MUMBAI: Three days after a sessions court in Nashik upheld his conviction for an offence of cheating in a 30-year-old case of securing a flat under the state’s EWS quota by showing lower income, Bombay HC Friday suspended ex-minister and NCP politician Manikrao Kokate’s two-year sentence and granted him bail. However, it didn’t stay his conviction, with Justice R N Laddha saying “democracy requires probity in public life” and referring to Kokate’s status as minister. Kokate had rushed to HC Wednesday – a day after his Feb 20 conviction was upheld. He was also admitted to Lilavati Hospital. He was divested of his portfolios the same day and he resigned as minister Thursday.The lack of a stay on his conviction by a single HC judge bench means the assembly Speaker now has to pass orders within a fortnight on his disqualification.While Speaker Rahul Narwekar was not available for comment, legislature officials said they haven’t received a certified copy of the HC order yet. “We need some clarity on how the sentence is suspended and conviction is not stayed, (and) whether it is upheld. So we will see the certified copy and then take legal opinion on any disqualification action,” an official said. The NCP politician can approach the Supreme Court seeking relief. NCP politician Manikrao Kokate’s lawyer argued at length in HC Friday that his conviction in a 1995 cheating case was “purely on conjectures and surmises,” which is anathema to criminal justice.Senior counsel Ravi Kadam, representing Kokate, also argued that when the conviction is of a sitting elected member of a legislature, it forms an exceptional case since, without a stay, his constituency stands unrepresented, making it a fit case for a stay on conviction.Kadam, assisted by advocate Aniket Nikam, showed the conviction order and the part where the trial court judge said Kokate’s annual income “must have been over Rs 30,000” and cited a top court ruling to say when the finding itself is shaky, conviction ought to be set aside. A Nashik magistrate in Feb convicted Kokate and his brother, Vijay for securting flats under EWS quota in 1995. The sessions court on Tuesday upheld conviction and sentence but acquitted him of two other charges.The SC in 2013 held unconstitutional a provision under the Representation of People Act that enabled deferment of disqualification by three months to enable a sitting MP or MLA to appeal and clarified that disqualification kicks in immediately on conviction.Kadam argued the prosecution failed to prove its case and wrongly placed the burden of proof on Kokate to prove his income in 1989 was more than Rs 30,000. The chargesheet also doesn’t say that in 1994, during flat allotment, he made any wrong declaration.Public prosecutor Mankuwar Deshmukh said the trial court order is backed by evidence. Senior counsel Manoj Mohite for the intervenor, complainant, supported the PP’s submissions.Kokate was on bail during trial and appeal. He has not misused his liberty, argued Kadam, a point factored in by the HC to grant bail.Mohite submitted that the family of the accused owned 25 acres at the time when he applied and claimed allotment meant for EWS.Meanwhile, the Nashik police team led by ACP (crime) Sandeep Mitke which was in Mumbai decided to return after HC granted bail to Kokate.

Hardik Pandya blows flying kiss to girlfriend Mahieka Sharma (Screengrabs)

NEW DELHI: India all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Friday lit up the 5th T20I against South Africa with a powerful innings and an emotional celebration that quickly caught everyone’s attention. He smashed India’s second-fastest T20I fifty and then celebrated by blowing flying kisses towards his girlfriend, Mahieka Sharma, who was present in the stands.

The match was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where Hardik walked in to bat at No. 5 after captain Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed early. Having recently returned from a quadriceps injury, there were questions about his rhythm, but Hardik answered them in style. He reached his half-century in just 16 balls, making it the second-fastest T20I fifty by an Indian.As soon as he got to the milestone with a big six, Hardik turned towards the VIP stands and blew flying kisses in Mahieka’s direction. She was seen cheering loudly and smiling, clearly enjoying the moment. The gesture was caught on camera and soon went viral on social media.Watch:Hardik’s innings was full of clean hitting. He attacked the South African bowlers from the start and cleared the boundary with ease. One of his lofted shots was hit so hard that it accidentally struck a cameraman near the boundary, underlining the force behind his strokes.He stitched an important partnership with Tilak Varma, who also played a steady innings and scored a fifty of his own. Together, they pushed India to a massive total of 231 for 5, putting the hosts firmly in control of the match.With this knock, Hardik went past Abhishek Sharma’s 17-ball fifty to move into second place on the list of fastest T20I fifties by Indians. Only Yuvraj Singh’s iconic 12-ball fifty from the 2007 T20 World Cup remains ahead of him.The celebration also carried a personal touch. After his public split from Natasa Stankovic in 2024, Hardik has been more open about his life off the field.

