Maharashtra politician Pankaj Parakh buys himself a golden shirt worth crores for 45th birthday

August 9, 2014

Mumbai, Aug 9: James Bond's rival had a golden gun. This school dropout is acquiring a golden shirt that weighs four kilograms and costs a staggering Rs.1.30 crore ($214,000).

But then, Pankaj Parakh, a school dropout who made his fortune from his garment fabrication business and who is a corporator to boot, is no stranger to opulence. Whenever he ventures on to the streets in Yeola, 260 km from Mumbai, women stare at him and men glare at him as he is adorned with gold jewellery weighing at least two-three kg.pankaj parakh gold shirt

Now, at a special function on his 45th birthday Friday, Parakh will wear his latest acquisition at a huge gathering that will include the likes of Maharashtra tourism minister Chhagan Bhujbal of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and around a dozen legislators of different parties and celebs.

With the shirt and its seven gold buttons, Parakh hopes to enter the Guinness World Records and the Limca Book of Records.

"Gold has always fascinated me since I was five years old and studying in school. Over the years, I have become passionate about this royal metal. I have got this special shirt stitched to mark my 45th birthday this Friday," said Parakh.

The shirt was designed by Bafna Jewellers of Nashik, 85 km away, and meticulously executed by Shanti Jewellers at Parel in Mumbai, where a team of around 20 select artisans spent 3,200 hours over the past two months to 'stitch' it.

Parakh, who took delivery in Mumbai, offered a sneak peek of his treasured shirt and even wore it for a darshan of the city's famed Siddhivinayak Temple before posing for some pictures near the temple, while curious onlookers watched from a distance.

He said that the gold used in the shirt is of 18-22 carat purity, without any mixture of any other metals - and the entire deal is properly accounted for (an assurance to snoopy tax sleuths!).

Though made of gold, the shirt is fully flexible and comfortable, absolutely smooth and harmless and with a thin cloth lining the inside to avoid rubbing the body.

Besides, it can be washed and hung-dried, and if torn or damaged, can be repaired and modified with a lifetime guarantee of durability, Parakh said.

Recounting his love for gold, Parakh said that in his youth, he could not afford much as he left school after Class 8 and plunged into the family garments business in Yeola, a town of some 60,000 where he is an NCP corporator.

"Yet, for my marriage 23 years ago, many guests considered me an embarrassment as I sported more gold than the bride," he recalled with a chuckle.

Over the years, after taking care of all his family's needs - a good house looked after by wife Pratibha and higher education for his two doting sons Siddharth (22) and Rahul (19), both now in college - Parakh likes to plough back his excess income to finance his passion for acquiring a gilded edge.

"My family is hardly impressed or interested in my love for gold. They just ignore and accept it as a part of domestic life. But the rest of my extended family thinks I am weird," Parakh laughed.

Parakh remembered that when the family attends weddings, he adorns himself with around three kg gold ornaments while his wife looks stark with her 40-50 grams!

"In public, when I go around Yeola, or meet my constituents, I get extreme reactions - some say I flash my wealth, others feel I am poking fun at people's poverty, though women are usually silent observers," he smiled.

However, he felt that though there are many wealthy people in the country, it is his passion for gold - and sheer guts, bolstered by his licensed revolver - that makes him wear so much of the precious yellow metal.

After launching his independent garment business in 1982, he also plunged into politics and has been an elected corporator since 1991.

Yeola is renowned for its Paithani silk saris and the Shalu and Pitamber varieties of saris, considered nationally-recognised brands.

However, despite all the glitter of gold, Parakh turns out to be a genuine, down-to-earth and caring human being, deeply involved in a variety of social and educational activities.

For instance, he has fully financed 120 polio operations in the past five years through the renowned Narayan Seva Sansthan Hospital of Udaipur in Rajasthan.

"I spend at least a week each year to offer voluntary services at the 1,000-bedded hospital, the biggest and best for polio treatment in India. I also arrange for any requirements of the poor patients like food, medicines, surgery and blankets, from which I get immense satisfaction," Parakh said.

Last year Datta Fuge, a businessman from Pimpri-Chinchwad, entered the Guinness World Records with a gold shirt costing Rs.1.27 crore - a record that Parakh hopes to break this year.

Other prominent 'gold men' in Maharashtra include Jagdish Gaikwad of Navi Mumbai (Thane), who rarely ventures outdoors without 3-4 kg gold and the late Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader from Pune, Ramesh Wanjale, and to a certain extent, Guinness Record holder and famed music director Bappi Lahiri of Mumbai.

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Comments

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coastaldigest.com news network
August 7,2020

Udupi, Aug 6: Three people including police personnel entered a well and rescued an elderly woman who had accidentally fallen into Udupi on Thursday.

