NRI ( Page 39 of 83 )

Donald Trump Appoints Indian-American To Key Federal Energy Agency May 09, 2017 14:33

President Donald Trump has appointed Indian-origin Neil Chatterjee to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The agency oversees the electricity, natural gas and oil at the national level. 40-year-old Chatterjee will play a key role in President Trump’s program to reshape energy policy, which is greatly opposed by environmentalists and Democrats. If the appointment is confirmed by the Senate, he will be the second Indian-American to be appointed by President Trump to a major regulatory position with a controversial mission Chatterjee, who is an energy policy advisor to US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, has played an integral role in the passage of major energy, highway and farm legislation, the White House said. Prior serving to McConnell, Chatterjee worked as a principal in Government Relations for National Rural Electric Cooperative Association as an aide to House Republican Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce of Ohio. Chatterjee’s work backed the Senator’s campaign against regulations to restrict the use of coal for electricity generation. He started as an intern with the House Works and Means Committee. Chatterjee grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, where his parents worked in cancer research. He will likely deal with the construction of the Keystone pipeline that will carry crude oil from Canada to Texas. The project was stopped by former president Barack Obama.Last week, lawmakers expressed their concern over vacancy in this crucial federal regulatory commission. I would like to see some names now. It's very frustrating that we are here at May 3 and there has not been a quorum at FERC for months now, said Senate Energy Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski. "We cannot do much of anything in the energy space until there is a functioning quorum at the FERC. First, we need to get names so that we can actually act as a committee. Believe me, I am urging anybody who will listen that they need to get moving on it," she said. The other Indian-American, who has been appointed for a key Federal role is Ajit Pai, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Pai is spearheading the administration’s drive to end net neutrality, which prevents internet service providers from giving special treatment to preferred web companies. Chatterjee held the influential position of energy policy advisor to Senate Majo. Sikh Community Demands Distinct Religious Category AMandeep

NRI woman granted divorce via video-link May 04, 2017 18:37

In a rare judgement, a civil court on Tuesday granted divorce to an NRI couple after hearing the woman petitioner, who is a Lonon based techie, through video conference. The couple filed the divorce plea by mutual consent under the section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, before a Pune civil court on August 12, 2016. Advocate Suchit Mundada who presented the woman petitioner said: "The couple, who are IT professionals got married in May 2015. However, barely within two months of their marriage, differences cropped up between them and they started staying separately." Mundada’s client was unable to leave the United Kingdom for the court hearing, as the terms and conditions of her job did not allow her to leave. "I, on behalf of her, filed an application before the court seeking permission to conduct the hearing through video conferencing, which the court agreed," said Mundada. On April 28, the husband came down to Pune from Singapore, where he is working currently, whereas the wife appeared via video-conference. Judge V.S. Maklapatte Reddy passed the judgment stating that the marriage between the parties’ stands dissolved under section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. "Having considered the contentions of the petition along with the respective affidavits, it transpired that the parties have been living separately since June 30, 2015. They have not been able to live compassionately and have mutually agreed that their marriage should be dissolved," the judge observed. The advocate claimed that this for the first time that a court has used technology to grant a divorce. "Generally, physical presence of both the husband and the wife is necessary in the court in such cases," he said. Pregnant Indian woman racially abused in Sydney AMandeep

Pregnant Indian women, racially abused in Sydney May 03, 2017 11:33

A pregnant Indian woman and her family were racially abused by a lady in a park in Sydney, Australia, after her husband asked the lady if they could sit next to her. The incident occurred on April 22nd in Luna Park. The pregnant woman’s husband Utsav Patel recorded a video, who was at the receiving end of the woman’s racist tirade. You can hear the lady shout “F#@* off” and F#@* India” at Patel his pregnant wife and their 4-year-old daughter. Patel said that the incident precipitated after his wife wanted a seat as she waited for them to finish a ride. When he requested the lady, who was seated on a nearby bench to give a little space for his wife, she refused and began swearing and abusing at the young couple. .@lunaparksydney @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/EjjE7mRddx — UtsaV (@PatelUtsav4155) April 23, 2017 Stung by her expletive-laden rant, Patel asks the woman, "Why?” to which the woman replies, "Because I don't like them. Go f#@* yourself... get out of here man. Go, go, go." When Patel told the woman that was not the right manner to treat people, she disrespectfully responded with an insulting mimic of Patel’s Indian accent. Patel then warned the lady that he would inform the security officials, but the lady responded saying, “What's security going to do? I can say whatever I like," she shouts. Patel said that he alerted the park authorities and showed them video evidence of the racist attack. New South Wales police has contacted Patel's family and is investigating the incident. Fifth man from Indian community shot dead in the United States AMandeep