Thane: A 57-year-old taxi driver was convicted for procuring a minor girl but acquitted of rape and aggravated sexual assault charges by the Additional Sessions Court in a case that kept him in custody for nearly four years.The court sentenced the man to the period already undergone in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000, ruling that while he lured and took away an 11-year-old child with wrongful intent, the prosecution failed to prove the more serious charges of penetrative sexual assault.According to prosecutor Rekha Hiwrale, the incident occurred on January 3, 2022, when the child was playing outside her Mumbra building with friends. The prosecution stated that the man enticed the children with chocolates and ice cream, took them for a ride in his taxi, dropped the other children near a mosque, but continued with the girl to isolated Khardi village.Additional Sessions Judge DS Deshmukh found the charge of procuring a minor under Section 366-A of the Indian Penal Code proved beyond doubt. The evidence established that the accused deliberately separated the child from her friends and took her to a remote location with intent to seduce her for illicit purposes.However, the court acquitted him of rape charges after finding critical gaps in evidence. The medical examination conducted just one day after the alleged incident showed no fresh injuries. The doctor found only old, healed hymenal tears sustained more than 48 hours before examination, contradicting the prosecution’s timeline.The judge noted that the child did not immediately report any assault to her mother at the police station or to her grandmother that evening. The disclosure came only the next day to a family friend. During cross-examination, the child admitted deposing in court based on what her mother and advocate told her, raising concerns about coaching.Forensic analysis of seized clothes, nail clippings, and swabs revealed no semen or biological evidence linking the accused to penetrative assault. Public Prosecutor argued for conviction citing Supreme Court precedents on child witnesses, but the defence successfully highlighted contradictions and missing evidence.

Dr Nusrat Parveen, who shot into the limelight following a viral video from an appointment ceremony earlier this month in which Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is seen tugging at her hijab, is set to join her position at Patna’s Govt Tibbi College at 10am on Saturday, reports Ismat Ara. “Yes, she will join work,” college principal Mahfooz Ur Rehman told TOI on Friday, dismissing “unfounded reports” that she has refused to take up the position. Principal: Doctor wants to move on Parveen will officially report to the department of medicine, which functions under the AYUSH and health department.“From what I understand, she wants to move on, and there is no controversy or complaints from her side,” Rehman said.Everything is on track for Nusrat Parveen,the doctor at the centre of the hijab row swirling around Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, to join her position at Patna’s Govt Tibbi College today, according to principal. Mahfooz Ur Rehman.Rehman has remained in touch with Parveen’s family during the period of heightened public attention. “I have spoken with her husband and her brother-in-law. I have also spoken to her classmates and other students”,” he said.Rehman added that the college administration has taken steps to ensure a smooth joining process. “Our objective is to support her and ensure a seamless transition into the college,” he said.The video that sparked widespread debate showed CM Nitish Kumar adjusting Parveen’s hijab during the distribution of appointment letters on Dec 15. The incident triggered political reactions and criticism from opposition parties, including the RJD and Congress.Parveen’s friend and former batchmate Bilkis also confirmed that the former will pursue her career in earnest. “She used to always stay in purdah like seen in that video,” Bilkis added.Referring to the episode, Rehman said the focus should now shift back to Parveen’s professional role. “She wants to concentrate on her work. The incident should not overshadow her career or her responsibilities at the college,” he said. With her reporting scheduled for tomorrow, the principal said the administration has ensured a supportive environment.

After Donald Trump, several other celebrities have now become the new target of the House Oversight Committee as Democrats released new photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate on Thursday, on the eve of the Department of Justice’s deadline to release all of its files on his case.The Committee released around 70 photographs, drawn from Epstein’s computer and email accounts, there were among 95,000 handed over by Epstein’s estate last week and were provided to the committee without context. They shed further light on his lifestyle and social circles.

