing the romantic interest of 66-year-old Rajinikanth? One of them was Sonakshi Sinha, whose father and Rajinikanth had played people of same age in films in the past.

Now if we were to start a list of male actors in India and especially Bollywood who played the romantic interest of women decades younger than them, we'd need an entire book.

While things are slowly changing -- Aishwarya Rai romanced Ranbir Kapoor in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil recently -- women have an almost inflexible sell-by date in Bollywood. One has to blame the consumers of Bollywood as well, they have no problems mooning over a 50-year-old romancing a 30-year-old but, but the masses will never pay to watch a woman that age play the lead.

A Twitter handle -- @BollywoodQing went on to make a thread on the Mother's Day pointing out Bollywood misogynistic outlook towards its actresses in this thread.

Here are a few instances that they brought up and a few that we dug up.

#1 Reema Lagoo - Sanjay Dutt

The screen mother the 90s kids were most familiar with, late Reema Lagoo played mother to every big male star in Bollywood. Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, and Aamir Khan - everyone has played Lagoo's son in multiple films.

1958-born Lagoo played mother to 1959-born Sanjay Dutt in Mahesh Manjrekar's 1999 crime drama Vaastav. If we were to apply the same logic to male stars, do you think Aamir Khan (52) would play dad to Shah Rukh Khan (51)?

#2 Nargis Dutt - Sunil Dutt / Rajendra Kumar

India's another poster-mother -- Nargis from Mother India -- played mom to her husband Sunil Dutt in this iconic film.

You may want to know that Nargis, Rajendra Kumar and Sunil Dutt were all born in 1929 and was of the same age when Mother India released in 1957.

#3 Supriya Karnik - Hrithik Roshan

1975-born Supriya Karnik played mom to 1976-born Hrithik Roshan in the 2001 romantic drama Yaadein.

Supriya has also played Priyanka Chopra's (33) mom in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004).

#4 Himani Shivpuri - Salman Khan

Himani Shivpuri, born in 1960, also has been Bollywood's preferred mom-masi-bua-chachi for a long time. She has played mother to Salman Khan, who is just five years younger to her.

#5 Reema Lagoo - Salman Khan

Reema Lagoo (born in 1958) has played 1965-born Salman Khan's mom several times.

This is like Salman Khan / Shah Rukh Khan playing dad to Aishwarya Rai. LOL.

#6 Himani Shivpuri - Govinda / Milind Gunaji

You need to look no further than this picture below to be convinced how sexist Bollywood can be to women. This still is from the film Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hain which released in 2000.

Seen in the frame are following:

Himani Shivpuri, playing mother. She was born in 1960.

1961-born Milind Gunaji and 1963-born Govinda play her sons.

#7 Priya Tendulkar - Jackie Shroff / Anil Kapoor / Shah Rukh Khan

The Hum Paanch photo frame's mom, Priya Tendulkar (born in 1954) played mom to Jackie Shroff (born in 1957), Anil Kapoor (born in 1956), and Shah Rukh Khan (born in 1965).

#8 Supriya Pathak - Kay Kay Menon

Supriya Pathak, a powerhouse performer, has often been cast as a mother in big budget Bollywood films.

Pathak ( born in 1961) happened to play Kay Kay Menon's mom in Sarkar (2005). Menon is just four years younger than Pathak in real life.

#9 Reema Lagoo - Shah Rukh Khan

She's going to make quite a few appearances in this list.

This young mom has even played Govinda's (53) non-biological mom in Jis Des Mein Ganga Rehta hai.

#10 Reema Lagoo - Daggubati Venkatesh

My favourite part of the movie Taqdeerwala (1995) was Yamraj (Kader Khan) eating "heem cream" and hand grenades. But looking back now and seeing the cast and their age, hand grenades is the least amusing part. Venkatesh, who was just two years younger than Lagoo, played her son in this film.

#11 Rohini Hattangadi - Sanjay Dutt

The year is 2030. Dutt is 70. He plays a gangster. His mom is Madhuri Dixit. Really, no one will be shocked if that were to happen in Bollywood.

Rohini Hattangadi (born in 1951) played Sanjay Dutt's mother in Rajkumar Hirani's Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. Dutt is six years younger to him.

#12 Farida Jalal - Anil Kapoor

Farida Jalal (born in 1949) who has worked with 1956-born Anil Kapoor in movies such as Judaai (1997), Pukar (2000), Lajja (2001) played the role of Kapoor's mother in Laadla (1994) and Loafer (1996).

