The CBI has arrested two Goods and Services Tax (GST) superintendents here in Maharashtra for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh for settling service tax liability of complainant.

A case has been registered against the two superintendents of GST, Pune, under section 120-B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), the CBI stated in a release on Tuesday.

The accused duo had demanded a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from the complainant for settling the Service Tax liability for the Financial Year 2016-17, it stated. The duo were caught when they were accepting Rs one lakh as the first instalment of the total bribe amount, the CBI said. The Central agency then conducted searches at the office and residential premises of the accused superintendents in Pune.

During the searches, documents regarding acquisition of movable and immovable properties, gold jewelleries, cash, computer hard disks and other incriminating documents were recovered, it said. The accused are being produced before special judge for the CBI cases.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested two superintendents posted at the Goods and Service Tax (GST) office for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe.

Those arrested have been identified as Vivek Dekate and Sanjeev Kumar. A complaint was registered against two under Section 7 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The two accused were produced before the Special CBI Judge, who remanded them to three-day CBI custody.

The officers were caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from the complainant. The amount has been recovered from their possession.

The complainant alleged that the accused demanded Rs 3 lakh in order to settle the service tax liability for the financial year 2016-17. Further probe is on.

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The Bihar police and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad have detained a 19-year-old from Chakan on Thursday, after his name was revealed by two other youth arrested last week with a list of serving defence and paramilitary officers. ATS officials have found sensitive documents in his possession and claim that he recruited people for a terrorist group.

The police have identified the detained youth as Shariyat Mandal from West Bengal. Bihar police last week arrested two youth from Patna junction, named Kairul Mandal and Abu Sultan, both Bangladeshi nationals. From the duo investigative agencies procured a list of defence and para military personnel and where they are posted. The duo later revealed the name of Shariyat.

An ATS official said, "Shariyat was detained from MIDC's Chakan where he was working as a labourer at a construction site with a fake name. He was given the task of recruiting cadres for the terrorist group Islamic State of Bangladesh. He is an Indian and hails from West Bengal."

On Thursday, the Bihar police approached a Pune court to get Shariyat's transit remand, based on which he will be taken to Bihar for further investigation. Sources said Shariyat and the arrested duo are members of the banned organisation Jamat-Ul-Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) and Islamic State of Bangladesh (ISBD).

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A Pune-based group that rescues trekkers or retrieves bodies of people who have died in trekking accidents, were in for a surprise when they were called to rescue a cow. On March 31, the NGO Shivdurg Mitra, Lonavala, received a call on its helpline, saying a cow had fallen into a 12-feet deep stone quarry near Vaksai chawl close to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, near Lonavala. Its calf was roaming in the area calling for its mother.

The rescued cow with her calf

Also Read: Five stray cows die of cold in Uttar Pradesh

Speaking to mid-day, Sunil Gaikwad from Shivdurg Mitra, Lonavala, said, "Our team member, Ajay Shelar, received the call. We immediately rushed to the spot to rescue the cow."

The rescue team first checked if there were any injuries on the cow's body, but were happy to not find any. "Rescuing a small animal like a dog or cat is an easy job. But, a cow, which on average, weighs more than 500 kg, is not an easy task. Four of our volunteers, Pranay Ambure, Sagar Kumbhar, Vikas Mavkar and Anil Andre went into the quarry. They tied ropes around the cow, and the team stationed above pulled her out of the quarry while those inside helped push her out," added Gaikwad.

The members told mid-day that as soon as the cow was brought out, the calf that was desperately waiting for the mother, rushed towards her. The operation took around two hours. NGO members said the cow and calf walked away after the ordeal.

Also Read: Embrace the trekker in you while on a secret trail in the Sahyadris

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In a dreadful incident, five newborn leopard cubs were burnt to death after some labourers set the waste on a field on fire to kill a snake. The incident took place in farmer Gopinath Sakharam Gunge's field at Avsari village in Ambegaon area of Pune district on Wednesday. The labourers were at the last stage of chopping down the harvest.

Watch video: Leopard rescued from 25-feet deep well in Maharashtra

Vivek Khandekar, the chief conservator of forests, said, "The incident happened around 5 am on Wednesday in Junnar belt of the district. The labourers, who were cutting the harvest, came across a snake and planned to burn the waste material on the farm to kill it.

Also Read: Mumbai: Lounging leopard gives Marol residents a fright

A female leopard, who was looking after the cubs, managed to save her life. However, the cubs died along with the snake." He added, "There are chances that the female leopard will now get aggressive following the death of her five cubs, including three female and two male cubs, born around 10 to 15 days back. We have kept cages near the field to trap the big cat to avoid further chaos." The forest department officials said they are in the process of filing the FIR and are awaiting the post-mortem reports of the cubs and the snake.

Also Read: Decomposed body of leopard found at Sanjay Gandhi National Park

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The UPSC exams held in September-October, 2018 declared the results on Friday evening and a total of 759 candidates have been recommended for the appointment.

Trupti Ankush Dhodmise, a resident of Pune holds the 16th rank in the country. She is married and currently serves as an Assistant Commissioner of Sales Tax (Goods and Service Department) with Maharashtra State.

Trupti's parents are school teachers and she holds an engineering degree in a Pune-based college of Engineering. Via post campus placement, she got a job in a reputed company and later in 2014, she cleared the Maharashtra State Public Service Commission (MPSC) to join as assistant commissioner of sales tax.

Trupti told mid-day, “I was expecting to clear this exam as this was my fourth attempt and like the previous two attempts, I only was disappointed in my interview rounds. My husband helped me with my studies and motivated me to do better. My parents and in-laws also supported me.” She also added, “Being a married woman, it helps you to grow stronger and make better decisions in life.”

Nachiket Vishwanath Shelke from Pingale village in Shirur taluka also cracked the examination with 167^thrank all over India. On the other hand, Puja (26) has topped holding the 11th rank in India. She has completed her education in a Delhi-based college and later perused her post graduation in Columbia. She has kept her father, Dnyaneshwar Muley's legacy alive as he is a former Indian Foreign Service officer with the Ministry of External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs (MEA).

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A 26-year-old IT professional from a reputed firm here allegedly hanged himself after naming two colleagues in his suicide note, police said on Friday. Chetan Jayale, who was working in Hinjawadi IT Park, hanged himself at his rented accommodation on Wednesday, an official said.

"We have recovered a suicide note in which he has named two of his senior managers and alleged that he was subjected to mental harassment by them and that is why he was taking this step," a Chaturshringi police station official said.

"On Wednesday, while his room mates went to work, Jayale, who had taken an off from office, remained at home. He then hanged himself," he said. A case has been registered against the two persons named in Jayale's suicide note, he added. "While one official is in UK, the other is working here," he added.

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Unaccounted cash worth Rs 20 lakh was seized from a businessman in Pune by the city police and election magistrate during the wee hours of Friday. The businessman identified as Rakesh Raanchandra Oswal is a resident of DSK Chandradeep, Mukundnagar in Pune. Oswal was heading home in his Verna car bearing number MH-12-J Z-9451 when the cops nabbed him.

A case has been registered against the businessman on Friday with the Swargate police station which falls under the jurisdiction of Pune. The incident came to light after Sachin Prakash Pawar, the election magistrate and the health Inspector attached to Municipal Corporation reported the incident at Swargate police station.

Senior Inspector Ashok Kadam of Swargate police station said, “Various check-posts were put up in the city for elections and vehicles are been checked on a daily basis. The election magistrate Pawar and our sub-inspector Shashikant Degade inspected the car and our team recovered cash worth Rs 20 lakh at Ranka hospital around 3 am on Friday.”

Also Read: Mumbai: Foreign currency worth Rs 2.80 crore seized in Mahim

"When the team detained Oswal who is into the Oil industry, he was questioned about the unaccountable illegal cash to which he claimed that he collected the money from his office and had planned to deposit it in the bank. He further claimed that it was for his business. With frequent changes of his statement, we seized the cash and brought him to the police station. He stated that the money was his annual turnover hence the election officer gave him a week to get back to them with appropriate documents recording the cash. Further investigation is underway and the case will be submitted to the Income-tax department.”

 Also Read: Elections 2019: Jharkhand sounds alert on fake currency use during polls

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The monetary reward for the person providing solid leads about the two wanted suspects in Comrade Govind Pansare's murder case has been increased by a whopping Rs 40 lakh by the state home department.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) leader was killed in February 2015, with one team each in every district of Maharashtra probing the case. Police teams on Saturday began pasting posters declaring the hike in reward money at all major public places.

Also Read: Govind Pansare case: Main accused Virendra Tawde gets bail

The initial prize amount declared by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the informant was R5 lakh which was increased to R10 lakh in February 2016 and has now been revised to Rs 50 lakh, according to the SIT's orders dated Saturday.

