Who’s that girl with Akon

At Sahar Airport, all eyes were on the R & B singer, as he waded through the crowd to step into a plush, black car. Akon, as we reported yesterday, is in india to perform for a poultry baron’s private show in Pune.

Post that, he will return to Mumbai.

But notice the woman sitting next to him. While accompanying Akon to wherever he is headed, why is she shying away from shutterbugs? Is she a band-member, Akon’s girlfriend, a relative who has come all the way to cheer him? Or is she just planning to tag along when the singer goes to meet Shah Rukh Khan? Anything’s possible.

Nilesh Wairkar

22 customs officers busted with bar girls not obscene, says HC

Two years ago, names and photographs of 22 Customs officers were plastered all over newspapers following a raid by the Lonavala police at a bungalow where these men were caught dancing with bar girls and in possession of pornographic material.

On Wednesday, all these men were exonerated of the charges of obscenity by the Bombay High Court which ruled that watching pornographic content or participating in consensual lewd behaviour within private confines cannot be construed as obscenity.

Customs officers and bar girls (right) caught at Taj Cottage in Lonavala (above) in August, 2008

The officials had been allegedly found watching former bar dancers from Mumbai, in various stages of undress, gyrating to popular Bollywood numbers, imbibing liquor without permit and watching pornographic films at a bungalow at Lonavala by the local police. Police had also charged them with possession of intoxicants and consuming alcohol without permit. The raid, following home minister RR Patil’s ban on women dancing in bars, had led to the said officers being sent on punishment postings.

On the night of August 25, 2008, these officers finished their night shift at Sahar international airport and decided to party for the next 48 hours. To this end they contacted a certain Hussain alias Antariksha to organise a bash for them at Lonavala.

Antariksha allegedly booked five bedrooms at a privately-held bungalow, Taj Cottage, and also hired former bar dancers for two days by paying Rs 20,000 to their agent. But hours after the revelry began the police raided the bungalow like proverbial party poopers.

Since then, these men have been fighting to salvage their reputations and their career. Senior counsel Adhik Shirodkar, appearing for them along with advocate Rajendra Shirodkar and Sameer Vaidya, argued that there had been no public exhibition and whatever activities took place at the bungalow were for private viewing of the persons who were in the bungalow.

It was also contended that none of the accused were selling or letting or hiring or distributing or publicly exhibiting or circulating the obscene film. Further, it was also submitted that the petitioners/accused were not involved in the process of production, distribution and exhibition of obscene films; and private viewing of the same by the petitioners at a private place on personal computer does not constitute an offence.

This was contested by assistant Public Prosecutor S A Shaikh who claimed the bungalow rented was a lodge, therefore a public place and hence it could be said that the accused were publicly exhibiting the obscene film. But the court relied on the statement of one of the witnesses who stated that he'd bought the said bungalow just four days before the raid and was in the process of repairing it so there was no question of the property being rented out to the public at large.

One of the officers exonerated on Wednesday told this newspaper: "While family and friends stood by me, the department deserted all of us. We were transferred out of Mumbai almost immediately after the case, without our guilt being proven in a court of law. We hope that at least now the department will take cognisance of the development."

Curious incident of a groping doc in the night-time

Ulhasnagar’s Central Hospital is grappling with the strange case of a phantom doctor who visits the female ward only at night and disappears without a trace.

The Central Hospital at Ulhasnagar Navneet Barate

Several female patients in the 200-bed hospital have complained of being woken up in the middle of the night and being groped by the stethoscope wielding man in the ruse of an examination.

Despite the hospital authority’s attempts at catching the man red-handed, he has managed to give them the slip so far.

“For over a week now we have been receiving complaints from the female wards about an unknown doctor disturbing them at night,” said Janardhan Nimbhore, resident medical officer, Central Hospital, Ulhasnagar.

“This doctor visits the wards between 12 am to 3 am when the female patients are fast asleep. He is well-dressed, has short, neatly-cropped hair, wears spectacles and carries two mobile phones. He also carries a stethoscope,” said Nimbhore.

A patient in one of the affected wards confirmed the developments. “In fact only last night there was chaos at midnight as a man who looked like a doctor misbehaved with a patient and ran away,” she said.

