Aug. 16-31-2010 4

IS IT A CRIME TO MARRY AN INDIAN WOMAN???WHY DO INDIAN WIVES BLACKMAIL AND EXTORT???

M. Thomas, Oklahoma, U.S.A.

D Y PATIL HOSPITAL OFFERS FREE TREATMENT TO POOR AND DOWNTRODDEN

Sreekumar Menon

At a time when charity is missing and hospitals are keen on adding revenues, D Y Patil hospital at Nerul is offering free treatment to poor and the downtrodden. The hospital does not charge patients for case paper, bed charges, consultation, nursing etc. They also provide hygienic food for them at concessional rate of Rs 21.In the wake of monsoon,

several patients are suffering from dreadful diseases like Malaria, Dengue, and Swine Flu, and at a time when the private hospitals are focusing on adding revenue, the role played by D Y Patil hospital is worth appreciating.The hospital has 1200 beds and is offering special service to the poor. They are treating patients across the country for critical illness at minimum charges. Even major surgeries are done for free or minimum charges under the government scheme.It is now for the people to take full advantage of the service provided by this fully equipped and prestigious hospital at Nerul.

Bijesh Joseph, a Nerul resident of Lenyadri CHS Plot No. 47/1, Sector -19A, died in a road mishap on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway recently. Bijesh, (28) was along with his father

NERUL RESIDENT DIES IN ACCIDENT NEAR LONAVLA

Shivshankar Tower, Airoli gets municipal water after 3 years

The residents of Shivshankar Tower were a dejected lot as they were getting water supply through tankers only for the last 3 years. However, things have changed now as NMMC have laid temporary connection after its residents fought with the builder and the authorities for 3 l o n g y e a r s . T h e w a t e r connection was given to them af te r the res idents had

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K M MATHEW NO MORE

Chief Editor of Malayala Manorama, K M Mathew, passed away at his resident in Kottayam district on Sunday. He was 93. The media doyen is survived by sons Mammen Mathew, Philip Mathew, Jacob Mathew and daughter Thankam Mammen.

He graduated in economics from Madras Chris t ian College and joined Malayala Manorama as managing editor and general manager in 1954. After the death of his elder brother, he took over the reins of the group and under his leadership; it emerged as one of the foremost media houses in the country.

VKS Menon Sub Editor

The rising number of cases where women file false dowry cases and blackmail husbands of crores of rupees and property, as well as abetting husbands to commit suicide; shamelessly taking advantage of biased laws is simply atrocious. This “marry and extort or abet suicide of husband” business is fast turning into one of the biggest extortion scams in India.

Some of India's irrational criminal laws have helped women commit crimes without consequence all across the nation. If section 498A-h a r a s s m e n t l a w a g a i n s t husbands is a lottery jackpot for Indian wives; then section 306-abetment of suicide law against husbands is even better, along with section 309-punishment for attempted suicide, a penal provision most unworthy of human society. All three laws are frequently being used to extort from husbands. The recent case of a septuagenarian father who took his own life to “save” his son and other tortured husbands is a prime example of the ridiculousness of such penal provisions.

Prasanta Kumar Ghosh blamed his suicide on his daughter-in-law's threats to slap

false torture charges and demanded a law to protect husbands and in-laws in such a predicament. “My daughter-in-law is responsible for my death. I take the decision to end my life only to save thousands of husbands and their family members from the hands of cruel women like her,” the retired government employee in Hooghly's Mogra wrote in a neatly folded three-page note he left behind in his shirt pocket. Ghosh's daughter-in-law was allegedly involved in an extra-marital affair with a cop in the area. “But neither me nor my son could protest as she threatened every day that she would lodge a complaint against us under section 498A,” wrote the 71-year-old. “I know my letter will reach a judge one day. I would like him to consider my case. If there is a law like 498A to protect wives from husbands and in-laws, there should also be a law to protect husbands from the hands of cruel women like my daughter-in-law,” wrote Ghosh.

In another case, Bangalore based techie Ashish Goel committed suicide after his wife allegedly threatened him with a false dowry harassment case if he does not pay 1 crore to her. Knowing that the marriage laws are heavily loaded against a

man, Ashish killed himself by hanging at his BTM Layout residence leaving behind a suicide note which clearly implicated his wife in his death. Ashish got a call from Ruchi on June 20 in which she apparently demanded Rs. 1 crore from him failing which she would file a dowry harassment case against him and his family. This threat acted as the trigger for Ashish committing suicide. Interestingly, the Mico Layout Police inspector refused to register a suo motu case against Ruchi despite the suicide note clearly holding her responsible for the suicide. Incredulously, he said he would book even a dog if a woman files a minor complaint against it.