Comrade Pansare and his wife Uma were returning from their morning walk in Sagar Mahal, Kolhapur, when two bike-borne persons fired five rounds at Pansare on February 16, 2015.

Also Read: Activist Govind Pansare killing: Bombay HC continues stay on trial against 2 accused

Police teams have begun pasting the announcement posters at public places across the state

The communist was airlifted and rushed to Mumbai for treatment where he died four days later, on February 20. While suspects Sameer Gaikwad, Amol Kale and Mumbai-based ENT specialist Dr Virendrasinh Tawade have been arrested by the police, Vinay Baburao Pawar and Sarang Deelip Akolkar alias Kulkarni are absconding.

After the SIT, investigating the Pansare murder case, issued the orders for increasing the informant's prize amount last month, the Maharashtra police prepared posters declaring this in English, Hindi and Marathi. The whereabouts of the informant will be kept secret, the SIT has assured.

A senior officer who is part of the investigating team said, “The reward is Rs 25 lakh each for information about Pawar and Akolkar. We had received some clues in the past too but those did not lead to anything while probe on those lines is still on too.”

Pansare's daughter-in-law Megha, however, wasn't too impressed with the hike in prize money. “It is too late now but there is some hope. The Bombay High Court too was amused and sceptical of a cash prize leading to clues,” she said. “Do you think people will take you to the accused. For all you know, they might be getting paid more to keep quiet,” the court had remarked at the last case hearing.

Wanted in Dabholkar case too

Pawar and Akolkar, who are associated with the Sanatan Sanstha, are also wanted in connection with the murder of rationalist Dr Dabholkar. Akolkar, who hails from Pune, is an electronic engineer and has been on the run since his name cropped up during the Goa blast case being probed by the National Investigation Agency.

The NIA had even secured an Interpol Red Corner Notice against him in 2012. Pawar, a resident of Miraj in Sangli district of western Maharashtra, was last located in Umbaraj in Karad taluka of Satara district. He has been untraceable ever since.

Also Read: HC: Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare killings are linked

February 16, 2015

Day Pansare was shot dead in Kolhapur

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Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived late Tuesday night and will stay overnight before leaving for Akluj in Solapur district, where he will address an election rally on Wednesday. Modi arrived at the Lohegaon airport were BJP leaders, including the party's Lok Sabha candidate from the city Girish Bapat, sitting MP Anil Shirole and Pune city BJP president Yogesh Gogawale received him.

According to BJP leaders, the PM will stay overnight at Raj Bhavan in Pune and leave for Akluj to address an election rally in the Madha Lok Sabha constituency of Solapur district Wednesday.

Raj Thackeray hits out at Narendra Modi, Amit Shah at poll rally
MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Monday appealed to people to ensure "disappearance" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah from the political scene of the country for spreading "lies" and "causing" communal disharmony.

Addressing a poll rally in Solapur district of Maharashtra, he called the prime minister "shameless" for seeking votes in the name of jawans without acknowledging their sacrifice. In controversial remarks, he asked the people gathered at the rally to accept money if offered to them by those who are "looting" the country.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is not contesting the Lok Sabha elections, but Thackeray has been addressing rallies in support of Congress-NCP-led alliance candidates, who are pitted against the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. "I am here to wake all of you up against the tactics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. "The kind of lies they have spread and caused communal disharmony, you should ensure they both get disappeared from the political horizons of this country," he said.

In a veiled attack on the Shiv Sena, he said, "Those who are helping Modi-Shah should also not be spared. You should not vote for those who help Modi-Shah stay in power." Thackeray, however, did not mention the Shiv Sena, his former party, or any of its leaders in his speech. After showing a video of Modi, where he purportedly claims a trader takes more risk than a jawan, Thackeray said, "The prime minister seeks votes from people in the name of jawans, but makes such remarks about their sacrifice. I have so far not seen a more "shameless" prime minister than him."

"They are trying to fool you by raising non-issues ahead of elections. If they distribute money, accept it. This is the right time to loot them. "You cannot imagine the way our country is being looted by these people, but accept their money and do not look back," Thackeray said.

He claimed Modi and Shah are pushing the country on path of authoritarianism like the current regime in Russia where power is concentrated in the hands of 7-8 people. Thackeray also exposed the Maharashtra government's claim of a village in Amravati district - Harisal - being the first digital village in the country.

However, a video procured by MNS workers shows no digital services such as Internet connection and card swapping for financial transaction, among others, are operational in the village, he said. "What Adolf Hitler did to Germany in 1930s is going to be replicated in India if Modi and Shah return to power," Thackeray warned. Solapur will vote on April 18

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A 23-yr old law student was allegedly attacked with acid while he was talking to his girlfriend because he filed a complaint against youth who passed an objectionable comment on him. The suspect went to a nearby housing apartment and threw one round of acid but he fell down and got trapped in the duck of the building. He later threw another round and also killed himself because of the fear of being arrested.

The injured person has been identified as Rohit Thorat (23) who is a resident of 1620 Sadashiv Peth in Pune.

The injured boy has sustained burns on his neck, shoulder and hand. He was rushed to the hospital and is undergoing treatment at Poona Hospital.

A case of attempt to murder under Indian Penal Code has been registered by the victim's mother at Vishrambaug police station against Siddharam Kalshetty (25) who is a resident of Akalkot.

According to Vishrambaug police, "Rohit is pursuing the second year of Law from Pune based Fergusson Law College. His mother is an astrologer while his father is no more. On Tuesday around 8.45 pm on Tilak road, he was sitting with his girlfriend and chatting. Suddenly, Kalshetty who was on a motorbike threw acid on him and in order to hide he ran inside the nearby building. He had a gun and fired one round on the police but he accidentally fell into the building duck and got trapped."

He added, "It seems that while moving down, the shooter accidentally fell in the apartment duck due to which a team of fire bridge was rushed to the spot. They rescued him at 11 pm but by then he had fired another round and killed himself. The Complainant and the suspect were friends on social media where she received objectionable messages and comment based on which she had lodged a complaint with the police. Kalshetty was arrested in 2018. Recently, he was bailed out in the same case. Prima-facie it seems that the deceased had travelled to Pune on a bike from Akalkot and committed the offence. We are still probing the case."

Also read: Laxmi Agarwal: People finding beauty in an acid-burnt face

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In a bizarre incident, a 60-year-old labourer lost his life after he was trapped under the debris of a well which collapsed near Ganesh Nagar Kolar Vadi in Ambegaon on Thursday night. The police have identified the deceased as Kishan Dhami Gawade (60), a resident of Kolarbadi in Ambegoan, Pune. The local residents along with the police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the spot to rescue the man.

NDRF commandant Pandit Ithape said, "The under-construction work of the well is going on and around 50 feet has been dug. On Thursday, around 7 pm, as it was dark, the labourers inside the well we're moving out. A part of the debris fell on Kishan who was trying to move out."

"We were alerted about the incident and immediately rushed to the spot at around 9 pm. The debris was too huge to be dug out manually. Initially, we used a JCB, but to avoid any injuries to the victim, the jawans thus started digging and around 5 am, we found his body. He was rushed to hospital but was declared dead." he added.

In another incident, in an attempt to take a selfie proved fatal for two youths as they fell into a well in Rajasthan's Sikar district, police. The incident took place in Reenu village of Laxmangarh town when Rajesh Godara and Irfaan were taking a selfie near the well, DSP Brij Mohan Aswal said. The duo died as they slipped and fell into the well, he said. The bodies were handed over to the family members today after conducting postmortem, he added.

Also Read: Mumbai: Aid for kin of three victims who drowned in Vile Parle well

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The motto of the Bhosale family from Pune's Rasta Peth area can be described as `the family that votes together, stays together'. Continuing a tradition, 27 members of the family voted in the Lok Sabha election Tuesday.

While the eldest among them was 95-year-old Parvatibai Bhosale, the youngest was her 26-year-old grandson Niranjan. The family lives in a 'waada', a specimen of old-style architecture for which Pune was once famous. They walked to the nearby polling centre in a procession Tuesday morning.

"We are six brothers, and ours is a joint family. In every election we step out together and exercise our franchise," said 60-year-old Jaysingh Bhosale, himself a former corporator. For the last few days, they were also creating awareness about importance of voting in their neighbourhood, he said.

"The eldest voter in our family is our mother, who is 95 years old. Despite being wheelchair-bound, she makes sure that she casts vote in every election," he said. Parvatibai told PTI that she would be happy if people were inspired by her family and went out and voted. The BJP's Girish Bapat, a state minister, is pitted against Congress' Mohan Joshi in Pune.

An average 46.28 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm in 14 seats of Maharashtra where polling for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections was underway on Tuesday, an official said. Polling began at 7 am and long queues were seen outside several booths.