#13 Kirron Kher - Shah Rukh Khan

Kirron Kher (born in 1955) played 1965- born Shah Rukh Khan's mother in Om Shanti Om (2007). Kher has also teamed up with the Baadshah as his mom in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and step-mom in Farah Khan's Main Hoon Na (2004).

Just to give you a perspective, this is like Govinda (53) playing Hrithik Roshan's (43) father.

#14 Kirron Kher - Aamir Khan

Who Khers about the age difference, right? Kher (born in 1955) played 1965-born Aamir Khan's mom in Rang De Basanti (2006).

#15 Waheeda Rehman - Amitabh Bachchan

Waheeda Rehman (born in 1938) plays 1942-born Amitabh Bachchan's mom in Namak Halaal (1982).

Rehman played Bachchan's wife in 1976's Adalat. Sigh,what's going on Bollywood?

Just Bollywood things, eh?

#16 Shefali Shah - Akshay Kumar

Okay, this is just very, very weird. Shefali Shah (born in 1972) played 1967-born Akshay Kumar's mom in the movie Waqt (2005).

Who knows, someday Bollywood will make Kareena Kapoor play Ranveer Singh's mom.

#17 Dimple Kapadia - Salman Khan / Arbaaz Khan

A very young Dimple Kapadia played mom to Khan brothers in the action-packed Dabangg (2008).

Dimple Kapadia was born in 1957. Salman was born in1965 and Arbaaz is 1967-born. Kapadia also played 1967-born Saif Ali Khan's mom in Cocktail (2012).

#18 Rohini Hattangadi - Rishi Kapoor

1951-born Rohini Hattangadi 1952-born Rishi Kapoor's mom in Damini (1993).

Yeah, go ahead, roll your eyes.

#19 Nirupa Roy - Shashi Kapoor/ Amitabh Bachchan

Vijay: Aaj mere paas paisa hai, bangla hai, gaadi hai, naukar hai, bank balance hai, aur tumhare paas kya hai?

Ravi: Mere paas maa hai!

Who, by the way, is just 7 years older in real life than her screen son in question.

#20 Rati Agnihotri - Akshay Kumar

Khiladi Kumar (1967) is extremely fit and shows no signs of ageing what so ever. However, he's 49 years old and playing son to 1960-born is a bit of a stretch, don't you think?

Yep. Agnihotri also played the role of Saif Ali Khan's in Hum Tum (2004).

#21 Rohini Hattangadi - Amitabh Bachchan

If you scroll down and see the poster below, you'll realise even Amitabh Bachchan is wondering wtf is up with Bollywood and its casting. Rohini Hattangadi (born in 1951) -- 11 years younger than Big B (born in 1942) -- played his mother in the 1990 action drama Agneepath (1990).

(Major credits to @BollywoodQing for flagging sexist ageism in Bollywood. You can always contribute to this list and we'll add it here with due credits.)

Also, make this a habit. Every time you watch a Bollywood movie, check the cast and go...

Also On HuffPost India:

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) lawmaker from Maharashtra was caught on camera throwing an expletive-ridden tantrum outside the Byculla jail in Mumbai on Thursday.

Reportedly, Ramesh Kadam, who was arrested for his involvement in scam at Annabhau Sathe Backward Classes Development Corporation in 2015, was furious because a van was late picking him up.

According to NDTV, Kadam was to undergo a regular medical examination, for which they were waiting for the vehicle. But he grew impatient, and started abusing the cops and kept repeating, "You don't know who I am!"

The cop, on the other hand, stood stone-faced and unmovable — and responded only with the occasional, "Sure," or "OK, do it," to Kadam's abuses.

When Kadam saw that a constable was recording the incident on his phone, he threatened to file a complaint of corruption against the police officer.

Now that the video has gone viral on social media, Mumbai police commissioner Dattatray Padsalgikar has ordered an enquiry into the matter.

Rashmi Karandikar, deputy police commissioner and Mumbai police spokesperson said, "The enquiry will be conducted by deputy commissioner of police (zone III) after it was ordered on Friday".

Earlier, the Bombay High Court in February 2016 had come down heavily upon Kadam and his accomplices, who were charged in a ₹385 crore scam. The court had said:

"It shocks one and all as to the shameless manner in which the taxpayers' money is being swindled, misappropriated and robbed by such unscrupulous holders of the posts."

