NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday ordered the release of Christian James Michel from custody in a money laundering case linked to the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, holding that he has already spent the ‘maximum period’ of incarceration prescribed for the offence.Allowing Michel’s plea seeking release in the case filed by ED, special CBI judge Sanjay Jindal said: “By virtue of second proviso to section 436A CrPC (maximum period for which an undertrial prisoner can be detained) with all necessary implication as per law, he be released from jail, if not required in any other case.”However, Michel will continue to remain in jail as he is also an accused in a corruption case filed by CBI.The court noted that Michel has been charged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which is punishable with imprisonment of up to seven years. It noted that he will complete seven years in custody on Dec 21. According to the second proviso, no person can be detained during investigation, inquiry or trial for more than the maximum period of imprisonment prescribed for the offence.“In view of the mandatory provisions of second proviso to section 436A CrPC, the said accused is entitled to be released accordingly and he cannot be detained in this case beyond Dec 21, 2025,” the court said.During the hearing, Michel submitted in writing that he would participate in the remaining trial, even if released. His counsel told the court that ED and CBI had been investigating the case for the last 12 years, while his client had remained in custody for nearly seven years. Despite being granted bail, the counsel argued, Michel had been unable to go home, calling the situation a “mockery of justice”.Earlier in the day, the court heard Michel’s plea seeking release in the CBI case and directed the agency to file its response. The matter has been listed for further hearing on Dec 22.Michel had approached the court seeking custodial release in both ED and CBI cases.Michel, alleged to be a middleman in the Agusta deal, was extradited from Dubai in Dec 2018, following which CBI arrested him and filed a chargesheet. The ED subsequently charged him in the money laundering probe.

Mumbai: In the 1920s, when municipal corporator and civil engineer Muncherji Edulji Joshi, initiated a housing project for Parsi families in Dadar, his vision was to construct a model neighbourhood with two-storey buildings, large open spaces and gardens around them.A century later, redevelopment has slowly crept in into this verdant residential enclave popularly known as Dadar Parsi Colony (DPC). Ironically, Joshi’s statue at the entrance of the colony today has a humongous residential tower behind it. Daruwala House, a Parsi-only two-storey building metamorphosed into Nirvan Tower about a decade ago. Opposite it, the old Dossal House was pulled down to give way to Della Tower, a 21-storey tower built by architect and designer Jimmy Mistry.