The Kolhapur Lok Sabha constituency recorded 54.27 per cent voting till 3 pm, followed by Hatkanangale, where there was 52.27 per cent polling, according to the state election office.

The voting figures in other constituencies are as follows: Jalgaon-42.62 per cent, Raver-46.04 per cent, Jalna-49.4 per cent, Aurangabad-47.36 per cent, Raigad-47.97 per cent, Pune-36.29 per cent, Baramati-45.35 per cent, Ahmednagar-45.65 per cent, Madha-44.13 per cent, Sangli- 46.64 per cent, Satara-44.77 per cent and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg- 47.18 per cent.

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At least 100 people from the city will soon be on their way to Bhopal, to campaign against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. Pragya had recently courted controversy with her statements on former Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Chief Hemant Karkare and the demolition of the Babri Masjid. She had claimed to have 'cursed' Karkare, which is why she claimed he was killed by terrorists in the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai.

The Election Commission (EC) has directed the police to file an FIR against Pragya for her remark that she was "proud" of her participation in the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in 1992.

On Wednesday, Mulnivasi Muslim Manch President Anjum Inamdar, former Justice B G Kolse Patil, former IPS officer Suresh Khopade and others came together to form a team of the people who will head to Bhopal next week, along with those were injured and kin of those who died in the Malegaon blast, in which Pragya is an accused. She is out on bail.

'An anti-social element'

Khopade said, "We live in a democracy and want our representative to respect our parliament and work for society. But it seems that Pragya is an anti-social element. We will campaign against her and the BJP for shielding and encouraging such destructive people to breach the peace in society." Their week-long campaign will involve going door-to-door and handing out pamphlets and telling people not to vote for Pragya. Bhopal goes to the polls on May 12.

Inamdar said, "Such people cause hatred between communities. We will make people aware of whom they are going to vote for, and tell them the consequences of that." Kolse Patil said, "Her statements speak about the way she is going to handle work. Why is no action being taken by this government against her when it usually files cases against such statements?"

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The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha-Metro) found two mysterious tunnels on March 26 at Swargate in Pune while carrying out its underground work for laying the metro rail line. On Thursday, it was revealed that the tunnel is more than a century old and was built by the Britishers for water management. The spot was inspected and two channels were found to be 57 metres in length, six feet in height and closed at both ends. It was assumed that the tunnels must have been a water treatment plant built by the British governing agencies.

After the tunnels were discovered, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) along with a historical expert visited the site due to which the work was stopped for some time. However after a through references of the documents and thesis from the government, the ASI has given no objection notice.

Vilas Vahane, the assistant Director of ASI told mid-day, "Our team inspected the site and discovered the Regional Plan for Pune Metropolitan Region document which consisted references of the tunnels by the Pune Metropolitan regional planning board. The tunnels belong to the British era between 1908 to 1915 and are around 109 years old. Such a reference is found in Chapter VIII of the book of the Public Utility Service on water supply."

The PRO of Maha-Metro said that they have received a NOC regarding the construction and the work has not been affected.

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A 48-year-old dentist from Satara was killed in an accident, when he rammed into a truck, while cycling on the Pune-Satara highway on Saturday. The deceased, identified as Sandeep Shivram Lele, was a well-known runner, cyclist and swimmer.

According to Tejaswini Satpute, superintendent of police, Satara, the incident took place on Saturday morning, when Lele was cycling on the highway. "During our initial investigations, we were told that he was hit by a moving truck," she said. However, eyewitnesses claimed that he rammed into a stationary vehicle. Satpute added, "We are still investigating the incident, and a case will be registered after that."

Also Read: Pune: 32-year-old cyclist on way to rally killed in car mishap

Lele sustained injuries to his neck and was rushed to Yashwant Hospital in Satara, but was declared dead on arrival. He is survived by his wife, Dr Namita Lele, a gynaecologist, and 15-year-old son, Parth.

News of his untimely death has shocked the running community in Maharashtra. Lele was the founder of the Satara Hill Half Marathon and ambassador for H2O Run-Half Marathon. He also competed in several marathons, including the Comrades' Marathon-South Africa 2014, Gold Coast Marathon and Zurich Marathon.

Nikhil Shah, a friend and co-runner, said, "I have known Sandeep since 2013. He was very passionate about cycling and running, and would spend a good part of his weekend on the road." Dr Sandeep Kate, who co-founded the Satara Hill Half Marathon, said that Lele had been preparing for the Ironman Triathlon. "On Saturday, too, he was training along with his friend, when the incident took place. He was an inspiration, and his death is a huge loss for us."

Cyclist dies of heart attack in Pune

In a separate incident, a Pune-based cyclist and trekker Yashodhan Natekar, 35, died of a heart attack at Sinhagad fort on Saturday morning. Natekar had travelled to the fort on his bicycle, and was climbing up the fort, when he collapsed. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was declared dead.

Also Read: Mumbai crime branch solve three-year old murder case

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The story revolves around a rich business Yash running a successful business in Switzerland.He falls for a gorgeous Model and soon they are married.While husband showers and pampers his wife with all the love and riches and is keen to start a family, little does he realise that they are not on the same page. The model is an ambitious woman willing to sacrifice love and family for her career. His world comes crumbling down when he spots his wife cheating on him. What follows is a chilling narrative of betrayel after betrayel that forces the husband to not take it any more. He seeks his revenge but destiny has something else in store for him. In a dramatic turn of events Yash is killed and buried alive by his wife alongwith her boyfriend. After killing Yash as they eye his properties and plan a clean exit they are caught in a web of haunting spectacles. Yash had promised to come back sseeking his revenge. Main Zaroor Aaunga’s narrative will keep the audience glued to their seats. The film unlike typical horror film does not seek to scare with gory scenes instead creates chill against the cold snowy backdrop. It is pleasing to the eyes with beautiful scenes but at the same time they will be on their edge of the seat as the story unfolds

Unfriends is a film that revolves around rape, cyber crimes. It is a story about a middle class man named Veer (Sahil Akhtar) is who hopes to start his own business and is in search of an investor. Vijay (Nafe Khan), son of a minister, becomes friends with Veer through Facebook and decides to invest in his startup company. To celebrate their new venture, the two of them head off to Lonavala. While on their way, they meet a girl named meet Mouli (Mousumi Biswas). After spending time, Vijay takes advantage of her and rapes her. Veer, then, jumps in to save Mouli and the two escape from there. Vijay, who hails from an influential family, becomes the talk of the town over the huge controversy. Veer makes sure seek justice for Mouli and keeps his career on hold. Amid this, the politicians make sure to make life a living hell for Veer and Mouli. Veer even accepts Mouli as his life partner. Will Veer get justice for Mouli? This is how the story heads ahead.

It is a true story of a Dacoit named "Shakuntala" of Bihar district Madhubani. It is a true tale of bravery, suffering, hatred, love, violence, power & injustice against women in rural India. The main attraction about this film is that the narrative of this Woman Warrior Shakuntala will be essayed by the original Dacoit Shakuntala herself through her eyes and in her own voice in the movie "Bandit Shakuntala". She was born in a very small village of Bihar in India to the lowest caste. Enduring cruel poverty, Shakuntala survived the humiliation of being poor and helpless. But she decided to study hard for making her life better. During which she was kidnapped and raped by a rich powerful man of the same village when she was just 12 years old. After which she tried to get Justice with her family which they failed to receive. Shakuntala was made to suffer a series of terrifying ordeals as a result of pleading for justice against the man who raped her. She was forcefully married to a old man by her uncle. Shakuntala ran away. Later her uncle also killed her father brutally for a little piece of land. The uncle also helped the rich man to rape Shakuntala once again on the day of "Holi". After that she was horrifyingly ganged raped by 30 man. She was kept in jungle for 10 days without clothes in which these men raped her again and again just because she asked for justice. One day a man called "Nadeem" saved her. This guy who belonged to a Bandit group. He took her along. He taught her everything to become a Bandit. Shakuntala became BANDIT SHAKUNTALA. She delivered justice to all low-caste women and rape victims and stole from the rich to give to the poor, before negotiating her surrender on her own terms. A khaki uniform-and-bandana clad avenger of outrages by high caste against low, and by men against women and for loosing all her loved ones. Throughout her years of imprisonment without trial, Shakuntala remained a beacon of hope for the poor . She had over 33 cases on her but none of them were proved due to lack of evidence and that's how she was released out of jail. Then she started with a new journey, the journey of a social worker. Now to serve the society not through the barrels of a gun but through peace, love & retribution.