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NEW DELHI -- In an unprecedented move, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, the Chief of Air Staff, has written a personal letter to each officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF), asking the officers "to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice".

"In the present scenario, there is an ever persistent sub-conventional threat. Therefore, we need to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice. Training needs to be focused towards this," says the letter.

The "sub-conventional threat" is said to be a reference to the 'proxy war' by the Pakistan, which is reflected in the increasing number of terror attacks on military camps and the rising public unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

The mention in the letter of "our present holdings" is an indication of the severe shortfall in the number of fighter squadrons with the IAF.

The IAF is authorised 42 squadrons of fighter aircraft but its current holding is down to 33.

A deal for 36 Rafale fighters, signed with France, and a decision to induct indigenous Tejas fighters will barely make up for the de-induction of the MIG series of fighters from the fleet.

Asking officers to be "combat effective professionals", ACM Dhanoa writes that "there is no choice but to stay abreast of new technological advancements both own as well as that of our adversaries. Only then will we come out with war-winning, out of the box solutions."

The letter also covered a range of issues from "favouritism" in the force to "sexual harassment".

The letter reminds officers that "in the recent past, there have been instances and occasions where lack of professionalism has shown the IAF in poor light".

Indulging in uncharacteristic plain speak, the IAF chief writes that "we have been witness to a few instances of 'favouritism' in selection of officers for prime assignments and promotions".

"This is something we can ill afford," the letter reads.

Pointing out that "officers holding responsible appointments tend to display 'Milk of Human Kindness' while dealing with those involved in wrongful practices", the letter warns that "abusive behaviour, resorting to physical intimidation and behaviour amounting to sexual harassment by seniors is not acceptable".

The letter has been posted and delivered to each of the nearly 12,000 officers of the force.

This is the first time that an IAF chief has written a personal letter to all officers, although two Army chiefs - Field Marshal (then General) K M Cariappa on May 1, 1950 and General K Sundarji on February 1, 1986 - have penned similar missives.

An IAF spokesperson, however, described the letter as "internal communication" and refused to comment on its contents.

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In 2017 an opening paragraph like this in The Atlantic was bound to cause a stir.

The ashes filled a black plastic box about the size of a toaster. It weighed three and a half pounds. I put it in a canvas tote bag and packed it in my suitcase this past July for the transpacific flight to Manila. From there I would travel by car to a rural village. When I arrived, I would hand over all that was left of the woman who had spent 56 years as a slave in my family's household.

It's the story of Eudocia Tomas Pulido, or Lola, the family nanny who was given as a "gift" to Alex Tizon's mother in the Philippines, who followed the family to the United States, and raised Alex and his siblings. She was not paid. She was not allowed to go back to visit her family. She was abused by Tizon's parents and, in the end, when she was finally "free", she had nowhere to go.

The story has caused quite a storm on social media. Some are praising Tizon, a Pulitzer-winning journalist for his courage in confronting a dark chapter in the family history. Others are lambasting him for romanticising what he admits was modern slavery. The story was written after Pulido died. It was published after Tizon had died. It's a confession that changes nothing. For many it was not a profile in courage but an abdication of courage.

It was news only because it was happening in America.

When I read it, I was horrified, moved, shocked, appalled. But, most of all, I was struck by one thing. It was news only because it was happening in America. That same story happens in some variation or the other all over India. We pay no attention to it because for us it's just another day in the life of another "Lola".

My sister and I too were raised by someone much like Tizon's Lola. She was not given as a gift to anyone. She was paid, though I do not know how much. She went home regularly and her daughter and grandchildren came to our house regularly. I grew up playing with them. Chhor-di, as we called her, widowed early in life, raised my sister and me, nursed my dying great-grandmother and grandmother, wiped bottoms, emptied bed-pans without complaint. She brought us fresh cashews from her village, still in the fruit, delicious cashews which she roasted by hand, a taste I've never forgotten or encountered since. Unlike Tizon's Lola, in old age she was able to retire back home with money that my father gave her. One day she came back from a bath in the village pond, felt uneasy, lay down and died. "She accumulated a lot of virtue," my mother said admiringly. "That's why her death was so easy."

It's a family story and a familiar one about the old family retainer, more loyal than the children. It carefully photoshops out the social inequity at the heart of it all. How often have we heard a servant described as not really a servant, practically family? The maid will rarely dare say that about the master's family. It's the master's prerogative to extend that largesse to the maid. As long as she does not sit on the bed. I don't remember Chhor-di ever sitting on any of our sofas. It did not occur to us that there was anything strange about that. That's just the way it was.