If a married woman even complains of harassment due to any reason, immediately the husband and his family are thrown behind bars without any investigation under Section 304B and 498A of the Indian Penal Code. This bias exists against men despite the fact that every year almost double the number of married men commit suicide compared to married women as per official suicide statistics from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). NCRB records say that from 2005–2008;

Mathew was awarded Padma Bhushan in the year 1988. He served as the Chairman of Press Trust of India, President of Indian Newspaper Society and chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulation among others.

With his death, the country has lost one of the stalwarts in the field of media.

Sreekumar Menon

223,167 married m e n h a v e c o m m i t t e d suicide vis-à-vis

submitted an undertaking to the civic body that they would put forth documents required for procuring OC. The builder, Shivshankar Builders and Developers, had not facilitated them with water and they had to buy water from outside. Though in the initial stages, the builder paid for the water bills, they refused to pay later. Apart from the high cost, the tanker water was so contaminated that many of the dwellers had taken ill. The secretary of the ad-hoc committee

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An inspiration for the media worldThe sudden loss of K M Mathew, one of the pioneers in

the field of media has left a huge vacuum. The media doyen was also known for his management skills, social involvements and above all, the humanitarian approach he possessed. This economics graduate from Madras Christian College emerged when the Malayalam press council was in search of new avenues. He joined Malayala Manorama as managing editor and general manager in 1954. Later, after the death of his elder brother, he took over the reins of the Manorama group and under his leadership; it emerged as one of the foremost media houses in the country. His strategy and hard work not only took his own establishment but the entire media in Kerala to new heights. It was because of his contribution the media in Kerala has grown to international standards. His understanding and experimentation in giving equal importance to values and professionalism helped Malayalam media to achieve the status it has now. Undoubtedly, Malayalam media today is second to none and the man who made this possible is not amongst us today. During his tenure, he saw to it that he gave enough space in the news paper for all the criticisms against him which were written by people who did not support his views and thoughts. He never expressed his annoyance of being criticized and always stood bravely to face the competition in the media world. Not only he supported healthy competition, but also helped his competitors when ever they were in trouble as he had considered the entire media world as one. He always had the courtesy to understand and resolve the problems of people who approached him for help. He was the eighth child of his parents and his autobiography Ettamathe mothiram (Eighth ring) was very well-received. He has occupied several posts like the chairman of Press Trust of India, president of Indian Newspaper Society and chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulation. Mathew was awarded the Padma Bhushan apart from the several awards he received. Self confident, duty bound and at the same time humane, his life was a huge success. The vacuum created by him won't be easy to fill. He was and will remain an inspiration for the entire media world.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL : TORTURE - NEW TECHNOLOGIES

New types of electric shock e q u i p m e n t s a r e b e i n g developed for use by police and prison officers. A US company now markets an electric shock belt, a belt worn by the captive, so that incapacitating shocks can be inflicted from a distance by the officer in control . Although the company insists that this belt is safe, “as long as it is not used for officer gratification or punishment” it also states. “if you were wearing a contraption around you waist that by the mere push of a button in someone else's hand could make you defecate or urinate yourself, what would that do to you from the psychological standpoint?”Governments often deal with

the effects of misuse of new security equipment products only after they are generally a v a i l a b l e , i n s t e a d publishing all available medical research and ensuring in advance that they are safe to use. A new prisoner restraint, “rigid handcuffs,” Which use a rigid bar between the cuffs, was introduced into the UK in 1993. By October 1995 there had been 546 official complaints of injuries including nerve damage, bruising and fractures. Since UK police offer training courses to police in many other countries, their use of such devices is of international significance. Reports persist of deaths and injuries caused by chemical irritants used during internal security operations. Many police forces now use CS gas in canister from, and are supposed to follow strict instructions on to use. H o w e v e r , A m n e s t y International frequently finds that CS gas is misused, usually by being forced into confined spaces from which people cannot escape.