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On Road No 5 in DPC, developer Rustomjee has redeveloped three properties into luxury towers while on Muncherji Joshi Road, the ground-plus-two-storey Najamai Mansion was razed for a skyscraper.Over the past 15 years, close to 30 high rise buildings have come up in DPC and the adjoining Matunga belt, according to local resident and activist Mehernosh Fitter.However, unlike other residential areas in Mumbai where redevelopment has razed old bungalows, cottages and low-rise buildings from the early 20th century, DPC still retains its charm with its tree-lined roads and over a dozen parks and gardens. The charming neighbourhood holds many secrets old and new, including that a senior state politician regularly visits a special friend in one recently constructed tower.To some extent, what has saved this Parsi residential enclave from the redevelopment mania that has gripped the city is because the over 100 plots are all Parsi covenant properties. It means that only members from this community can stay in these buildings and can sell them only to their brethren. In the past, attempts were made to remove these covenants, but most still hold.In the late 1920s, Bombay Improvement Trust Parsee Central Association Cooperative Housing Society had signed an agreement for a 999-year lease of several plots in the reserved area (Dadar Matunga Estate) with certain restrictive covenants by which no member other than the members of the Parsi Zoroastrian community could use and occupy the premises. “The best air quality in Mumbai is here,” said 83-year-old Kekobad Doongriwalla, who has lived in Dosabhai Mansion in DPC since the early 1960s. “Residents are proactive and will fight to preserve their green spaces,” he said.Mistry, a resident of DPC and founder of Della Group said, “DPC’s evolution over the past two decades reflects a larger shift in how Mumbai is reimagining ageing neighbourhoods through redevelopment, densification, and the challenge of balancing growth with livability. Over the past 15 years, with nearly 25–30 towers coming up, the area has transitioned from a predominantly low-rise 3- to 5 -floor enclave to a more vertical 21-floor or 70-metre contemporary urban fabric.” He added, “DPC, in many ways, is a microcosm of Mumbai’s redevelopment journey—where the real opportunity lies in shifting from building-centric redevelopment to precinct-led, design-driven, and community-first urban regeneration. If aligned with upgraded infrastructure, heritage sensitivity, and human-centric design, neighbourhoods like DPC can emerge as benchmarks for sustainable, future-ready urban living.”“DPC, in principle, was built for lower- and medium-income Parsi households in the 1920s. Today it is invaluable real estate,” said Kayomi Engineer. She describes herself as a “born-and-bred local resident, who felt the time had come in the existence of Parsi Colony, Dadar, to document and archive for posterity the folklore, fact-checked with city archives and historical data”.“There is an effort being made to archive all of this with the intent of having, as one would say, a UNESCO accreditation. There are many layers to why a UNESCO accreditation would, in some sort of way, impress upon the mindset of people as to why conservation of heritage spaces is important,” she told TOI. She added that 95% of DPC was built via philanthropy “rooted in a cultural tradition of being Zoroastrian”. However, Engineer said she is not opposed to redevelopment. “It’s more about saying if something needs to go down and it needs to be replaced by a new structure, it would be a nice gesture by whoever’s building the new structure, to sort of keep it in sync with what the area around demonstrates as its environment,” she said.Urban designer and architect Harshad Bhatia said it’s been three decades now since the city’s heritage list included certain areas like DPC as “precincts”. “Since Dadar Parsi Colony or ‘Five Gardens’ is one such Heritage Precinct, there must be rules of do’s and don’ts for any new development within the listed area. There are up to three-storey buildings, tucked largely under green foliage of trees, leveled roads with the ‘safe streets’ feel on walkable wide footpaths, all with the aura of a quiet, livable residential community neighborhood,” he said.Bhatia said that in the absence of guidelines that address the livable quality of man with nature, “one notices the changing skyline of new tall towers that rise higher than tree crowns and dwarf the low-rise storey original buildings that remain”.“Seems that while the heritage listing had a primary goal to protect buildings, the charm of DPC, viz the tree foliage was left out in marking the natural quality of this precinct. As such now, the towering scale of its new buildings may also be a threat to the trees on the avenues for blocking sunlight down below,” he added.“I would say in the past decade, DPC has seen controlled redevelopment. Builders are generally not keen to come in because of the Parsi covenants,” said Tanaz Parekh, who lived in DPC for several decades. The larger problem, she added, was the crumbling civic infrastructure. Also, rampant road concretisation and digging carried out by the BMC in the area has caused severe problems. “Roads are narrow and traffic has increased. The existing infrastructure cannot bear this strain,” she said.