It's a family story and a familiar one about the old family retainer, more loyal than the children.

It's easy to be outraged over Tizon's confessional, especially because the circumstances of this story are particularly egregious. Pulido's teeth fall out because she is not taken to the dentist. As a child when her mistress gets into trouble with her own father, Pulido is made to take the beating because that's what a maid does. Yet, as I read the story, I kept thinking if she was paid something, how much less of a slave would she be? The lack of payment allows us to feel morally superior because we never did that, but in reality, how much free will would she have earned with her pittance?

What struck me reading the story is both how uncomfortable TIzon is as he realises that his loving Lola is really a slave and how little he does about it. When neighbours ask him about her and why she is always working, he quickly makes her a distant poor relative who likes to work. He is saving his family's face. And, as it transpires, even after she dies, he talks to the obituary writer of the Seattle Times and dishes out the same romanticised story of the selfless woman who gave up her life to raise other people's children, completely omitting his own family's ugly role in that act of sacrifice. That obituary writer, Susan Kelleher, has written a piece saying she feels sick knowing now that she wrote "about slavery as a love story".

What struck me reading the story is both how uncomfortable TIzon is as he realises that his loving Lola is really a slave and how little he does about it

What all this makes clear is that even as we talk about cultural contexts, and how we cannot judge these complicated feudal relationships in the Philippines or India by black-and-white western standards, we understand full well what we are perpetuating. We turn a slave into Lola because we say we know that others will not understand it. But in our hearts we know they will understand it only too well. That makes us cringe. That is why Tizon takes so much pains to explain away his Lola to his neighbours. And that is why in every case of domestic help abuse with Indian employers in the West, the employer complains about how much better the maid was being treated in America than she could ever hope to be treated back in India. It's almost a sign of ingratitude that she complained about back wages or days off. It's as if America has given her license to complain.

An Indian consul general's maid complained she was forced to work long hours for $300 a month, her passport was confiscated and she had to sleep in the closet. A landlord in Berkeley was accused of trafficking poor women from his native village in Andhra Pradesh. He faced a court, but in his village he was treated as a god. New York perfume millionaires Mahender and Varsha Sabhnani were convicted of beating their Indonesian maids with brooms and forcing them to eat 25 hot chillies. But to the outside world, we insist they are not servants, they are just like family.

That's our problem. Our Lolas and Chhor-dis are not family or just like family. By calling them family we are not honouring them, we are just trying to make ourselves feel better. But really it would be better all around if we treated them as what they are — employees doing a job for us.

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NEW YORK -- A 20-year-old Indian-origin Cornell University student was found dead here after going missing this week.

Aalaap Narasipura, a senior electrical engineering student at Cornell's College of Engineering was reported missing since Wednesday.

Cornell University Police, working with the New York State Police, the Ithaca Police Department and the Ithaca Fire Department, recovered his body yesterday from Fall Creek, a short distance upstream from Ithaca Falls.

Cornell University Police confirmed Narasipura s identity. Police said the circumstances of Narasipura s death are still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected.

No other information is available at this time.

Police had searched gorges and adjacent natural areas in Ithaca. Earlier authorities had issued an advisory describing Narasipura as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet-9 inches tall.

He was last seen in the early morning of May 17 on Cornell's campus, and was wearing shorts and a flannel shirt with bright blue socks and leather sandals. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi expressed "profound sadness" at the death of Narasipura.

He described Narasipura as an "ambitious student" who was scheduled to graduate early this December.

"He was active on the Ultimate Frisbee team, enjoyed taking photos, and planned to continue at Cornell to pursue a Master of Engineering degree," he said in a statement.

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The Maharashtra government has decided to form 'good morning' squads to monitor and prevent open defecation in villages and districts across the state.

These squads will comprise representatives of local bodies, self-help groups, NGOs, students and social workers working in the area of sanitation and cleanliness.

A government resolution issued on Friday said these squads have been asked to keep an eye on the areas where this practice is prevalent and to ensure that locals have access to toilets there.

They will inform the civic bodies about areas where people are being denied access to toilets. They also have the right to take up issues, such as the pending construction of toilets, with the local civic bodies and help speed up the work.

"If the team finds people who, despite having access to toilets, relieve themselves in the open, it will impose heavy fines on them," reads the resolution.