At least 135 people were reportedly injured, some seriously, when police fined CS canisters into buildings at the University of Zimbabwe, including the canteen, lecture Thea t res and ha l l s o f r e s i d e n c e f o l l o w i n g demonstrations by staff and students in June 1995. A closer look at the gas canisters revealed that they had been made by companies in South Africa and the U.K.Amnesty Inter-national has opposed the use of any form of tear-gas in confined spaces since 1988, When US made tear-gas was tried into Palestinian Schools, Clinics, Mosques and Homes by Israeli Soldiers. More than 40 people-mostly children, the sick and the elderly were reported to have died after tear-gas inhalation between December 1987 and June 1988. Amnesty International expressed public concern over the reported misuse of tear-gas and the Israeli army Chief of Staff Subsequently admitted. “In very isolated incidents it I happened that people died of plastic bullets but that happened also, by the way, from rubber bullets and even to those who in haled gas.”

IS IT A CRIME TO ......

118,345 married women. In India, it is easy for any

woman to t e r ro r i ze and blackmail her husband and her husband's family under section 498A. In 1983, section 498A was inserted into the penal code - it says: Whoever, being the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine. In practice, cruelty is taken to include the demanding of a dowry. This section is non-bailable, non-compoundable (cannot be privately resolved between the parties concerned) and cognizable (the police can arrest the accused without investigation or warrants) on a report from a woman or her close relative. It is handled under the Criminal law for marriage related matters and not under Civil Laws. It does not require proof or investigation before arrest. Accused is presumed guilty until proven innocent. Another example of a cognizable law in India is the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA).

Police often file charges

against the husband, his parents and other relatives or whoever that is being named on the complaint by the wife or her close relatives; and put them in jail. Often times after years of legal harassment of the innocent husband, it is proved in court that the case is false and the husband and his family members are acquitted. But what happens to the wife who files the false charges? There is NO penalty, not even a fine for filing the false case. The very next day she is free to blackmail the husband and file a fresh false case and have him arrested again. This is a classic example of an illogical and stupid law that is frequently being horrendously abused by many women causing tremendous harm to the social fabric of the country.

In urban India, the majority of husbands have inadequate knowledge of section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The Malimath committee in 2 0 0 3 p r o p o s e d m a k i n g amendments to this section although such amendments have been opposed by women's groups and radical feminists. The Centre for Social Research

India released a research report opposing amendments to section 498A. According to this report, in the studied cases there were no convictions based solely on section 498A. The report however states that 60.5 percent of the studied cases were falsified. They also state that many people believe the law has been abused by "educated and independent minded women." A police official asserted that in his district, one-third of dowry murder cases were found totally false by the police. However, on December 17, 2003, the then Minister of State for Home Affairs, I.D. Swami said: “There is no information available with the Government to come to the conclusion that many families in India are suffering due to exaggerated a l legat ions of harassment and dowry cases made by women against their husbands and other family members involving them in criminal misappropriation and cruelty.” On 20 July 2005, Justices Arijit Pasayat and H.K. Seema of the Supreme Court had to declare Section 498A as constitutional as it did not go against the constitution, although it was subject to blatant misuse. The bench stated, "The object is to strike at the root of dowry menace. But by misuse of the provision a new legal terrorism can be unleashed. The provision is intended to be used as a shield and not an assassin's weapon. If the cry of "wolf" is made too often as a prank, assistance and protection may not be available when the actual wolf appears".

The husbands mostly targeted under this law are usually doctors, scientists, engineers, & successful

businessmen. These people are threatened by unscrupulous wives to shell out crores of rupees as compromise amounts or find their names alongside terrorists or drug smugglers. This seems to be turning into an organized crime with the modus operandi of hook a rich man, marry and then legally extort. NRIs from the US are a favorite target. A number of US men who have come to India to marry Indian girls have been arrested and charged with false crimes related to dowry extraction when the wives don't quickly get an immigrant visa to travel to the United States. The Indian courts normal ly conf i sca te the American's passport, and he must remain in India until the bogus case has been settled which could take a few years or even a decade. Finally the frustrated US citizen ends up paying large sums of money usually in crores of Rupees to his wife in exchange for dismissal of charges and the freedom to travel back to the US.

Such laws are nothing but an infringement of a human being's basic human rights. Even friends of the husband could be named and arrested on a complaint, which can also include pregnant women and children. Old innocent parents have to live with the horror of investigations and demands by the police attending courts and being manipulated by their daughter-in-law and family for the rest of their lives. Many cases are filed because the

husband refuses to throw his parents out of the house leading old parents to commit suicide for being falsely accused. Women also misuse these laws to speed up divorce proceedings even if no dowry was demanded. 498A case can be filed even after a divorce, so that the ex wife can blackmail or demand more money legally apart from maintenance. What is shocking is that when the case is proved to be false, there is no punishment for the wife. It is nearly impossible to complain or sue the wife for failing a false case because the police will not register the case and it would be hard to prove it.