Even after 70 years of Independence, there is a segment of our society which has not freed from Its narrow-minded mentality. It's a segment of male dominating society which consider women inferior to men and make them deprived of the respect they deserve for. Women is the mother of a society and a good society can never be made without respecting women. There are women in society who decide to fight for their rights. ‘Astounding Courage In Distress’ is the story of such a girl Ruhana, who doesn't loose her hope in adverse conditions and fight bravely for her rights and achieve her target. Ruhana becomes a role model for society. Ruhana, born in a poor Muslim family of Pratapgarh, is a lovely daughter of her parents. Her parents want to educate her so that she can be successful in life. Ruhana is also a hardworking girl. The small family is very happy but one day Abbu (Ruhana's father) dies in a accident. A big struggle starts for the family. Poverty has become a nightmare for them. Ruhana gets the news that her school has organized a race with a prize money of Rs 5000. Ruhana registers her name for the race. She hides this from her mother, Shabana because she won't allow Ruhana to participate in race because of board exams. Abhishek is the sport teacher in Ruhana's school and he is training all participants for this race. Abhishek is very hard at rules. He gets impressed by Ruhana’s hardwork and trains her specially. Meanwhile, Bilaal, a distant relative of Ruhana, comes to India from Dubai for watching a Property. Bilaal is sad for the death of his cousin brother and helps his family in this tough time. Ruhana takes Bilaal as father figure. After some time, he goes back to Dubai. Shabana starts working in a shop. She does mistakes and get insulted. Its painful for Ruhana and therefore she gives training to her mother about all products in the shop. This makes Shabana's job very easy. Ruhana takes all responsibilities of family and simultaneously also prepares for race and board exams. Bilaal comes back India and this time he goes with Shabana, Ruhana to watch a girl for marriage. He rejects the girl and Ruhana makes fun of whole incidence. One day, Bilaal is sitting with his friends and they talk about marriage. His friends advise him of marrying Ruhana as they think she loves him that’s why she is coming so close to him. This changes Bilaal’s way of thinking and he keep this proposal in front of Shabana. He also creates problem in Ruhana’s school life. Shabana asks Bilaal to leave them which makes him furious and he decides to take a revenge on them. He also attacks Abhishek in frustration. Shabana and Ruhana forget this all and starts living happily. Ruhana not only comes first in race but also comes top in her board examination. Everything is going good but suddenly something happens which puts a big question on her future, her dreams, her life. An Acid attack which burns not only her body but also her dreams. Her future depends only on her strong determination. Will the double standard hypocrites of society survive the willpower and strong determination talented girl?

“We need to just understand the management of water for our "Present and Future”. This is a story of about Rohan (Abraam Pandey) and Pooja (Jashpreet Kaur) who are eager to learn about rain water harvesting in college. They set out to adopt the idea of conserving water. While they do face a lot of obstacles, they overcome it all eventually. The story and dialogues are penned by Shravan Kumar Rathore.

Reel &amp; Motion Pictures and Dushyant Corporation’s <em>The Hundred Bucks</em> (A) is the story of a call girl. Mohini (Kavita Tripathi) is a call girl who solicits clients in an auto rickshaw driven by Abdul (Dinesh Bawra). Abdul needs money to pay the school fees of his child. Mohini promises to give him money for the fees but as luck would have it, she doesn’t find any client for a long time. A lady police inspector first has sex with Mohini but doesn’t pay her anything. After that, an MLA has sex with Mohini but again, for free. Mohini now goes to her lover but there, she kills one of his men when he tries to rape her. She runs away from there. Then, she meets a noble man who takes her for a night out but pays her Rs. 3,000 without seeking her services. Mohini pays Abdul Rs. 1,700 for his child’s fees the next morning. Vishnupriya Singh’s story is asinine. M. Saleem’s screenplay is also stupid and doesn’t add up to much. The drama goes on and on without really arriving at anything. M. Saleem’s dialogues are commonplace. Kavita Tripathi does a fair job as Mohini. Dinesh Bawra lends decent support as Abdul. Zaid Shaikh and the others are ordinary. Dushyant Pratap Singh’s direction is terribly weak. Music (Santokh Singh, Dushyant Pratap Singh and Indrani Bhattacharjee) is weak. Lyrics are barely functional. Yogesh Singh’s camerawork hardly deserves separate mention. Hardik Shaikh’s editing leaves a lot to be desired. On the whole, <em>The Hundred Bucks</em> is a poor show all the way and will, therefore, flop.

The film 'Haunted Hills' revolves around a honeymoon couple. The wife dies accidentally, and her soul remains in a painting that she leaves incomplete.

Arjun Kapoor has always appreciated eclectic content. The actor, who runs his own digital property Arjun Recommends through which suggests great content for people to binge on, is currently gorging on yesteryears acclaimed TV show Byomkesh Bakshi played by actor Rajit Kapur.

For Arjun, this show is like a whiff of nostalgia from his childhood. He says, “Whenever I could catch Byomkesh Bakshi as a kid, I remember I enjoyed it thoroughly. For me, Byomkesh was what a hero should be. Slick, super-intelligent, and charismatic, he is one of the best sleuths that I have seen on screen! I have been watching Byomkesh on TV again and it is pure nostalgia for me!”

Arjun lists his reasons why he loves this indigenous super-detective. “The best thing about Byomkesh was that he solved intelligent crimes and that really hooked me on. The writing, the cleverness of the cases really got me interested. The show still hooks you thoroughly and that’s what great writing, great acting can do. Great content has the ability to become timeless and universal,” he adds.

Arjun secretly wishes to play a detective on screen. “Since then, I had always wanted to play a detective who saves the day and saves lives. I got to live my childhood dream by playing an undercover agent and saving the country in India’s Most Wanted! I still hope I get to play a detective on-screen one day!” says Arjun.

Also Read: An overwhelmed Arjun Kapoor wishes a frontline doctor on her birthday as she pens an emotional note

Anil Kapoor and Sunita Kapoor seem to be enjoying the lockdown with indoor games and he makes sure to get as much exercise in as possible. Being a fitness enthusiast, he makes sure to get his daily dose of workout in even during leisure hours. With nothing much to do during the lockdown, he engaged in a fun round of carrom with his wife, Sunita Kapoor.

Anil Kapoor took to his Instagram to share a couple of pictures where Sunita and Rhea Kapoor candidly capture the moments. Anil, Sunita, Rhea, and Harshwardhan Kapoor are at their house in Mumbai while Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and Anand Ahuja are in Delhi. Take a look at the pictures that Anil Kapoor posted.

 

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And the winner is.... Me (Obviously)! ⁣ 1 ???? : @kapoor.sunita ⁣ 2 ???? : @rheakapoor ⁣ ⁣ #quarantinegames #chasingthequeen #candids #stayhomestaysafe

A post shared by anilskapoor (@anilskapoor) on May 7, 2020 at 7:47am PDT

On the work front, Anil Kapoor will next be seen in Karan Johar’s multi-starrer magnum opus, Takht.

Also Read: Disha Patani, Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kunal Kemmu are all smiles during their virtual reunion!

Varun Dhawan and Natasha Dalal have been dating each other for years now and had even spent their New Years in Switzerland. The couple is usually spotted together on vacations and family functions while their fans have been rooting for them to tie the knot for quite some time. Varun Dhawan fans are aware of how he’s a UFC enthusiast and even had the opportunity to meet some of the fighters last year.

With Natasha Dalal turning a year older today, Varun Dhawan had the sweetest birthday wish for her. he posted a picture of them from one of their vacations along with a picture of Natasha and her pet as she celebrated the birthday under quarantine. The caption reads, “Happy birthday ???? nata. I choose you over the ufc ????”

Take a look at the pictures.

 

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Happy birthday ???? nata. I choose you over the ufc ????

A post shared by Varun Dhawan (@varundvn) on May 7, 2020 at 11:38pm PDT

On the work front, Varun Dhawan is currently awaiting the release of Coolie No. 1 where he will be seen sharing the screen space with Sara Ali Khan for the first time.

Also Read: Tiger Shroff flaunts his melodious voice with ‘Theher Ja’ and Varun Dhawan is floored

Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan shared the screen space for the first time in Piku and had become very close friends through the course of this Shoojit Sircar directorial. The film that explored a father-daughter relationship in its truest forms has completed 5 years of its release and this time, it comes with a sad note as Irrfan Khan, who played a pivotal role in the film, passed away a few days ago.

The entire industry mourned for this loss and now, Deepika Padukone bids a teary farewell to her friend with the lyrics of one of the film’s songs, ‘Lamhe Guzar Gaye’. The movie will always hold a special place in our hearts for all the right reasons. Deepika Padukone shared an unseen candid picture with Irrfan Khan where they are seen laughing about something. Take a look at it.

