Actress, dentist, mother in first all women racing team

Agencies
July 8, 2018

Coimbatore, Jul 8: An actress, a dentist, a mother of two: Females from all walks of life have joined forces to form India's first all-women racing team, which expectedly ‎turned heads in the opening round of the JK Tyre National Championship.

Six women, including actor Manisha Kelkar and dentist Ritika Oberoi‎, became part of history when they drove the Formula LGB cars at the Kari Motor Speedway over the weekend, just a fortnight after they spotted an online post on a talent hunt conducted by former national champion Sarosh Hataria.

"An odd women on the grid has become usual but I had been wanting to create an all women team to take on the boys. Having females in motorsport is seen as more of symbolism than substance. I want to change that perception," Hataria told news agency.

Ahura Racing is the name of the team which came to being after Hataria handpicked 12 women out of 190 who sent in their entries for the talent hunt organised here.

Six took part in the opening round while the other six have been kept on standby and could get to realise their dream during the four round championship.

‎They have a long way to go before they compete with drivers from opposite gender but a chat with them makes it clear that these multi faceted females are in it for the long haul.

"I had never seen a race track until two weeks ago and I have just taken part in ‎the national championship. It is a dream come true. And I am sure with time we will get there," Manisha, who is the daughter of reputed screenwriter Ram Kelkar, told news agency.

Like most of them, Manisha has taken time off work to pursue her passion.

"It has been a crazy two weeks. I have left shooting and come for this. Balancing racing with my acting career will be tough‎ but surely worth a shot," said the 32-year-old, who has worked in Hindi and Marathi films.

Diana Pundole and Natasha Shah are the two mothers in the 12-member squad. They did not get to race this week but are ready to wait for their turn.

"It has been one of the best two weeks of my life. Going forward I know managing things will become tougher but I have the full support of my family back in Pune," said Pundole, who is a pianist as well as a painter.

Nothing comes cheap in motorsport and even at the level where these feisty females‎ are trying to make their name, a season would cost the team about Rs 80 lakh.

Team owner Hataria just about managed to arrange funds for the first round and is now trying to secure the future.

"My mother always wanted me to do this. I am in it for the long run and ready to spend my own money for as long as I can. We would need sponsors if we need to carry on. I am confident we will find a way out somehow. I thank JK Tyre for doing its bit," added Hataria.

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Agencies
February 7,2020

Kochi, Feb 7: The younger brother of noted playback singer K J Yesudas was found dead in the backwaters near here, police said.

The body of 62-year old K J Justin, who had reportedly gone missing from his house in Thrikkakara near here on Tuesday evening was found floating in the backwaters near Vallarpadam Container Terminal on Wednesday, they said.

The relatives identified the body, police said adding it was later sent for autopsy at General Hospital here.

A General Hospital spokesperson said the body was handed over to his relatives on Thursday evening after autopsy was performed.

The funeral is expected to be held after the arrival of Yesudas from abroad, police sources said.

Police said the initial investigation suggested it was a case of suicide.

According to police, Jusin's relatives have informed the investigation team that he had been showing signs of suicidal tendency for the last one week as he was allegedly facing some financial problem.

His relatives were not available for comments.

Son of the renowned musician late Augustine Joseph, Justin is survived by his wife.

Justin had been a regular presence at popular ganamela programmes here in the past, sources said.

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News Network
July 14,2020

Los Angeles, Jul 14: US officials on Monday found the body of "Glee" actress Naya Rivera in the Californian lake where she drowned last week during a boat trip with her four-year-old son.

Rivera's body was retrieved and an initial examination found no evidence of foul play or suicide, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub told a press conference.

"We are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera," said Ayub, pointing to the location, appearance, clothing and condition of the body.

Her body was being taken to a medical examiner's office for a full autopsy and confirmation of her identity from dental records, though no other missing persons have been reported at Lake Piru, he added.

Rivera, 33, is believed to have accidentally drowned after renting the boat with her young son at the camping and recreational hotspot around an hour's drive northwest of Los Angeles.

She vanished on Wednesday afternoon, and a massive search involving divers, patrol boats and helicopters was launched after her sleeping son was spotted drifting alone in a boat on the lake.

The son later told investigators that Rivera had helped him into the boat before "he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water," said the sheriff.

Ayub pointed to the lake's strong currents as a possible cause of a fatal accident.

"The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting -- it was unanchored -- and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself," he said.

The lake has been closed to the public since Wednesday, with around 100 personnel, including the US Coast Guard and rescuers from neighboring counties, joining the search.

Search teams used footage from video messaging calls Rivera made from the boat before her disappearance, as well as interviews with her son, to scour portions of the lake bed for her remains over six days, with no success.

"We believe she was concealed within some of the shrubbery on the floor bed of the lake" before eventually floating to the surface due to natural decomposition, said Ayyub.

With less than one foot (30 centimeters) of visibility underwater in daylight, the recovery operation was a "complex search effort" even with use of sonar equipment, he said.

Rivera was best known for her role as high school cheerleader Santana Lopez in "Glee."

She starred for six seasons in the wildly popular musical television series set in a US high school that ended in 2015.

The "Glee" cast has been struck by tragedy before.

Actor Mark Salling took his own life in 2018, weeks before being sentenced for possession of child pornography.

Canadian castmate Cory Monteith died in July 2013 of an overdose of drugs and alcohol.

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News Network
June 6,2020

Indore, Jun 6: An FIR has been registered against television producer Ekta Kapoor and two others here in Madhya Pradesh on charges of spreading obscenity, hurting religious feelings, and improper use of national emblems in her web show 'Triple X season 2', police said on Saturday.

The FIR also mentions about a particular scene which allegedly portrays the Indian Army's uniform in a highly objectionable way, an officer said.

Besides Kapoor, the FIR names director of the web series Pankhudi Rodrigues and screenwriter Jessica Khurana, said Annapurna police station inspector Satish Kumar Dwivedi.

The complaint was lodged on Friday night by Valmik Sakaragaye and Neeraj Yagnik, both residents of Indore.

"Ekta Kapoor's OTT platform ALTBalaji streamed (erotic) web series 'Triple X season 2' which not only spread obscenity but also hurt religious feelings of a particular community," Dwivedi said quoting the complaint.

A scene in the web show portrayed the Indian Army's uniform in a highly objectionable manner and also disrespected the national emblems, he said.

Kapoor and others have been booked under sections 294 (obscene acts and songs) and 298 (Uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person) of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology (IT) Act, and the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005, Dwivedi said.

Mumbai-based Ekta Kapoor is the founder of ALTBalaji, which is owned by her production house, Balaji Telefilms.

Further investigation is underway, the police officer said.

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