Fifth man from Indian community shot dead in U.S. April 29, 2017 18:17

An Indian-origin man has been killed after getting caught in the crossfire outside a motel in Tennessee. The incident strikes the fifth killing among the community in the United States, since February. 41-year-old Khandu Patel, who was a father of two, worked as a housekeeper at Best Value Inn and Suites in Whitehaven. The incident occurred earlier this week, when about 30 shots were fired. According to police one of those bullets hit Patel. He was standing at the back of the motel when he was shot and was pronounced dead at the Regional Medical Center. Patel had worked at the motel for about 8 months. His wife and children lived at the motel with him. "He finished his day’s work and was out walking around the property. The next thing you know he hears some gunshots flying around and one caught him in the chest," Jay Patel, the victim's nephew, was quoted as saying by the report. "He did not even make it to the hospital to be saved." Jay Patel added that the family was about to shift to another location for a new job. "He was ready to get out of there," said Jay Patel. "Just trying to put food on the table so he had to take what he had at the time." Police have put up flyers all over the area asking for information about the suspect. The flyer also reads there is a ‘Crime Stoppers reward. Jay Patel has requested people with information to come forward to help the family get justice. -On February 22, Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhota was killed in a ‘hate crime’ when a Navy veteran opened fire at him and his friend. -43-year-old Harnish Patel was found dead of gunshot wounds in the front year of his home in Lancaster, South Carolina. In early March. -On March 23, 38-year-old Sasikala and her 6-year-old son Anish Narra were found dead inside their apartment in New Jersey. NRI in Indian-squad for FIFA U-17 World-Cup AMandeep

Indian-origin man strangles son to death April 28, 2017 18:45

An Indian-origin man in South Africa allegedly strangled his 7-year-old son to death, while his 4-year-old daughter watched in terror has been arrested. The man is expected to appear in the court on Tuesday. The 29-year-old man was separated from his wife, but a court granted him right to visit his children. The suspect’s identity has not been revealed due to South Africa’s child protection law. The mother reported to police officers after the father failed to bring the children back to home at the scheduled time, an uncle of the children said. Police officers found the father wandering around a park with both the kids in his arms. He claimed that the boy was asleep. The children were rushed to a hospital where the boy was declared dead. His sister described how her father choked him. Tracy Sinayhakah, who is the grandmother of those children said that she had received a chilling WhatsApp message from the father just before the alleged killing, asking her to tell his estranged wife what she was 'going to lose'. Lieutenant-Colonel Thulian Zwane said that a murder case has been registered. The cold blooded murder incident took place earlier this week. The incident has shocked the community of Phoenix, the sprawling township in Durban, which was created during the apartheid era to forcibly resettle the Indian community in the city. Hyderabadi woman sold to Kafeel for Rs. 3 lakh AMandeep

Indian businessman wins UK’s prestigious award April 27, 2017 18:47

Indian businessman’s food processing firm in the United Kingdom has won the prestigious Queen’s Enterprise Award 2017 for its outstanding contribution to the country’s trade, industry and economy. 61-year-old Yusaffali MA said that the recognition for this Birmingham based Y International Ltd will spur his UAE headquartered Lulu Group International to further expand business interest in the United Kingdom. "I am extremely honored and proud to hear the news about Y International UK Ltd been selected for the prestigious Queen's Award this year. This great recognition will surely help us further strengthen our plans to expand business interests in the UK and continue with our innovations and contributions to the dynamic economy of the UK," the Kerala-born, UAE-based entrepreneur said in a statement. The food processing plant employs 300 local staff. It was established in Birmingham in 2013to source and process food products from the United Kingdom to support the demand for high-quality British products for sale in Lulu Group’s hypermarkets across the Middle East, India and Far East. "We are in the process of setting up another world-class food processing plant in the 12.5 acres of land allotted by Birmingham City Council, to further boost our exports and cover a bigger variety of products. The planned investment would be to the tune of 36 million pounds," Yusuffali said. The Queen's Award is conferred annually by Queen Elizabeth II on her birthday, April 21, upon firms that display great enterprise across the fields of innovation, international trade, promoting opportunity through social mobility and sustainable development. The selections are based on the recommendation of Downing Street and published in the official London Gazette. All the entries are subject to audit and scrutiny by over thirty United Kingdom agencies before being included in the roll of honor. The Y International Limited is listed as an international distributor of grocery products, perishables products and non-foods products, was chosen in the international trade category. The winners of the 2017 awards will be invited to a special reception at Buckingham Palace later this year. The Lulu group’s estimated worth is about $6.9 billion, it is ranked as a top retailer in the MENA region and listed among the50 fastest growing retailers in the world by Deloitte. The company made headlines in the United Kingdom in recent years for acquiring the iconic Scotland Yard building in London and for its investment in luxury retail brand East India Company. NRI Bank accounts must be linked to Aadhaar card to avoid blockage AMandeep