 

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लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में पल में रुला दिया पल में हसा के फिर रह गये हम जी राहो में थोड़ा सा पानी है रंग है थोड़ी सी छावो है चुभती है आँखो में धूप ये खुली दिशाओ में और दर्द भी मीठा लगे सब फ़ासले ये कम हुए ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में थोड़ी सी बेरूख़ी जाने दो थोड़ी सी ज़िंदगी लाखो स्वालो में ढूंधू क्या थक गयी ये ज़मीन है जो मिल गया ये आस्मा तो आस्मा से मांगू क्या ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो -Piku Rest in Peace my Dear Friend...???? #rana #piku #bhaskor @shoojitsircar @juhic3 #5yearsofpiku

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on May 8, 2020 at 1:45am PDT

The film could not have had a better casting than Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan, and Amitabh Bachchan.

Also Read: Post Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor’s demise, John Cena shares pictures of the legends on his Instagram

If not for the lockdown, Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan starrer Coolie No 1 would have been playing in the theatres right now. The film directed by David Dhawan is a remake of the 1995 film of the same name starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Sara Ali Khan spoke about her experience working with Varun Dhawan.

Three-film-old Sara Ali Khan worked with Varun Dhawan for the first time. While the trailer of their film has not been released yet, fans are already rooting for this pairing based on the pictures from the sets of Coolie No 1 and the camaraderie shared by the two on social media. Talking about her experience working with Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan said, “I think I had an absolute blast working with Varun. Firstly, I think he knows his job so, so well and he is fully focussed on that, which I think is important when you are on a film set. That side, I think he is very, very supportive as a co-actor. He is superbly friendly and he is a lot of fun. I think I had one of my best experiences so far working with him. He knows how to be professional and serious and we need to give work the importance it needs and deserves, but he is also, in general, a very fun and chill person. So, I think he is one of the only people who I have worked with and actually hang with as well. I really like that about him. He is definitely one of my favourites.”

Watch video here:

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sara had started shooting for Atrangi Re before the lockdown was imposed. Atrangi Re directed by Aanand L Rai also stars Akshay Kumar and Dhanush.

For all of you who do not know, Sara Ali Khan happened to be a great student throughout her school and college days. An alumna of Columbia University, she originally wanted to go to Oxford University to pursue her higher studies, and had a difficult time coping when she did not crack through!

In a conversation with Bollywood Hungama, the actor opened up on being disheartened after the university rejected her candidature. She also recalled how she called mother Amrita Singh and nearly threw a fit. "Mom had gone out with Ibrahim, and suddenly she gets a call from me, howling. And when I mean howling, I don't mean crying in a lady-like fashion. I mean screaming, and crying loudly. She was like, 'what happened? what's going on?' I could not stop crying," she said, adding how her mother got really worried and kept asking her what went wrong. After calming herself down and breathing a little, she informed her mom that she was rejected by Oxford University.

For those uninitiated, Sara's grandfather Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was quite a scholar who studied Arabic and French at Oxford's Balliol College. Sara's aunt Soha Ali Khan went to the same college to study modern history.

Love for Oxford certainly runs in the family!

An EU-funded project has linked scientists with experts in industry to forge partnerships aimed at creating new products to improve the lives of people with dementia. The research is creating tools to help remind people with dementia to undertake the tasks critical to their daily lives.

The fashion industry has been linked to pollution, waste, and modern slavery. In light of this, an EU-funded project led a series of successful experiments designed to spark radical, sustainable change while, at the same time, uniting Europe's textile and clothing businesses.

South African model Anna Modler has given clear indication that she is in lockdown with Chilean footballer Alexis Sanchez.

Rumours of Anna dating the footballer emerged after she shared a picture of her posing next to Alexis's Golden Retrievers, Atom and Humber last month.

Last week, she shared another picture on Instagram with the canines and wrote: "Thank you for stopping me from working out. I agree, it's definitely time to eat."

Commenting on the picture, one of her model friends, Morgan Shelly wrote in South African slang: "Lekker man. Nice to see you're hanging out with your family," to which, she replied: "Thank you Morgan."

Meanwhile, a follower commented: "Isn't love beautiful!! You made Alexis happy. Stay with him."

Another wrote: "Come on!! We all know you Alexis girlfriend. Post a photo with him already."

Interestingly, neither Alexis, 31, nor Anna, 22, follow each other on social media, but Anna does follow the Instagram account of the footballer's pets.

Alexis and Anna were first pictured together at a train station in Wilmslow, United Kingdom, last August before the former Arsenal star left Manchester United.

However, her identity was a mystery then.

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Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery's ex-girlfriend Sacha Wright, 35, has told British tabloid, The Sun that he blamed her for his sacking last year.

Unai, 48, who joined Arsenal on May 2018 on a two-year deal, was sacked by the team management in November last year, following a poor run. Sacha claimed that Unai called her a "white witch" and blamed her for his team's failure.

"I trusted Unai and believed we would get married and have kids. I thought he was a gentleman and a family man. But in the end I realised he was not ready for a serious relationship," said Sacha, who first dumped Unai in September only to take him back in December.

"It was then that he blamed me for getting him the sack. He said I was a white witch as I brought him bad luck. He said the team began losing the day we broke up," said Sacha, who finally left Unai in March.

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Former Manchester United star Marouane Fellaini was discharged on Tuesday after spending more than three weeks in a Chinese hospital being treated for coronavirus. The 32-year-old midfielder, the only player known to have contracted the disease in the Chinese Super League (CSL), will now spend 14 days in quarantine for further observation, his club Shandong Luneng said.

The Belgium international said on March 22 that he had tested positive for the virus, having just returned to China, but assured fans that he was feeling fine. Fellaini posted videos of himself on Instagram exercising in his room while in hospital in the eastern city of Jinan. In an Instagram update on Tuesday, he wrote: "The time has come for me to thank from the bottom of my heart the medical staff of the hospital, their nursing staff as well as my club and its medical staff for taking such good care of me with so much kindness and for ensuring my comfort whilst there. "The hardest part is behind me! Let's keep fighting, it's important."

China, where the outbreak emerged in December, says it has curbed the illness at home but is now worried about a second wave of infections from overseas. Fellaini's positive test dealt a blow to the CSL's hopes of beginning the season any time soon, after its February 22 start date was indefinitely postponed. Fellaini, also formerly of Everton, joined Shandong from Manchester United in February last year for a reported 7.2 million euros.

He enjoyed a productive first season in China, scoring 12 goals in 34 matches and providing five assists.

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Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is bemused as to why he remains a constant source of criticism despite missing most of the campaign through injury. The 27-year-old has been restricted to just eight appearances this season due to a persistent ankle injury. Former Liverpool captain and manager Graeme Souness has been one of the most outspoken critics of Pogba since he returned to United from Juventus for a then world record £89 million ($112 million) fee in 2016.

However, Pogba claimed he did not even know who Souness was. "I didn't even know who he was, really," Pogba told the official Manchester United podcast. "I heard he was a great player and stuff like that. I know the face but (not) the name. "Like I said I'm not someone that watches a lot of (punditry), I watch a lot of football but I don't stay after the game to listen to what they say about why they did this, or why they did that. I like to focus on football." Souness - who won three European Cups, and five league titles as a player at Liverpool - responded to Pogba on Tuesday morning.

"I'm happy with that. The oldest saying in football comes to mind: 'Put your medals on the table'. I've got a big table," the former Scottish international told Sky Sports. Pogba's return to Old Trafford has failed to match the expectations of his price tag despite winning the Europa League and League Cup in his first season under Jose Mourinho. A bitter fall out with Mourinho followed in the next two seasons before the Portuguese was sacked in December 2018.

And after a brief hot streak when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took charge, Pogba's time under the Norwegian has been beset by a lack of form and fitness. However, the French World Cup winner still believes the criticism he has received, particularly in his absence this season, is unjustified. "It's good to hear good stuff instead of bad stuff but when you play football, you know yourself. It's what your manager and team-mates want, the rest is just talk," added Pogba.

"I guess they (the critics) miss me, I don't know? I'm not someone that looks always at Sky Sports News. "When you know football, you don't need someone to tell you what's happening. "One day maybe I will meet them and ask them because I really want to know, why?"

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Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard is in lockdown in the UK due to the Coronavirus but that hasn't stopped him from keeping in touch with Playboy model, Laura Bragato (right). Italian Laura told British tabloid, The Daily Star that Jesse has been texting her while in self-isolation. "I spoke to Jesse yesterday, and he is staying home like the rest of us. He is safe. In Italy here we are all in lockdown, it's been one month and I hope everything is going to start again here. When it's over, I can't wait to travel. I want to spend my summer in Spain and London" Laura said on Tuesday.

Jesse Lingard

Laura became famous in 2018, when she claimed that her 'lucky' behind would help Italy beat England in the FIFA World Cup. The match ended 1-1 but her pre-match comments, hoping for Jesse to score, saw her earn lakhs of online fans instantly.