The phantom doctor strikes at a time when none of the hospital doctors are doing their rounds, clarified the resident medical officer, adding that house doctors finish their rounds well before midnight.

The hospital had twice set up traps for the intruder, but he managed to disappear before the guards could reach the spot. “As it is a female ward the hospital does not have any CCTV cameras in the three wards where he has struck so far. But we have now decided to install cameras at the doors of these wards,” said Nimbhore.

“The hospital has requested for five female constables and some armed police men,” said an officer from Ulhasnagar’s Central police station, adding, “From Monday we will deploy our officers in the female wards at night. We hope to be able to catch the culprit soon.”

Anurag takes on Big B for film delay

Goes ballistic on Facebook alleging that Amitabh Bachchan stalled the release of Chittagong to benefit Abhishek’s KHJJS. AB refuses to dignify his comments

Anurag Kashyap’s reputation often precedes him. The filmmaker is known in the industry for candid outbursts against members of his fraternity. But this time, Kashyap has locked horns with none other than Amitabh Bachchan. Kashyap has posted a comment on a social networking site, alleging that Big B is responsible for pushing the release of Shonali Bose’s Chittagong, which is being directed by her husband Bedabrata. The film, like Ashutosh Gowariker’s Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, is based on the 1930 Chittagong uprising, led by Surya Sen and his team of Bengali revolutionaries. While in Gowariker’s film Abhishek Bachchan plays the protagonist Surya Sen, in Bose’s, Manoj Bajpai does. The two films were meant to release around the same time but Gowariker’s reached the theatres first. Reacting strongly against what may have led to the delayed release of Bose’s film, Kashyap has been posting caustic remarks on the networking sites. While these comments reach millions, you wonder why Kashyap has a soft corner for Bose’s film Chittagong, considering he has nothing to do with the project. Meanwhile, Kashyap’s post shockingly reads (sic), “See Chittagong, a far superior film made on the same subject as Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey.. At 1/8 th the cost, far superior actors and immense passion... Producers decided to sit on it, because of a phone call from someone, because that someone was trying desperately to save his son’s career... welcome to Bollywood, where whose son you are outshines all the hard work and passion and potential and talent. KHJJS came and went, now what?” Moreover, Kashyap has been telling his friends that Chittagong, which was to release on October 26, is on the same subject as Ashutosh Gowarikar’s KHJJS. Unaware of Kashyap’s remarks, writer-producer-director of Chittagong, Bedabrata Pain, said, “Anurag is known to be a very frank and fearless person. I am very honoured that people like he and Vishal Bhardwaj have thrown their weight behind the film. The last thing I want is controversy. Some time ago, I lost my 16-year old son and right now, my priority is my 12-year old son. I want people to come and see Chittagong. Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey has come and gone. The story is yet to be told.” Big B, it seems is quite irked as well. When asked if he had indeed made a call to stall the release of Chittagong, Bachchan said, “This is incorrect and baseless and I do not wish to dignify this undignified remark by commenting on it.” Big B may want to rethink that after reading what Kashyap finally told us. “About my Chittagong status, I was furious. Some of my team members saw the film KHJJS and walked out. Then you realise what a f****** industry we work in,” said Kashyap.

Back together

Indian cricket team’s ace spinner is on his way to South Africa as you read this.

But before leaving for this particular tour, Harbhajan Singh spent some quality time with his ex-girlfriend Geeta Basra. Yesterday, the spinner and the actress were spotted entering a five-star suburban hotel together.

The picture speaks a thousand words. Obviously, the two have kissed and made up.

Harbhajan Singh with Geeta Basra (Manav Manglani)

An eyewitness present there said, “Harbhajan and Geeta are together. Since Bhajji is going for a long overseas tour of tests and five one-day iternationals in South Africa, the much in love couple decided to spend some quality time together.

Both of them entered in the same car but when they spotted a photographer, Geeta Basra decided to feign ignorance. Pretending to not know Bhajji, she started walking in the opposite direction.”

This photographer did manage to click them, not without a warning from Bhajji though.

Mumbai Mirror had reported that the couple had parted ways after Bhajji introduced Geeta to his family. But However after lying low for sometime both of them are now together.”

Let’s hope that Bhajji recreates the same magic on the bouncy tracks of South Africa just as he is currently in his personal life.