Bihar family waits for Aamir Khan to tell its 'Mountain Man's' story

February 24, 2014

Aamir_KhanGahlaur, Feb 24: Bhagirath Manjhi and Basanti Devi, son and daughter-in-law of a man who single-handedly carved out a road by cutting through a hill in Bihar, are living in abject poverty. They now hope actor Aamir Khan, who visited their village for his TV show 'Satyamev Jayate', will tell the world the real story of their lives.

Both Bhagirath and Basanti are disabled and live in penury at Dasrathnagar Dalit tola near Gahlaur in Gaya district, about 100 km from state capital Patna.

"I heard that a hero is coming to our village soon. We will tell him the real story of our lives full of misery," Bhagirath said in Magahi, a local dialect, in reference to Aamir Khan's proposed visit to see the road and meet the villagers.

Dasrath Manjhi had single-handedly carved out a 360 feet long, 30 feet high and 30 feet wide passage by cutting through a hill near Gahlaur with a hammer and chisel, working day and night. He died in 2007 after a battle with cancer.

The hill was between Attari and Wazirgunj blocks in Gaya district. Thanks to Manjhi, the village blocks have been brought closer. Manjhi began his uphill work when his wife was injured and he had to go around the mountains to reach the nearest hospital.

Basanti, who said she was proud to be the daughter-in-law of Dasrath - popularly known as "Mountain Man" - said she will request Aamir Khan to telecast their real story to the world.

"We have been left in the lurch, ignored by politicians and officials despite repeated assurances to help us," she said.

"We have been neglected by the state government and the district administration. No one has helped us to ensure a better life for us."

What pains her is that she and her husband beg for money for an annual ritual in memory of Dasrath.

Bhagirath and Basanti work in the village primary school as cooks for preparing the mid-day meal for children. Both of them are paid Rs.1,000 a month.

Aamir Khan reportedly said he will visit Dasrathnagar to dedicate this season's first episode of 'Satyamev Jayate' to Dasrath Manjhi. The episode, set for telecast March 2, will be dedicated to a man who made the impossible possible with his hard work and dedication.

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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
July 12,2020

Mumbai, Jul 12: Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter Aaradhya have tested positive for coronavirus, confirmed Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday. However,  veteran actor Jaya Bachchan has tested negative for the virus.

"Smt Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Daughter Aaradhya Abhishek Bachchan have also been detected positive for Covid-19. Smt. Jaya Bachchan ji is tested negative for Covid-19. We wish the Bachchan Family to get well soon with a speedy recovery," Tope tweeted.

As per Assistant Municipal Commissioner Vishwas Mote, the rest of the family members - Jaya Bachchan, daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda and her children Agastya and Navya Naveli - have tested negative for COVID-19.

On Saturday, legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan and son Abhishek Bachchan took to social media to confirm that they have detected positive for coronavirus.

The 'Sholay' actor is reported to be in a "stable" condition with "mild symptoms."
The 77-year-old has been admitted to the isolation unit at Mumbai's Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital.

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News Network
July 21,2020

Mumbai, Jul 21: Police have recorded statements ofthree psychiatrists and a psychotherapist as part of their probe into the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput last month, a senior official said on Monday.

Their "statements were recorded over the last three- four days" by the Bandra police who are probing the case, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone IX) Abhishek Trimukhe.

The late actor was consulting these mental health professionals and hence their statements were recorded as part of the ongoing probe, police said.

Rajput was undergoing treatment for depression since November 2019, they said.

Rajput, 34, was found hanging in his suburban Bandra apartment on June 14 in what the police claimed was a case of suicide. In the initial investigation, the Mumbai police had found that the actor was under medication for depression.

So far, the police have recorded statements of over 36 people, including director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bollywood casting director Mukesh Chhabra, actress Sanjana Sanghi and Rajput's friend Sandip Singh, among others.

Rajput's friend, actor Rhea Chakraborty, has also given her statement to the police.

Filmmaker Aditya Chopra recorded his statement in connection with the case at the Versova Police Station on Saturday.

Rajput starred in films such as 'Shuddh Desi Romance', 'Raabta', 'Kedarnath' and 'Sonchiriya'. But his most prominent role came as cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the biopic, 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story'.

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