MEERUT/BULANDSHAHR: Nine years after the horrific gang rape of a woman and her young daughter on a stretch of National Highway-91 in Uttar Pradesh as male members of the family, tied and assaulted by robbers, begged and cried for mercy, a special Pocso court in Bulandshahr convicted five men for the gruesome crime on Saturday. The assault had not just shocked the nation, but also forced the then-state govt to tweak road rules, even posting ‘snipers’ on trees to curb crimes along the key stretch. Sentencing of the five convicts is scheduled to be done on Monday. The incident happened on July 29, 2016, when the family’s vehicle was intercepted near a village, while they were travelling to Shahjahanpur from Noida. The gang held the entire family hostage at gunpoint and assaulted the mother-daughter after dragging them to a nearby field.Despite the crime scene’s proximity to a local police station, the cops there failed to respond on time. The family reported that initial calls to emergency services went unanswered, and the investigation only gained momentum after the father contacted a personal acquaintance in the Noida police department.Providing details, additional district govt counsel (ADGC) Varun Kaushik, said, “Forensic evidence, including semen traces matching the convicts, played a crucial role.” “The court convicted Zuber alias Parvez (35), Mohd Sajid (37) both from Kannauj, and Dharamveer Singh (36), Sunil Kumar (35), Naresh Kumar (46), from Farrukhabad district. Saleem Bawaria (45) – the gang’s kingpin – died during the court trial in Dec 2019,” he added. The ADGC added that “all the convicts were unable to secure bail and remained in jail since the incident.” “Their bail was even rejected by the Supreme Court,” he said. An FIR was registered on the afternoon of July 30, that year, under sections 394, 395, 397 (aggravated forms of robbery and dacoity), 376-D (gangrape), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, and 5/6 of the Pocso Act. “The next day, police arrested Mohd Riyazuddin, Mohd Shahwez and Jabar Singh from Haryana. They were, however, later given clean chit by CBI and let-off,” Kaushik said. The gravity of the incident led to a CBI probe ordered by the Allahabad high court and resulted in the suspension of several high-ranking police officers for “negligence”.Notably, the apex court also reprimanded then-UP cabinet minister Azam Khan for calling the incident a “political conspiracy by the Opposition”. Khan later tendered an apology in court. TOI’s extensive coverage at that time exposed the vulnerability of the travellers on desolate stretches of the UP highways, some of them without adequate road lights.Twenty-five witnesses provided testimony during the trial. Of the 11 individuals implicated, the legal outcomes varied – two suspects died in police encounters, one passed away in custody due to illness and three were acquitted for lack of evidence. Saturday’s conviction by additional district and sessions judge-III, Omprakash Verma, concluded the lengthy legal process.

New Delhi: Legendary coach Chandrakant Pandit is a stickler for discipline and ensuring that cricket is played strictly according to rules. However, Pandit decided to make a rare exception, granting a second breath of life to a highly rated 17-year-old batter. The 64-year-old coach adjudged the batter not out despite the ball striking his pads, gifting concession in a practice match where he was umpiring. The 17-year-old cricketer went on to score 165, which impressed Pandit and paved the way for entry into the Madhya Pradesh (MP) setup.IPL 2026’s player auction recently witnessed heavy demand for Akshat Raghuwanshi, the player being referred to, drawing a bidding war between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). LSG eventually signed the 22-year-old batter for rupees 2.2 crore, acquiring a cricketer who has drawn comparisons to Australia’s Cameron Green for his big-hitting. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer had earlier stated that he hasn’t seen a more talented player than Raghuwanshi at 21.

‘Akshat‘s maiden IPL season delayed by 2 years’The right-handed batter smashed 239 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 177.04 in the last edition of the Madhya Pradesh Premier League, plundering 16 sixes. Raghuwanshi, who idolises Rohit Sharma, especially caught the eye with his no-look upper cut, which has emerged as a signature shot. The MP batter had gone unsold in the previous edition of IPL despite quality performances, leading to nervousness. However, there was quiet confidence at the same time, having drawn trial invitations from nine franchises.