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SRINAGAR -- Animal slaughtering and services provided by veterinary clinics will be exempt from GST while visits to theme parks and sporting events like IPL will attract a levy of 28 per cent under the new indirect tax regime kicking in from July 1.

Besides, supply of foods or drinks in outdoor catering, circus shows, classical dances, including folk dance, drama and theatrical performances, will attract a 18 per cent tax rate under GST.

The GST Council over the two-day meeting on May 18-19 has decided to retain majority of the exemptions currently available in the service tax regime in the GST.

As per the list of services which will be subject to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), services provided by tour operators and leasing of aircraft will attract a 5 per cent levy.

While economy class travel in airplane is likely to get cheaper with 5 per cent tax, a similar lower levy has been decided for transport of passengers by air embarking from or terminating in a regional connectivity scheme airport.

Temporary transfer or permitting use of intellectual property (IP) will attract 12 per cent GST-- the same rate as in respect of permanent transfer of IP.

These include education, healthcare, services provided by way of religious pilgrimages, charitable activities, those provided by the RBI and diplomatic missions situated in India.

Services provided by toll operators and transmission and distribution of electricity and residential house renting would be exempt from the GST.

The exempt services will also include animal slaughtering, banks giving loans or deposits and those provided by the veterinary clinics.

A senior advocate giving legal services to any person other than a business entity, or a business entity with a turnover of up to ₹20 lakh in the preceding financing year will be exempt from goods and services tax.

Services of public libraries by way of lending of books, publications and retail packaging and labelling of fruits and vegetables which do not alter the characteristics of the fruit or vegetables are exempt.

The Council has also decided to exempt from the purview of GST the company Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) set up to build the IT network for the new indirect tax regime.

As per the list, non-AC restaurants will charge 12 per cent GST on food bill.

The tax rate for AC restaurants and those with liquor licence will be 18 per cent, while 5-star hotels will charge 28 per cent GST.

Restaurants with ₹50 lakh or below turnover will go under the 5 per cent composition scheme.

Work contracts like white washing will be liable for a 12 per cent GST.

Entertainment tax will be merged with service tax under the GST and a composite 28 per cent levy will be charged on cinema services as well as gambling and betting at race course.

While the rate proposed for cinema halls is lower than 40 to 55 per cent currently, it may not result in a reduction in tariffs on cinema tickets as states continue to hold right to levy local charges on them.

Hotels and lodges charging per day tariff of ₹1,000 will be exempt from GST.

Rate for hotels with tariff of ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 per day would be 12 per cent, while those with ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 would be 18 per cent.

GST for hotels with tariff above ₹5,000 will be 28 per cent.

Non AC train travel, including in local trains and metro, has been exempt from GST, while AC train travel will attract 5 per cent service tax, same as freight levy.

Five per cent rate will also apply on rides taken from cab aggregators like Ola and Uber, which currently pay 6 per cent tax.

Telecom and financial services will be taxed at a standard rate of 18 per cent under GST.

But tax department estimates that the tax incidence on this will be unchanged at 15 per cent after the input credit is taken on equipment by the service providers.

The GST Council finalised four tax rates of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent for services including telecom, insurance, hotels and restaurants under the biggest tax reform since the Independence.

The rates are in line with those finalised for goods.

With this, rates of all items except a handful including gold, have been decided ahead of the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1.

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CANNES -- Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff has been finalised for Indian remake of Hollywood film Rambo, which starred action icon Sylvester Stallone.

The actor is excited to get on board, but says he can never replace Stallone.

The remake will be directed by Siddharth Anand and co-produced by M! Capital Ventures, Original Entertainment, Impact Films and Siddharth Anand Pictures, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The buzz around the remake is huge in India. Actors like Hrithik Roshan and Sidharth Malhotra were in consideration for the role, but nothing was materialised.

Tiger said:

"Being a martial artist and a huge action movie buff since childhood, this all seems very surreal, and I'm very grateful for this opportunity. By no means do I believe I can replace the legendary Sylvester Stallone; however, I do feel that somehow this is something I've been preparing for since childhood."

Principal photography for the film is slated to start in February next year, with a release targeted for late 2018.

Rambo franchise first came to life in 1982 with First Blood, which minted over $125 million worldwide. It was followed by a number of successful remakes, including the most recent Rambo in 2008, which earned $113 million globally, the report notes.

The Indian remake will be given a 'desi' twist.