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Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba revealed while growing up he was an Arsenal fan. French international idolised Thierry Henry and wanted to follow the footsteps of the countryman.

"I will be honest. So, at the start, I was an Arsenal fan - obviously because of all the French players, you know. Me and my brother were but my other brother was a Manchester United fan," Pogba told United's official podcast.

"I couldn't say anything so I used to love Henry and, because of him, I was an Arsenal fan. Then I changed and went on to choose with my other brother. No Arsenal, I went with the other one, the United fan!" he added.

Pogba came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford while Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge but after only making a handful of appearances for the first team in 2011/12 he left for Juventus in the summer.

He re-joined United in 2016 from Juventus when Jose Mourinho was the manager as he saw it as an opportunity to finish what he had started.

Henry, who had left Arsenal for Barcelona by the time Pogba arrived in England, was not the only iconic Frenchman or all-time great that an energetic midfielder looked up to.

"I had Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, [Zinedine] Zidane, Thierry Henry, Djibril Cisse, Kaka," Pogba said.

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There is a famous saying, "Love has no age." Well, Brazilian footballer Neymar's mother Nadine Goncalves is definitely a believer in the saying as she recently made headlines for revealing that she is romantically involved with a man named Tiago Ramos who is way younger to her.

Neymar's mother Nadine, age 52, is currently dating gamer Tiago Ramos who is 22 years of age. Not only is Tiago 30 years younger to Nadine, he is even 6 years younger to her son Neymar, age 28.

Neymar's mother Nadine Goncalves took to social media site Instagram to announce that she is in a relationship with Tiago Ramos and also shared a photo of the two embracing each other. Neymar's mother Nadine captioned the photo in Portuguese, "O inexplicável não se explica, se vive (The inexplicable cannot be explained, you live it…”). See the post below.

 

 

 

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O inexplicável não se explica, se vive... ❤️

A post shared by Nadine Gonçalves (@nadine.goncalves) onApr 11, 2020 at 3:49pm PDT

Nadine and Neymar's father and agent Wagner Ribeiro parted ways in 2016 after 25 years of marriage. Meanwhile, not only is Nadine's new relationships approved by son Neymar and her ex-husband, they also support the couple and show their happiness.

Commenting on the Instagram post, Neymar wrote ‘Be happy Mom, Love u’ while her ex-husband Wagner simply posted applause emojis.

Tiago Ramos is a huge gamer as well as a fitness enthusiast and has admitted to being a fan of Neymar who plays for French club Paris St. Germain.

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Leeds United legend Norman Hunter died on Friday at the age of 76 after testing positive for coronavirus. "Leeds United are devastated to learn of the passing of club icon Norman Hunter at the age of 76," the club said in a statement. "Norman was taken to hospital last week after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and despite continuing to battle and the best efforts of NHS staff, he sadly lost his fight earlier this morning," the statement added.

Hunter made his Leeds debut in 1962 when he was just 18 years old. Hunter amassed a huge 726 appearances for Leeds United over a 14 year period, the club's most successful to date, earning the infamous nickname "Bites Yer Legs".

He won a total of 28 caps for England and was in the 1966 World Cup-winning squad, whilst was also the first winner of the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1974.

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he All India Football Federation's executive panel on Tuesday ratified its league committee's recommendations to cancel the remaining 28 matches of the I-league in view of the coronavirus-forced lockdown and declare runaway leaders Mohun Bagan as champions. The AIFF also said it is waiting to discuss with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) the feasibility of organising a shorter duration tournament next season with second division clubs for qualification to the Hero I-League 2020-21.

"The Executive Committee agreed with conclusions and recommendations of League Committee that this was a force majeure circumstance and the AIFF and all stakeholders must focus on a priority basis on safety and health aspects of players, officials and fans," the AIFF said in a release. "In fact, there is still no certainty of when sporting activities including football can be resumed across the country."

The league committee had on Saturday placed its recommendations in front of the all-powerful executive committee. As per the latest decisions, the 2019-20 season stays concluded and Mohun Bagan declared the I-League winners for the 2019-20. The remaining prize money in the league (apart from the champion's prize) will be equally divided among the remaining 10 participating clubs.

However, there will be no relegation and also no individual prize money for the league season. "All youth leagues in the current season -- the Hero Sub-Junior League, the Hero Junior League, the Hero Elite League, and the U-17 Khelo India Girls League ¿ stay concluded, and will start afresh from 2020-21 season. "There will be an extension of the deadline for submission of the requisite documentation for the AIFF Academy Accreditation process after the ongoing lockdown is revoked," the apex body said in the release.

The nationwide lockdown will remain in place till May 3. The COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province, has so far claimed nearly 600 lives while infecting over 18,500 people across the country.

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Former Liverpool mid-fielder Jamie Redknapp fears arch-rivals Manchester United are set to beat his former club for the signing of Borussia Dortmund forward Jadon Sancho. The 20-year-old Englishman is currently one of the most sought-after players in European football and Redknapp believes Sancho will end up in Premier League sooner than later with the Red Devils in pole position to snap the hot shot winger. "I think it is a matter of time with Jadon Sancho coming to the Premier League. We are talking about a genuine superstar. A player that can do incredible things with the ball. Played 70 odd games in the Bundesliga, scored 27 goals from a wide area which is very good," Redknapp told Sky Sports.

"We have missed out on the likes of the Neymars in the Premier League but he can come and really light it up. Personally I would call it. He will be a great signing for whoever he goes to. "I would like to see him at Liverpool, but I think he is going to end up at United though," he added. Since making the move to Bundesliga from Manchester City in 2017, Sancho's rise has been nothing but meteoric. In the last two seasons for Dortmund, Sancho has scored 20 goals and assisted 28 times for the German giants.

Speculations continue to surround Sancho regarding his big move to the Premier League with multiple top teams interested. Dortmund, meanwhile, have made it clear that it will take big bucks to prize Sancho away from the Signal Iduna Park.

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Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters on Wednesday appointed Mohun Bagan's I-League winning coach Kibu Vicuna as their head coach for the upcoming season. This came hours after the franchise announced that it has parted ways with Eelco Schattorie after one season at the helm of affairs. "We are happy to announce that Kibu Vicuna will take over as head coach for the upcoming season!" Kerala Blasters said in a tweet. Spain's Vicuna oversaw Mohun Bagan win the title with four rounds to spare. The league was suspended midway due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later had to be called off with Mohun Bagan declared champions.

Mohun Bagan have merged with ATK to enter the ISL from next season with Antonio Lopez Habas, who coached ATK to their record third title, in charge of the combined outfit. Dutchman Schattorie was in charge of the Kochi-based outfit in the ISL 2019-20 and could only guide the club to a poor seventh-place finish. "Kerala Blasters FC have parted ways with the Head Coach, Eelco Schattorie. We'd like to thank Eelco for his efforts and services during his tenure and wish him the best for the future," Kerala Blasters had tweeted earlier in the day.

The 48-year-old first landed on Indian shores when he took over Kolkata-based Prayag United back in 2012. He went on to win the IFA Shield and guided the team to a fourth-placed finish in the I-League. After serving as the head coach for Kolkata giants East Bengal for the 2015 season, he joined Avram Grant's NorthEast United setup for parts of the 2016 ISL season, before taking over as head coach for the 2018-19 campaign.

In his very first season as a head coach in the ISL, Schattorie showcased immense tactical guile and took Guwahati-based NorthEast United to the semi-finals for the first time since the club's inception, before being knocked out by eventual champions Bengaluru FC. After leading the NorthEast United to their best-ever campaign in the club's history, Schattorie replaced Nelo Vingada as the Kerala Blasters head coach heading into ISL 2019-20.

The Dutchman, however, could not replicate the same success in Kerala which he had achieved with the NorthEast United as several factors came into play. A host of recurring injuries to key players, including a season-long one to stopper Sandesh Jhingan, severely handicapped Kerala's campaign as they finished seventh on the table with 19 points from 18 matches.

Despite not making the top four, Schattorie's Kerala side found a lot of admirers for their free-flowing attacking style of football.

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Portugal football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has shown his generous side once again by helping Danish underwear company JBS, who have taken a massive hit on sales due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to British tabloid, The Sun, the Juventus player has waived the entire amount he is entitled to from JBS, who manufacture his range of CR7 underpants.

The CR7 range of underwear is one of Cristiano’s most lucrative endorsements and account for 14 per cent of JBS’s total revenue. The company’s CEO Michael Alstrup is most grateful.

“Cristiano’s people have said that because of the Coronavirus this year, there will be no minimum payments at all. And Cristiano has even further helped us not to pay anything until 2021. We are privileged that it was us who started the CR7 brand, and we sit among Cristiano’s closest, just like part of the family,” he said.