NRI in Indian Squad for FIFA U-17 World Cup April 17, 2017 15:22

India is set ready to host its first ever FIFA tournament, as it is going to host Under-17 World Cup in October this year. The home squad has been boosted with the inclusion of Namit Deshpande, who is a US-based NRI scouted by the ‘All India Football Federation’ (AIFA) through its overseas scouting portal. Last year, AIFA launched a website in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India, which saw young Non-Resident-Indian footballers with valid Indian passports, uploading their freestyle videos in an attempt to catch the selectors’ eye. The website received about 50 applications, but it was Deshpande, son of New Jersey based architects, originally from Mumbai, who impressed the selectors most. Deshpande first travelled to Brazil, where the Indian squad, under coach Nicolai Adam, was on an exposure trip. The coach was flattered by the youngster, who plays in the central defense. However, Adam was sacked following allegations of physical and verbal abuse by his players. When Luis de Matos of Portugal took charge of the team, Deshpande reached the Goa camp and after flaunting his skills over a four day period, he proved that he was as good, if not better, than the boys in training. Since 2006 Deshpande is living with his family in the United States. Before he joins the rest of the teams travel to Portugal next month, he has to handle his school assignments. The squad is currently touring Europe and is scheduled to play a series of friendly matches in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Hungary before returning back to India for the final leg of preparations. The U-17 World Cup will be held from October 6 to 28. Former Indian striker Abhishek Yadav along with other sports disciplines are monitoring the overseas scouting project, they receive videos from players on an everyday basis and feel that more players could follow Deshpande to break into the squad for the U-17 World Cup at home "Just yesterday, I received two profiles, but they are from a different age group. Deshpande was the most impressive of all the players I have seen," said Yadav."He is a central defender and a very good one at that. When he came to Goa, the coach was impressed with his talent and work ethic." Indian-origin sparks interest in Real Madrid AMandeep

NRI bank accounts must be linked to Aadhaar to avoid blockage April 12, 2017 17:41

The Indian tax department on Wednesday (April 12) announced that all the bank accounts, including insurance and stocks – opened between July 2014 and August 2015 have to be linked to the holders Aadhaar card by the end of April. Failure to meet the order may result in blocking the holders account. All the account holders under ambit of the Foreign Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which was signed by India and the U.S. in July 2015 to weed out tax evaders, will have to self-certify themselves by submitting KYC documents (Know your customer) and their Aadhaar card number to bank accounts and financial institution by April 30th. In a statement the Tax Department of India said that "the account holders may be informed that, in case self-certifications are not provided till April 30, 2017, the accounts would be blocked, which would mean that the financial institution would prohibit the account holder from effecting any transaction with respect to such accounts." Although the Supreme Court has directed the government that Aadhaar cards can only be used for welfare services and not as an identification tool or a requirement for general services. The Majority of people are concerned that the Aadhaar card and biometric analysis is not the safest tool to let someone- a government agency for agency - to identify (and track) someone. According to the new Finance Bill the filing of income tax returns will require individuals to quote their Aadhaar number The Aadhaar number will also be linked to their permanent account number (PAN) card or else the PAN card will be cancelled from July 1st. AMandeep