It will follow life of last surviving member of an elite covert unit of the Indian Armed Forces who returns home to discover a war waging in his own land. And how he unleashes mayhem by becoming an unstoppable machine after tough training.

Anand, who also directed Bang Bang! -- an Indian remake of Tom Cruise's Knight and Day, said:

"Rambo is one of the most iconic action blockbuster films from my generation. I grew up looking up to heroes such as Stallone, and in a time where the Indian industry is lacking action characters of Rambo's caliber, this is a perfect time to introduce Tiger in this role."

The director feels Tiger "has a power and vulnerability that will make him the next iconic action hero of our time".

Tiger, son of actor Jackie Shroff and a martial arts expert, entered Bollywood in 2014 with Heropanti, and followed up his act with films like Baaghi and A Flying Jatt. He is also working on projects like Munna Michael and Baaghi 2.

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NEW DELHI -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) today demonstrated the working of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail System (VVPATs), while brushing aside the EVM tampering allegation.

Asserting that EVM tampering is a wrong allegation, B.P. Mishra, a technical officer of Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), demonstrated as how the EVM and VVPAT work.

"EVM tampering is not possible and the allegations of its malfunctioning are wrong," Mishra told ANI.

ECIL employee Kharesh Yadav also demonstrated the procedure of EVM and VVPAT.

"These machines have a standalone printer. When any ballot button is pressed, a slip is generated carrying voter's and candidate's name," Yadav told ANI.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday said that the live demo of EVMs and VVPATs by the ECI will ensure credibility and the authenticity of the voting machine will be retained.

"It is Election Commission's duty to convince every citizens and every political party about the credibility of the EVM. It is between the election commission and the parties who are crying foul needlessly. I am sure that the Election Commission will ensure credibility and the authenticity of the EVMs will be retained," BJP leader S. Prakash told ANI.

He said that certain parties were creating huge ruckus against EVM hacking to cover up their own lapses in winning over the mandate of the people and the Election Commission's demo will remove their doubt.

While earlier in the week, the poll panel had said it would offer an 'opportunity' to the political parties to prove that EVMs used in the recently held assembly polls were tampered with or can be tampered even with laid down safeguards.

The ECI also convened an all-party meeting over the issue of EVM and other electoral reforms.

In its communication to the presidents of all the seven national and 48 state political parties, the poll panel sent a status paper on EVMs and VVPAT.

Last month, sixteen opposition parties had urged the Election Commission to revert to the paper ballot system saying that the alleged tampering has created trust deficit in the credibility of the EVMs.

However, the poll body has been maintaining that EVMs are tamper proof and cannot be manipulated.

The Union Cabinet had given its nod to sanctioned funds of nearly Rs. 3,200 crore to procure more than 16 lakh VVPATs as sought by the Election Commission.

Besides EVMs, the meeting is expected to deliberate on making bribery in elections a cognisable offence, disqualification on framing of charges for the offences of bribery in elections and suggestions in VVPAT recount Rules.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), during a special session of the Delhi assembly, had conducted a live demonstration on how EVMs can be tampered with.

Reacting to the demonstration, the poll panel said the machine used to conduct live demonstration was a 'look-alike'' which was made to function in a 'tampered' manner.

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The Kerala godman, who was castrated by a 23-year-old law student for allegedly raping her for several years, has claimed he mutilated himself as the sexual organ was of no use to him.

According to India Today, 54-year-old Hari Swami gave this statement to the police after he was charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act for repeatedly raping the woman since she was a teenager.

The swami, who began his career as a tea-stall owner, joined the Padmana Chattambi Swami Ashram 15 years ago after deciding to become a spiritual guru.

Now close to Hindu Aikyavedi, which promotes Hinduism in Kerala, he was earlier a close associate of BJP state president Kummanam Rajashekharan and other office bearers of the Kerala unit of the party.

The swami became close to the girl's family when her mother invited him to conduct pujas, hoping these would cure her paralysed husband. It was on this excuse he started frequenting their home and allegedly raping her since she was a teenager.

After the woman attacked the swami, he was brought to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College hospital around 12.40 a.m. on Friday night, with his genitals severed almost 90%. A team of medical professionals conducted a plastic surgery on the Swami and he is now out of danger.

NDTV reported that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan praised the woman's courage for taking such a step.

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ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali will plead Pakistan's case at the International Court of Justice against Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The development came after the Pakistan Foreign Office was criticised for its "poor handling" of the case and for its choice of Britain-based Khawar Qureshi as counsel.

