Porsche wins in Paul Walker wrongful death case

April 6, 2016

Los Angeles, Apr 6: A federal judge rejected a wrongful death lawsuit that blamed automaker Porsche for the Santa Clarita crash that killed Paul Walker and "The Fast and the Furious" star's close friend Roger Rodas in 2013, according to court documents.

paulUS District Judge Philip Gutierrez determined that Kristine Rodas — the widow of the driver of the Porsche Carrera GT — provided "no competent evidence" that the German automaker should be held responsible for the crash that killed her husband and the actor.

Her suit alleged the Porsche's suspension failed before the November 30, 2013, crash, reported Los Angeles Times.

A Porsche representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the judge's ruling.

Both Walker, 40, and his friend Rodas, 38, died within seconds of the fiery crash from a combination of traumatic injuries and burns, coroner's officials determined.

The ruling does not affect wrongful-death suits brought last year in Los Angeles Superior Court by Walker's father and daughter Meadow, who was 15 when her father died.

Both of those suits claim the car manufacturer ignored safety regulations when loading the 2005 Carerra GT with an engine capable of speeds up to 205 mph.

Jeff Milam, Meadow Rain Walker's lawyer, issued a statement saying her lawsuit is different from Rodas' widow's suit because he was killed instantly in the crash and Walker was not.

"He survived the crash but was trapped and burned to death because of the vehicle's defects," Milam said.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of the actor's daughter alleges a defective seat belt kept her father trapped alive for more than a minute in the Porsche before it became engulfed in flames.

The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed last September 28 also alleges the car had a lack of electronic stability control and inadequate side door reinforcement bars.

Authorities have said that high speed was a factor in the crash. Electronic information retrieved from the burned-out car's computer systems determined that Rodas was driving the sports car at speeds between 80 and 93 mph when the vehicle smashed into a pole and a tree.

Walker starred as undercover Los Angeles police detective Brian O'Conner in the 2001 film "The Fast and the Furious" and five sequels.

The Glendale native, who grew up in Sun Valley, was in the midst of filming "Fast & Furious 7" at the time of his death.

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May 30,2020

California, May 30: Priyanka Chopra Jonas on Saturday shared a gorgeous sunkissed selfie sporting cherry lips and beaded dangler earrings.

The multi-talented star who owns a production house put out a morning selfie on Instagram wherein she is seen sporting a white collared top, flaunting her cherry red lips and dangler earrings as she embraces her peach glow in the sheer sunlight, while her shiny curls bounce the sunshine.

Along with the picture, the 'The Sky Is Pink' actor wrote, "A cherry lip and sunshine...maybe even a earring...I'm feeling adventurous."

On sharing the gorgeous selfie, the Chopra received heaps of praises from fans and celebrity followers, and the post reached more than 1.9 lakh likes including one for Sussanne Khan.

Model Masaba Gupta also chimed in the comment section and adored the beauty of the 'Baywatch' star writing, "Stunning" with a heart emoticon.

Currently, the actor is quarantined in her California house along with singer and husband Nick Jonas and has been quite active on social media.

Earlier, Priyanka recalled her parents' service in the Indian Army as America observed Memorial Day, and the 37-year-old actor dug out an old picture of her parents in uniform and posted it on Instagram.

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March 5,2020

Bihar, Mar 5: A complaint has been filed before a court in Bihar against lyricist Javed Akhtar over his remarks on the FIRs being registered against expelled AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in the wake of Delhi riots.

The complaint was lodged on Wednesday by Amit Kumar, a local advocate, before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Thakur Aman Kumar.

On the basis of a newspaper report, the complainant has alleged that Akhtar's remarks were seditious and promoted religious hatred.

The media report was based on Akhtar's tweet of February 27 that "So many killed, so many injured, so many houses burned, so many shops looted so many people turned destitute but police has sealed only one house and looking for his owner. Incidentally, his name is Tahir. Hats off to the consistency of the Delhi police."

The violence in northeast Delhi claimed at least 42 lives and left over 200 injured. The former Rajya Sabha member was heavily trolled for the tweet.

In a subsequent tweet, Akhtar who asserted that he is a non-believer and a rationalist, had clarified that he was not asking "why Tahir but why ONLY Tahir and not even an FIR against those who have openly threatened violence in the presence of the police".

The matter is likely to come up for hearing on March 25.

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February 3,2020

Feb 3: Actor-cum-activist Swara Bhaskar on Sunday targetted the Central government over granting Padma Shri to Pakistan-origin singer Adnan Sami who became an Indian citizen in 2016.

Addressing "Save the Constitution, Save the Country" rally here in Madhya Pradesh, Bhaskar said that passing the new citizenship amendment act tantamount to "betrayal" of the Constitution.

Sami, born in London to a Pakistani Air force veteran, applied for Indian citizenship in 2015 and became a citizen of the country in January 2016.

He was one of the 118 people chosen for the Padma Shri awards by the Centre last month.

"The legal process to grant citizenship to refugees and arrest infiltrators already exists in India. You (the government) have granted Indian citizenship to Adnan Sami and now selected him for Padma Shri through that process. (If this is the case) What is the need and justification for the Citizenship Amendment Act?" Bhaskar asked.

"On the one hand you abuse us (anti-CAA protesters), cane-charge us, slap us, hurl teargas shells at us and on the other hand you award Padma Shri to a Pakistani," she said

Bhaskar said the government labels some people as the members of "tukde-tukde gang" and anti-nationals" as per its convenience.

"Supporters of the CAA and the NRC keep harping about the so-called infiltrators having entered our country. If that is the case then why are we unable to see these intruders?" she asked.

"The problem is that they have intruded into the minds of the government and the ruling party," she said.

Bhaskar said the government seems to have "fallen in love with Pakistan".

"It sees Pakistan everywhere. My devout grandmother doesn't chant Hanuman Chalisa as often as this government keeps chanting the Pakistan mantra," she said.

Without naming the RSS, the actor said, "Sitting in Nagpur, these people are spreading politics of hatred".

Bhaskar said Pakistan chose to become a religious nation after the Partition in 1947 unlike India which opted to become a "secular republic where one's religion has nothing to do with citizenship".

"(Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali) Jinnah died a long ago, but his admirers want to divide the country again in the name of a religion," Bhaskar said.

She criticised BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya for his controversial remarks about the 'presence' of Bangladeshi infiltrators in Indore, after some labourers were found eating poha and not rotis.

"If poha is Bangladeshi cuisine, then Kailash Vijayvariya, who grew up eating poha (in Indore), should be required to show his Indian citizenship papers," she demanded.

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