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Derby County have thanked captain Wayne Rooney for the leading role he played in the club agreeing a wage deferral with players to help the English Championship club survive the coronavirus crisis. Manager Phillip Cocu, his coaching staff, executives and non-playing staff have also deferred part of their salary. "First team players have voluntarily agreed a substantial deferral that is considerably more than has been reported in the media, while Phillip Cocu and his coaching team, and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Pearce and his staff have also agreed significant deferrals," Derby said in a statement.

"Talks across the club have been held in the spirit of unity and co-operation, and everyone has been fully committed to help and play their part. "The club would specifically like to thank Wayne Rooney, the team captain, and Curtis Davies, the Professional Footballers Association's club representative, for their help and support."

Derby seem set for another season in the second tier as they lay 12th in the table when the COVID-19 outbreak brought football to a halt last month. A failure to finish the season is forecast to cost Premier League clubs an estimated ?1 billion ($1.2 billion).

However, the effects of the economic crisis could be even more severe further down the football pyramid as many clubs face a battle to survive.

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Legendary former India footballer Chuni Goswami, who captained the 1962 Asian Games gold-winning team, died on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Former Indian footballer Chuni Goswami passes away due to cardiac arrest in Kolkata, West Bengal.

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2020

The iconic sportsperson, who also played first-class cricket for Bengal, was 82 and breathed his last at a hospital here. He is survived by his wife Basanti and son Sudipto. "He suffered a cardiac arrest and died in the hospital at around 5pm," a family source told PTI.

BCCI mourns the death of Subimal ‘Chuni’ Goswami, an all-rounder in the truest sense. He captained the Indian national football team & led to them to gold in the 1962 Asian Games. He later played first-class cricket for Bengal & guided them to the final of Ranji Trophy in 1971-72 pic.twitter.com/WgXhpoyLaB

— BCCI (@BCCI) April 30, 2020

Goswami was suffering from underlying ailments, including sugar, prostrate and nerve problems. Goswami played 50 matches for India as a footballer from 1956 to 1964. As a cricketer, he represented Bengal in 46 first-class games between 1962 and 1973.

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A little over a month after PK Banerjee's death, Indian football has lost another legend. On Thursday, Chuni Goswami, 82, who captained the 1962 Asian Games gold-winning team and also played first-class cricket, died here, survived by wife Basanti and son Sudipto.

"He suffered a cardiac arrest and died in hospital at around 5pm," a family source told PTI.

Goswami reportedly had blood sugar, prostrate and nerve-related issues.

Subimal 'Chuni' Goswami was born in the Kishoreganj district of undivided Bengal, now Bangladesh. The star striker figured in 50 international games from 1956 to 1964. He was part of the Indian team for the 1960 Olympics in Rome. His crowning moment came when he led India to an Asian Games gold medal in 1962 in Jakarta, two years before being part of the silver-winning team at the Asia Cup in Israel.

On the cricket turf, he represented Bengal in 46 first-class games between 1962 and 1973. He was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1963 and Padma Shri in 1983. The Indian Postal Department issued a commemorative stamp on his 82nd birthday in January to recognise his contribution to the game in the country.

A section of Mumbai cricket followers will remember Goswami's 96 (13x4) and 84 (10x4) against Ajit Wadekar's team in the 1968-69 Ranji Trophy final at the Brabourne Stadium where Mumbai claimed honours. "Chuni was more than a decent batsman, who had a good defensive approach. He was a fielder whom batsmen had to watch carefully. Being a footballer, he was agile and was exceptional at cover point and extra cover," recalled former Mumbai captain Sudhir Naik. Dilip Doshi, the ex-Test spinner, who played alongside Goswami for Bengal, also recalled those two innings at Brabourne. "Chuni da stood up to the occasion and played two sterling knocks. His will to fight it out was infectious and as a footballer and India's captain as well, we learnt the fitness attitude from him as youngsters. He had a great sense of humour which he timely applied to release tension in the dressing room," remarked Doshi.

Chinu Goswami

Former India captain Gundappa Viswanath, who like Goswami, was employed by the State Bank of India, rued the fact that they did not play together because of his (Viswanath's) international commitments. "Unfortunately, that opportunity never came because it would have been a pleasure to rub shoulders with such a versatile sportsperson, known also for his football talent. I will miss our dinner parties which he always planned as soon as I landed in Kolkata. Another regret is not attending his 80th birthday celebrations as I was ill at that time" Viswanath told mid-day from Bangalore.

Tweet talk

Praful Patel @praful_patel:

Another legendary Indian Footballer and a fine first class cricketer has left us today. Rest in eternal peace Shri. Chuni Goswami. My heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family.#ChuniGoswami #RIPLegend #IndianFootball @IndianFootball

President of India (Kovind)@rashtrapatibhvn:

Sad to hear about the passing of Chuni Goswami. In his demise India’s football fans have lost a legend. A versatile sportsman, he was a star in his own right. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and admirers

BCCI @BCCI:

BCCI mourns the death of Subimal ‘Chuni’ Goswami, an all-rounder in the truest sense. He captained the Indian national football team & led to them to gold in the 1962 Asian Games. He later played first-class cricket for Bengal & guided them to the final of Ranji Trophy in 1971-72

Sunil Chhetri @Chetrisunil11:

We’ve lost one of the leading lights of Indian sport today. Not too many can boast of being top-notch in two different sports. You played your part to the fullest, rest well, Chuni sir. Strength to
the family

With inputs from PTI, Clayton Murzello and Debasish Datta

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Subimal "Chuni" Goswami came for a routine check-up to a city hospital on Thursday morning and by evening he had suffered three cardiac arrests in 14 minutes to breathe his last and end an era, his son said.

"He had breakfast. Then we got him to the hospital. He was brought here for a routine check-up. He had lunch and even took a nap in the afternoon. But around 5 p.m., he suffered three heart attacks in 14 minutes," said a crestfallen Sudipto.

Goswami, who died at the age of 82, is survived by his wife and Sudipto.

Goswami was also battling underlying ailments, including sugar, and prostrate and nerve problems.

Goswami had to be given insulin daily and due to the COVID-19 lockdown, his medical supervisor was not able to attend to him on a regular basis.

"I don't have words at this point, feeling lonely," said Sudipto.

Goswami's biggest achievement was captaining India to the 1962 Asian Games Gold medal when India scripted a historic 2-1 victory against South Korea (Korea Republic) in the final to land India its second gold medal in Asian Games history.

Besides two editions of the Asian Games, Goswami was also part of India's Olympic squad in the Rome Olympics in 1960. He also captained India to the final of the AFC Asian Cup in Tel Aviv in 1964 and was part of India's campaign in the pre-Olympic qualification in 1959 (in Kabul), 1960 (in Kolkata and Jakarta), 1963 (in Colombo as captain), and in 1964 in (Tehran and Calcutta).

Goswami won the Arjuna Award in 1963 and was conferred the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 1983.

The versatile sportsman that he was, he also represented Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and even captained Bengal in 1968-69 season. He also played for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. His first-class career as a cricketer ended after 46 matches and he scored 1,592 runs, including a century.

He also served the Tata Football Academy as its director and was appointed the Sheriff of Kolkata in 2005. In the same year, he was awarded the Mohun Bagan Ratna and was bestowed the Banga Bibhusan in 2013.

The Indian postal department also honoured Goswami with a commemorative stamp on his 82nd birthday earlier this year.

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India's star footballer Sunil Chhetri has gone out of his way in order to help a fan who approached him online in order to get a free Netflix account.

Not only did Sunil Chhetri give the fan a Netflix subscription but also handed him a personally signed jersey.. This was after this fan had asked Sunil Chhetri to share his Netflix ID and password during coronavirus pandemic. The fan also stated that the football captain could change the password after the lockdown is done.

Taking to Twitter, Sunil Chhetri posted a screenshot of a message he received on Facebook and wrote: "Jersey X Autograph on a picture X Reply to the post X Video wishing the neighbour's son's pet dog X. Here's someone who has priorities straight and it's really making me want to consider the demand."

Netflix India's Twitter handle took note of this message from Chhetri and went on to reply: "While we on that topic, could we also get your autograph on a picture?"

In the true spirit of a barter, how about you guys hand the kid a two-month subscription and I'll send a signed shirt and a picture your way? Do we have a deal? https://t.co/Ub0WaMcutg

— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) May 3, 2020

Sunil Chhetri then proposed a 'barter' deal and asked for a two-month free subscription for the fan in return for an autographed jersey from him.

He wrote: "In the true spirit of a barter, how about you guys hand the kid a two-month subscription and I will send a signed shirt and a picture your way? Do we have a deal?"