The ICJ on May 18 stayed the execution of Jadhav.

The Attorney General said the country s defence against India s case before the ICJ was prepared by the government in consultation with all stakeholders, including the military establishment, Geo TV reported.

He also dismissed criticism on why Pakistan accepted the global court's jurisdiction.

Referring to the Pakistan's March 2017 declaration in relation to the jurisdiction of the ICJ, Ausaf said that the ongoing propaganda on the issue was misplaced.

"The correct position is that Pakistan had signed off to an unconditional declaration to agree to the jurisdiction of the ICJ way back in September 1960. In March 2017, we made a declaration of exceptions reservations, and conditions," Ausaf said.

He said that the original -- 1960 declaration -- was without reservations and exceptions. Pakistan prior to March 2017 had signed up to an ipso facto (by the fact itself) compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ.

"We had become signatory to a declaration of submission to jurisdiction without any exceptions in September 1960."

In March 2017, he said, Pakistan created the firewalls, including the one relating to the security of Pakistan for the first time. He explained that in the present case, the ICJ is not looking at this aspect of the matter.

"They are looking at the Vienna Convention and the optional protocol to the convention. India and Pakistan both are signatories to this. The optional protocol invests the ICJ with powers and jurisdiction to decide disputes between member states."

"If we were to withdraw this declaration, we would have to go back to 1960 declaration which gives jurisdiction without exceptions," he maintained.

The TV channel also reported that Qureshi was paid 50,000 pounds for the case. However, the Indian lawyer charged only one Indian rupee for his services.

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BARABANKI/NEW DELHI -- Former Aligarh Muslim University scholar Gulzar Ahmed Wani will walk out of jail after 16 years with an Uttar Pradesh court today acquitting him of the charge of having orchestrated the Sabarmati Express blast in 2000 that claimed nine lives.

Additional Sessions Judge in Barabanki, MA Khan freed 43-year-old Wani, a suspected Hizbul Mujahideen operative, and co-accused Mobin in the case due to lack of evidence, defence counsel M S Khan, who represented Wani, said over phone.

Wani, who was arrested by Delhi Police in 2001 allegedly with explosives and incriminating materials, is a resident of Peeparkari area of Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) and is lodged in a jail in Lucknow.

The blast was carried out on the eve of Independence Day near Kanpur when the train was on its way from Muzaffarpur to Ahmedabad, claiming nine lives and leaving several others injured.

"The court of Additional Sessions Judge M A Khan acquitted both the accused of all the charges as the prosecution could not establish any of the charges levelled against them," the lawyer said.

A case was registered by the Uttar Pradesh police at GRP police station, Barabanki for the alleged offences of murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, waging war, collecting arms and conspiring to commit offences against the country under the IPC.

Charges were also filed against them under the Indian Railways Act and Explosive Substances Act.

Ten other cases were also registered against Wani. Out of the 11 cases, he has been exonerated in 10 as he has either been acquitted or discharged, the lawyer said.

In one case, Wani was convicted and sentenced to 10 years jail for carrying explosives to trigger a blast in Delhi.

However, the Delhi High Court had suspended his sentence.

The Supreme Court granted bail to Wani in April this year observing that he has suffered incarceration for over 16 years and has been acquitted in nine out of 11 cases lodged against him.

The apex court had said that Wani would be released on bail from November one on set terms and conditions of the trial court irrespective of the completion of the trial.

Wani was pursuing PhD in Arabic from the AMU when he was arrested from Delhi on July 30, 2001. The arrest was made in connection with explosives recovered in Delhi.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had on August 26, had denied bail to him, saying, "Release of such persons would adversely affect the interests of the society."

Wani had challenged the high court order before the apex court which had last year directed the trial court to expeditiously examine the material witnesses in the case in six months.

The prosecution had alleged that the accused had hatched a conspiracy in May 2000 at Habib Hall, AMU, to carry out a blast in the Sabarmati Express on August 14, 2000. Charges were framed against him in July 2001.

Advocate Khan had argued that in the absence of any material to prove a meeting of mind which is required for proving conspiracy, the accused deserve acquittal as there was no independent material or evidence to prove that any meeting was held at Habib Hall in 2000.

"Since there was no independent material or evidence to prove that any such meeting at Habib Hall held in 2000, so the question that the same was called or attended by Wani or other accused does not arise," he had said.

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