Yes there are dowry deaths in rural areas but that is because of poverty and underdevelopment. But there needs to be laws with checks and balances. Biased laws that can be misused in urban areas will cause the social infrastructure will collapse which will in turn have an unfavorable impact on the country's society and economy. If the law still can't curb dowry deaths, can't even stop misuse, then what is the use of such a retrograde law that causes millions of innocent husbands to live in fear of their wives? In democracy, law making is a public exercise and the Constitution does not just require just a legislative procedure but framing of laws which are just fair, reasonable and acceptable to the society at large. As for India's section 309- attempted suicide law, it is the weirdest law in the world. It is also a legal anomaly where an attempted act is punishable while a successfully committed act is not!

Tejvinder Kaur – He resigned to simply save

h i m s e l f f rom the humiliation a n d punishment. Even if he didn' t do anything he might have

thought that he doesn't want to be a coach for a team who does not have faith in him. He didn't want to explain himself neither defend himself. So he simply resigned.Sanjog Gurav - There can be only two possibilities to this

issue. Either the players were actually victimized or t h e e n t i r e allegation is a crap. In a country like

'India' where the cultural values come before life, it is a l m o s t d r a m a t i c a l l y impossible for girls to complain for no reason. No player would want to trap a

MK Kaushik, the coach of I n d i a n w o m e n ' s hockey team was blamed w i t h allegations of mainta in ing s e x u a l

relations with the team members. The students united and came ahead to report against him. They said that the treatment was getting intolerable and to save t h e m s e l v e s f r o m f u r t h e r mortification and to protect their future they had to voice their complain. Immediately MK Kaushik denied the allegations and said he was innocent. Hockey has always been in the news for the wrong reasons, but this time the news shocked the country. A teacher trying to be physically intimate to a student is absolutely unacceptable by us. The Indian culture discourages such acts. As the investigation continued, videos came up which showed the coach in a compromising position with one of the students. Just one day after the allegations were made, a resignation was given by the coach himself. His resignations alarmed many minds. Let the law take its own course and let the public judge this incident.

Shivshankar Tower, .........

cont page of 1Nerul resident...........Joseph Chacko (60), friends Saajan Ausep (39) and Sailesh Kumar (32). They were on their way to Pune, when their Innova car fell into a ditch full of water near Lonavla. Joseph, who worked with a private firm, was a resident of Lenyadri society in Nerul and is survived by his wife Francy and 8-month old daughter Agnes. His father is a contractor with the Indian Navy. Joseph had sold his house in Pune recently to Ausep, owner of hotel Seawoods and all of them were on their way to Pune to complete the legal formalities. Ausep who was on the wheels of Innova could not control the vehicle when the car hit an Alto which was

Aug. 16-31-2010

Plot No. 26, GUTS No. 42, H. No. 2At Sukhapur Navi Mumbai

ahead of them and applied sudden brakes. The car hit the Alto and plunged into the ditch. Due to heavy rains, there was heavy flow of water in the ditch where the car fell. Joseph died on the spot as he was sitting behind the driver's seat and had major skull injury. His body was brought to NMMC hospital in Vashi, while the others were taken to a hospital near Nigdi and were reported to be safe. Joseph's last rites performed on 2nd august 10 at Nerul cemetery which was attended by friends & relatives as well as leading politicians and other nerul residents A complaint has been registered at the Nigdi Police Station in this regard.

OPINION POLL ON HOCKEY

said that they would now focus on procuring the OC from the civic authorities. Sanjay Desai, executive engineer of the water supply department says that the decis ion to give water connection to the residents was part of the civic body's tanker free mission for Navi Mumbai. He also said that the residents s h o u l d a p p r o a c h t h e

Once again Sunny News steps out to know what the locals of Navi Mumbai think on this issue.

coach. So there is absolutely no doubt that the shameless coach is the culprit. Vaibhav Narula – Hockey

b e i n g o u r national sport should be kept clean and out o f t h e s e controversies. In order to avo id these

activities the concerned authority should be held responsible for it. The central government should start taking sports seriously and take strict action. All corruption in the sports field should be kept under check. Jeenal Vyas - He is obviously guilty otherwise he wouldn't

have resigned. Just to get out of danger he immedia t e ly resigned and p r o v e d otherwise. If he was telling the

truth he should have proved it.

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