In reply, Netflix India's Twitter handle posted: "How about we send him both the jersey and a subscription card? Let's make his day."

To this, Chhetri replied: "Sounds great guys, now that we've got this figured out. Subscription for the kid, Shirt for the kid, Shirt for you guys."

The boy had earlier sent a Twitter post to Sunil Chhetri. Take a look at the shared post by the footballer.

Jersey ❌
Autograph on a picture ❌
Reply to the post ❌
Video wishing the neighbour's son's pet dog ❌

Here's someone who has priorities straight and it's really making me want to consider the demand. 😂 pic.twitter.com/OdBGrS7g5v

— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) May 2, 2020

Earlier, in a series of tweets, Chhetri had announced that the members of the Indian team had come together and 'put on table a sum that has been sent to the PM-Cares Fund' to help in the fight against coronavirus.

Inputs from IANS

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German professional football is going to return to action on May 16 to 18 with its first and second tier getting back underway. League association CEO Christian Seifert announced the permitted re-start is planned without games on Friday evening but contains two rounds of matches during the week. "We wanted to follow the wording in the orders of politics strictly," the 50-year-old commented, reports Xinhua news agency. All games will be run behind closed doors.

The season was interrupted mid-March due to the coronavirus crisis. Nine rounds remain plus one postponed match. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 federal state prime ministers gave the green light for a restart on Wednesday based on a comprehensive hygiene concept. Most of the 36 clubs voted for the earliest possible start. At least two sides, such as Werder Bremen and FSV Mainz 05, demanded a start one week later to gain time for additional training.

Seifert announced the season is to be continued with matchday 26, which contains the delicate derby of Borussia Dortmund against the FC Schalke 04 on Saturday. Six games are notified for Saturday, two on Sunday and one on Monday evening. All match-days contain a so-called late-game in the evening. The table leaders Bayern Munich face an away game against league newcomer Union Berlin Saturday evening.

The season's last games are planned to take place on June 27 to 28. Seifert indicated the Champions League final could be run around the end of August. The German Cup has to be rescheduled. To address parts of the demands of Bremen, their game against Bayern Leverkusen is scheduled for Monday on May 18. The federal state of Bremen was one of the last spots allowing training in smaller groups.

All 36 clubs took up full team training this Thursday. From Saturday on, all clubs attend an obligated seven-day-long quarantine. Players, staff, and family members will undergo a diverting number of tests. Referees are going to be tested by next week. Seifert said football concept could be a blueprint for other team-sports, fighting sports and athletics as well as for orchestras and theaters.

Clubs and association are in close contact with fan groups to avoid gatherings around the arenas. Therefore, negotiations take place with pay-tv broadcasters to provide certain games on free tv.

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Comedy is an established genre in Bollywood. Since audiences are now ready for <em>hatke</em> stuff, filmmakers are constantly trying to push the boundaries in the existing genres too. This Friday coincidentally sees the release of two such films, although both the movies are as different as chalk and cheese. While JUDGEMENTALL HAI KYA has violent undertones, the other film – ARJUN PATIALA – is like a spoof comedy, on the lines of famous Hollywood films like SCARY MOVIE and DEADPOOL. Bollywood has rarely made such films and one recent film in this space was WELCOME TO NEW YORK [2018]. It was a huge failure in all respects and now its lead actor Diljit Dosanjh appears in another spoof film, ARJUN PATIALA. So does ARJUN PATIALA manage to entertain and emerge as a pioneer of this genre in Bollywood? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1002474 size-full" title="Movie Review Arjun Patiala" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Movie-Review-Arjun-Patiala.jpg" alt="Movie Review Arjun Patiala" width="720" height="450" /> ARJUN PATIALA is the story of a cop trying to achieve a crime-free district. A struggling director (Abhishek Banerjee) meets a rich third-generation producer (Pankaj Tripathi). After ensuring that the director has put all the necessary ‘ingredients’ needed for a <em>masala</em> entertainer, the producer allows the narration of the script. The director then starts to tell his story – that of a police officer named Arjun Patiala (Diljit Dosanjh). He becomes a sub-inspector through sports quota and he is posted at Ferozpur Police Station in Punjab. Within a few days, he falls for Ritu Randhawa (Kriti Sanon), an honest reporter working for Tezz News Channel. He is also visited by his senior, DSP Gill (Ronit Roy). Arjun looks up to him since childhood and he is the reason why he decided to be a cop. DSP Gill shares with him his dream of making Ferozpur a crime-free district. Ritu meanwhile helps Arjun in sharing the list of baddies in the area. There’s Baldev Rana (Amit Mehra) who is so brash that he even beats up police officers if they come in his way, Sukool (Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub) who runs a brick kiln, his brother Anda (Sumit Gulati) and finally Dilbaug Singh (Himanshu Kohli) who runs his business from jail and also has haemoglobin problems. Arjun devises a plan – he generates a gang war between them, hoping that they’ll all kill each other and hence DSP Gill’s dream will be achieved. However, there’s also MLA Prapti Makkad (Seema Pahwa) who seems to be the biggest villain of all and also has ulterior motives of her own. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Ritesh Shah and Sandeep Leyzell's story is outdated. The writers had some good ideas but fail to put it together on paper. Ritesh Shah and Sandeep Leyzell's screenplay is shockingly horrible. It’s like an apology of a script. The attempt to make a spoof comedy and taking a dig at conventional Bollywood films is something that could have paid dividends. They also had some very funny characters and any other worthy writer would have made a complete laugh riot. Alas, the writers of the film let these characters go waste. They add some dry and beaten-to-death moments and twists. In fact, it’s bewildering how this script got approved in the first place. Ritesh Shah and Sandeep Leyzell's dialogues are also dry and fail to evoke laughter. Rohit Jugraj's direction is smooth for most places but with such a poor script, there isn’t much he could have done. At a few places however, he rushes through the film and this was avoidable. For instance, it’s never properly established why Sukool agrees to bump off other villains in the district. A few more minutes should have been spent in establishing the tensions between the various gangs. If Rohit had done the needful, the end result would have been better but still, the film would have emerged as a disappointment as the content itself is not worth it. ARJUN PATIALA begins on a great note. The manner in which the producer and director converse over the <em>‘masala’</em> script is interesting. The opening credits sequence, a spoof on James Bond style of films, is witty. But soon, one realizes there’s nothing much happening in the film. Yes, there are a bunch of villains but they are not utilized properly. In fact, after a point, the film stops being funny. A few scenes are interesting here and there like Sukool assassinating Baldev Rana or the way romance blooms between Arjun and Ritu. But these are few and far between. The twist in the tale in pre-climax is something that one can see from miles away. The finale is hardly funny and reeks of lazy writing. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Laugh Riot: Diljit &amp; Kriti’s Most Hilarious Rapid Fire | SRK | Hrithik | Kartik | Sara | Deepika | Arjun Patiala</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/laugh-riot-diljit-kritis-most-hilarious-rapid-firesrkhrithikkartiksaradeepikaarjun-patiala/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Diljit Dosanjh is apt as the cute and naughty police officer. He genuinely plays his part and tries to rise above the script. Varun Sharma (Onida Singh) is likeable although he’s repeating himself now. Kriti Sanon is also sincere and plays the entertaining part well. The sequence where she narrates her tragic part is where she gives her best. Sadly, the makers spoil the show with an animated flashback running below on the screen and it takes away the impact of her performance too. Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub is the best amongst the villains. He shines and it’s sad that such a cool villain won’t get his due to the bad script. Ronit Roy fits the part to the T. Seema Pahwa is decent. Amit Mehra, Himanshu Kohli and Sumit Gulati get no scope. Biswapati Sarkar (Editor of Tezz News Channel) is appropriate. Ritesh Shah (Arjun’s father) and the actor playing her mother are poor. Sunny Leone (Baby) is sizzling. Pankaj Tripathi and Abhishek Banerjee are the funniest in the film. Sachin-Jigar's music is nothing compared to their previous works. <em>‘Main Deewana Tera’</em> has the chartbuster feel but doesn’t have a long shelf life. <em>‘Crazy Habibi vs Decent Munda’</em> is situational. <em>‘Dil Todeya’</em> and<em> ‘Sachiya Mohabbatan’</em> are okay. <em>‘Sip Sip’</em> is played during the end credits. Ketan Sodha's background score is theatrical. Sudip Sengupta's cinematography is fine. Parijat Poddar and Shekhar Ujjainwal's production design is a bit television show-like. Vikram Dahiya's action is sans any gore. Veena Kapur Ee's costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Kriti. Huzefa Lokhandwala's editing is too quick at places. On the whole, ARJUN PATIALA is a shockingly poor fare, riddled with an outdated and tragic script. At the box office, it will be rejected outright by the cinegoers.