Deserted wife seeks Sushma Swaraj’s help April 11, 2017 18:00

Chand Deep Kaur, who has been deserted by her Non Resident Indian(NRI) husband has sought help from the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Kaur and has requested to get her husband Ramandeep Singh deported from New Zealand. Though her husband has been declared a proclaimed offender by the Punjab police. Kaur has requested the minister for help, saying that she wants to send a message that no other NRI cheats his wife. "I have sought Swaraj's help in getting my husband deported. He is in New Zealand," Kaur said. She wants her husband’s passport to be cancelled, "I want to set an example so that no other NRI husband can ever dare to cheat a woman. I also want stringent laws in place to check such men," she said. Kaur received a call from the ministry to send relevant documents in connection with the case. She said that she wants her husband back to India, so that she can divorce him and start a fresh life. They got married in July 2015, when Ramandeep Singh was working in Auckland as an accountant. Soon after the marriage Ramandeep returned to New Zealand and Kaur stayed with her in-laws in Jalandar, Punjab. Ramandeep returned to India in December 2015 and returned back to New Zealand in January 2016, she said. Kaur just spent 40-45 days with her husband, she alleged that her in-laws’ behavior changed after the marriage."They told me that they had disowned Ramandeep so I should move back with my parents," Kaur claimed. When she tried calling her husband, he did not respond and members of her in-laws family refused to respond and blocked her number. On August 2016, Kaur filed a complaint at the police station against her husband. Ramandeep faces charges of criminal breach of trust, among other sections of the Indian Penal Code. A look-out circular was also issued against Ramandeep, she said. Indian-origin disqualified as company director in the UK AMandeep

Indian-origin industrialist passes away at 88 April 10, 2017 18:47

At the age of 88 a prominent Indian-origin industrialist, Jayantilal Keshavji Chande passed away in Nairobi the capital of Kenya. He was born in Mombasa, Kenya on May 7, 1928. His parents were immigrants from India, who were living Bukene in the region of Rabora, Tanzania. Tanzanian businessman and a philanthropist Keshavji Chande, he is affectionately known as “Andy” was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003. The knighthood given to Andy, who is the founder of Chande Industries, was first of its kind to a Tanzanian citizen. Former President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete attended the launch of Andy’s book, ‘A knight in Africa’. Sir Andy earned several accolades and awards. He received the ‘Hindi Ratna’ from former Indian Prime Minister IK Gujral in 2003. In the same year, he was declared the non-resident Indian of the year by the International Congree of Non-Resident Indians. The NRI Institute of London honored him with the “Pride of India Gold Award”. At one time he was the advisor to the ministerial committee of the Organization of African Unity deal with the Arab League on the oil crisis. He was enthusiastically related with numerous educational, social and welfare institutions including the Rotary International. His wife Jayalaxmi Madhvani is the daughter of famed Ugandan industrialist Muljibhai Madhvani. They have three children and a grandchild. Indian-origin Honoured with Asian Businesswoman of Year Award AMandeep

HC granted bail to NRI, who sheltered Nabha Jailbreakers April 08, 2017 17:31

An NRI, who was accused by police of harboring Nabha jailbreak escapees has been granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana high court. Kultar Singh Goldy resident of Moga was accused of harboring criminal Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, who is the alleged mastermind of Nabha jailbreak in November last year. According to the court documents Goldy’s barrister, Pratham Sethi said that his client was in Australia from July 10, 2009. He visited India in between and his last visit is on January 23, 2017, almost two months after the jailbreak. He also said that Goldey was away from his house to Ludhiana, Punjab the day, when the escaped gangsters were arrested from his house. During the hearing, the court has asked the police to look into the contentions raised by him and submit a report on the next scheduled date of hearing. Police arrested Sekhon in February, and claimed that they have seized four pistols and a handgun along with cartridges from him and his three accomplices. Police claim that prison escapees were residing in Goldy’s house, since February 5th. Sekhon along with five other prisoners escaped the Nabha a high security jail in November 2016. The next hearing is on April 19th. Indian power majors to hawk ‘Masala Bonds’ AMandeep

NRI committed suicide in Seattle April 06, 2017 12:46

37-year-old Gudur Madhukar Reddy an IT professional, hailing from the Yadadri Bhongir district, Telangana, who was working for a software company in Seattle, allegedly committed suicide at his residence in Seattle on Tuesday morning (April 4). According to the reports, his body was found hanging. Bal Reddy father of the deceased received a call from his son’s friend from the United States at around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Madhukar had gone to the United States 10 years ago. He married to Swathi, who is also a software engineer, seven years ago. They have a 5-year-old daughter. According to reports the couple had recently bought a house, it was not known as to what drove Madhukar to end his life. Madhukar visited his hometown only once with his wife in the last seven years. His family shifted to Bhongir town from their native Ralla Janagon of Yadadri Bhongir district about 15 years ago Madhukar’s parents currently reside in Kisan Nagar Colony in Bhongir. The family was awaiting details as to what had happened, while preparations were on to get his body back. Homeless man charged for rape and murder of Indian-origin woman AMandeep