A police sub-inspector and two others got down into a well and rescued the elderly woman, who accidentally fell into well at near her home at Kukkikatte.

The locals immediately alerted to police and fire and rescue personal.

Udupi town police sub-inspector Sadashiva Govroji, fire and rescue staff Vinayaka and a local Auto-driver Rajesh Nayak got into the well and brought the woman out safely.

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News Network
May 12,2020

Bengaluru, May 12: Last week, a 28-year-old, eight-months pregnant woman, was found murdered at her house, in Diburahalli. The woman was hacked to death with a machete during the day and was discovered only after her family members returned home, later in the day. After the alleged murder, the accused tried to destroy the evidence, by cleaning the crime scene, and wiping the bloodstains off the walls and floors.

The victim was a homemaker and her husband is employed in the railway department. The police suspected that the murder was a result of someone known to the woman and family, and were soon proved right. The woman was murdered by her own brother-in-law, frustrated with her for allegedly not taking care of his mother and other family members properly.

The victim has been identified as Jyothi, and the accused is her husband’s brother Hareesh Babu, 38. “Jyothi and the accused are alleged to have had differences for the past few years. Their fights kept escalating over the years. She had also informed her family and her husband about the regular fights with the brother-in-law. The accused had been advised by the family, to back off from Jyothi. Owing to his violent streak, Babu’s wife had deserted him and their son. Since his wife’s departure, he had started troubling his brother’s wife and was regularly picked a fight with her.

He complained that Jyothi neglected to take care of his mother and other family members. Investigations reveal these as false allegations, and in fact, Babu’s son was being raised by Jyothi,” said an officer on part of investigations.

Last week, when the victim was resting at home, the accused returned home at around 10.30 am and picked up a fight with her. The fight escalated and Babu ended up hacking her to death with a machete. The victim’s father Nagaraj, at the time of filing a complaint, mentioned Babu’s regular fights with Jyothi and suspected his role in the murder of his pregnant daughter.

The accused, after killing her, had gone to the farm and pretended to not knowing about the the happenings back home. Based on the complainant’s suspicion, the police picked up Babu. After a thorough interrogation, Babu reportedly confessed to the murder of his sister-in-law. The machete, which was used for Jyothi’s murder, was also recovered by the police team.

A case of murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered and further investigations are underway.

Comments

abdullah
 - 
Tuesday, 12 May 2020

Put this case in fast track and hang him immediately.  No mercy should be shown on such inhumans.

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News Network
July 17,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 17: The Karnataka State Board of AUQAF has ordered that management committees at Muslim Khabarastans, shall not refuse burial to Muslims died due to COVID-19.

"...in exercise the powers conferred under Waqf Act 1995, it is hereby ordered that management Committees/Muthawallies/Administrators responsible for the management of Muslim Khabarastans in the state of Karnataka irrespective of registered or unregistered in the Waqf, shall not refuse the burial of Muslims died due to COVID-19 pandemic," read an order from the Karnataka State Board of AUQAF on Thursday.

"They shall co-operate with all the Nodal Officers designated for this purpose regarding the decent burial. Non co-operation or refusal on the part of the management will be construed as an insult committed to the deceased. Any violation of the above order will attract the punitive provision of Indian Penal Code and removal from the management as per the provisions of the Waqf Act 1995," the order read.

It further said that the Waqf Officers, District Wakf Advisory Committees of the state, shall ensure the adherence of this order, and circulate the same to all the Khabarastan managements, registered or unregistered in the state.

"No further deliberation in this regard is solicited except compliance of the order in letter and spirit. Any dereliction in this regard will be viewed seriously," it read.

Giving a background on the issue of burial of COVID-19 deceased, the order read, "It is observed that, number of deaths are being occurred in various Districts of Karnataka, due to COVID-19 pandemic and it is reported that, some of the management committees of Khabarastan, are not cooperating to bury the dead bodies of COVID-19."

"A decent burial is a right of the dead person" as per the law of the land and the Islamic jurisprudence. It is needless to emphasize the importance of burial of Muslim dead bodies in Shariah. The dead body of a Muslim is treated with the utmost respect by the Ummah, joining in the funeral (Tadfeen), participating in the Namaz-e-Janaza and the burial are considered as Farz-e-Kifaya in Muslim law. According to the tradition of Islam, the person who participates in the funeral is entitled to Mountain sized reward (Sawaab)," the order read.

As per the order, the board, in its earlier circular had also cautioned the management of Waqf institutions and Khabarastan which were reluctant to allow the decent burial in the Khabarastan would be punished under the provisions of Indian Penal Code and the punitive provisions of the Waqf Act 1995 as well.

"The District Magistrates and the Superintendent of Police in the districts have been requested to prosecute the erring management committees who are responsible for non co-operation in this regard. Hence, the following order," it added.

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