“We were very sad after Akshat went unsold in the last IPL auction, as the whole family had sat down together to watch him get a historic opportunity. This time, we were following proceedings quietly in our respective homes due to fear of another setback. However, everyone started bursting crackers and distributing sweets after Akshat got picked,” said Raghuwanshi’s father Krishna Pal, during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com. LSG pacer Avesh Khan kept Akshat abreast about the teams bidding for him after the latter’s TV broke down midway during the auction. “We hail from Ashoknagar, a remote city in Madhya Pradesh, which resulted in fewer opportunities for Akshat. Otherwise, my son was well capable of being picked in the IPL two years back,” added Krishna Pal.‘Unable to speak but crisp shot selection’Raghuwanshi started playing cricket when he was 3 years old, showcasing unprecedented strength and excellent footwork, drawing encouragement from his father. The MP batter could perfectly play a cover drive, flick shot or cut shot despite not having the ability to speak, urging Krishna Pal to quit his business and shift to Indore for enhanced training in the coming years. Noting his talent, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia approached the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA), urging them to include Raghuwanshi in the residential training programme. The request was turned down due to concerns over the MP batter’s age as he was just 11.However, Raghuwanshi impressed ex-India cricketer Amay Khurasiya with his fearlessness during the selection trials next year, stepping forward to defend a short-pitched delivery bowled at 125 km/h. The MP batter was hardly 4 ft tall but showcased confidence against an under-19 pacer, leaving Khurasiya stunned. “He said, ‘Akshat is the son of a lion and not scared of anyone. Witnessing his character, Amay sir decided to include him in the residential academy,” shared Krishna Pal.‘Rock-solid mentality, no excuses approach’Training sessions under Khurasiya were well structured with utmost focus on discipline. Even a second’s delay in arrival for practice was considered unpardonable and while shots were encouraged, rashness in execution was a strict no-no. Raghuwanshi ran his fair share of rounds and was even scolded by Khurasiya for his shot selection but considers it a phase which strengthened character and developed his game even further.“There was a medical test scheduled when I was 12 years old. We were instructed not to have breakfast and to skip practice. However, the training session still took place where Khurasiya sir noted my absence and called me. When I narrated the instructions, sir said, ‘Does he want to play for India or do you?’. I ran 12 rounds after that,” stated Raghuwanshi.

Training under such a structured routine where complete commitment is a necessity also developed a strong sense of accountability within the MP batter. Raghuwanshi can be exceedingly tough on himself as evident from an instance where Khurasiya asked the 22-year-old cricketer to train from 10 AM to 12 PM. Krishna Pal arrived at 11.45 AM, urging his son to leave along with the other players. Khurasiya soon noted Raghuwanshi’s absence, instructing the MP batter’s father not to give him lunch as a form of punishment.“Akshat was very tired but didn’t eat lunch and dinner that day out of guilt over making such an error in judgment. He never repeated such a mistake again,” said Krishna Pal.‘Brutal realisation, hardcore transformation’Raghuwanshi soon started impressing for MP, scoring a century on first-class debut, followed by a half-century in the second match. However, despite all the runs in domestic cricket, a shot at the IPL continued to elude him, resulting in a brutal realisation two years back which emerged as a major eye-opener. Raghuwanshi used to focus on orthodox cricket earlier with grounded shots but soon realised that such gameplay and a strike rate of 150 wouldn’t earn him a spot in the T20 league.“Akshat used to tell me again and again, ‘Players are scoring 80 off 40 balls and getting picked. Why will anyone take me?’. I would scold him, saying that playing too fast will ruin his game. However, Akshat was convinced that a strike rate of 150 will only lead to state-level opportunities, shifting focus towards maintaining a strike rate of 200 in every knock,” shared Krishna Pal.Raghuwanshi quickly figured out a training programme involving a fine mix of strength, innovation and focus on ensuring 300 sixes daily in training sessions stretching up to six hours. The 22-year-old batter also enjoys strong conviction in his gameplay, sticking to his aggressive mindset despite being discouraged by coaches. Raghuwanshi was dropped as punishment on certain occasions but stuck to the same approach due to his ultimate dream of featuring in the IPL. The MP batter was especially scolded a lot for playing the sweep shot which has been a strong weapon in his armour, staying resolute due to the dominance it provides against spinners.‘Abhishek Sharma’s praise’ Interestingly, Raghuwanshi drew praise from Abhishek Sharma during a tournament in Baroda last year. Sharma encouraged the MP batter to maintain strong belief, emphasising that the 22-year-old cricketer is built for cricket’s highest levels.“Akshat can spot the length very accurately and enjoys strong balance at the crease. He can cut and pull astutely as well as make a difference as an opener, middle-order batter and finisher. His mental strength and character will hold him in good stead,” stated Khurasiya.