One image shows former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates standing next to a woman whose face is redacted. Another features Noam Chomsky seated beside Epstein on a plane. Several photographs depict a social gathering over a meal and include faces of powerful or public figures, among them Epstein. A separate image, apparently from the same room, shows Google co-founder Sergey Brin beside New York Times columnist David Brooks. A New York Times spokesperson said in a statement, “As a journalist, David Brooks regularly attends events to speak with noted and important business leaders to inform his columns, which is exactly what happened at this 2011 event. Mr. Brooks had no contact with him before or after this single attendance at a widely-attended dinner.” Several images in the new release show Epstein with women whose faces have been redacted. One photograph appears to show three women with Epstein beside an open computer, one of the women with her arm around his shoulder. Another shows Epstein seated on a plane, pointing out a window while a woman sits closely beside him; her face has also been obscured. Some photos in this batch offer close-ups of a foot and a neck, both inscribed in black pen with quotes from the book Lolita. Additional items include identification cards or passports of several unidentified people from countries such as Russia and the Czech Republic, a hand holding open Epstein’s own passport, and what appears to be a screenshot of text messages saying “I will send u girls now”,” with another one showing an unknown sender writing, “Maybe someone would be good for J?” and including the age and body measurements for an unidentified person. There is also a hand holding a drug bottle labelled for phenazopyridine, a generic analgesia used to relieve urinary tract pain and burning. The latest cache of photographs comes a day before the Justice Department’s deadline to release the Epstein files, after Congress mandated the information be made public. Rep. Robert Garcia, Democratic ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement Thursday, “Oversight Democrats will continue to release photographs and documents from the Epstein estate to provide transparency for the American people.” He added, “As we approach the deadline for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, these new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession. We must end this White House cover-up, and the DOJ must release the Epstein files now.”

Brisbane Heat pulled off a stunning run chase in the Big Bash League (BBL) history that left everyone in shock on Friday (December 19). Chasing a massive target of 258, the Brisbane Heat thrashed the Perth Scorchers by eight wickets in the 6th game of the ongoing BBL 2025-26 at the Gabba in Brisbane.

Jack Wildermuth and Matt Renshaw produced a batting show that will be remembered for years. Wildermuth stayed unbeaten on a sensational 110, while Renshaw smashed a brilliant 102, helping Brisbane Heat to pull off a near-impossible chase in BBL history.

Brisbane Heat pull off historic chase to script history in Big Bash League

The crowd at the Gabba was treated to fearless hitting, clean strikes, and nonstop entertainment with both Heat and Scorchers combining for a staggering 515 runs and 36 sixes in the Big Bash League 2025-26 clash on Friday. This is the highest ever run chase in the history of the BBL.

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Additionally, for the first time ever in T20 cricket history, two batters scored centuries while chasing a target. Brisbane Heat’s successful chase now also stands as the third-highest successful chase in T20s. The match also saw the most sixes ever hit in a single BBL game—36.

Wildermuth and Renshaw recorded the highest partnership ever recorded in a BBL match, as two batters completely took the game away from the opposition with the spectacular 212-run stand for the second wicket off just 95 balls at the Gabba.

Another record belongs to Wildermuth and Renshaw, as two centuries were scored in the same match for the first time in the Big Bash League.

THEY DID IT! The Heat successfully chase 258 in an impossible run chase 🤯 #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/DYmUKgvZK3

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 19, 2025

Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat Match Highlight

Earlier, the Perth Scorchers had set a massive total of 257, thanks to a brilliant 142-run partnership between Cooper Connolly (77 runs off 37 balls) and Finn Allen (79 runs off 38 balls). It was the second highest ever total in the BBL history that had almost given the Scorchers a win, but the Brisbane Heat had other plans.

The chase began disastrously for the Heat as Colin Munro was dismissed on the very first ball, putting early pressure on the team. But Renshaw and Wildermuth immediately turned the game on its head. Both batters launched a fearless assault, taking on the Scorchers’ bowlers with relentless aggression.

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Luck also played a part early on, with Renshaw surviving a no-ball catch and Wildermuth escaping a dropped chance. And they made the most of the lifelines given by the Scorchers in the BBL clash. They took the side to the record-breaking victory, and Max Bryant contributed 28 runs before retiring out.

It’s a bit of a pinch-me moment: Matt Renshaw

Renshaw was named Player of the Match for his incredible hitting at the Gabba. Renshaw said at the post-match presentation, “I still don’t really believe it. It’s a bit of a pinch-me moment, lots of goosebumps. An incredible effort. I think a lot of people probably wrote us off, and to be honest, we might have as well after losing a wicket first ball.

But having Wildermuth at the other end was massive. I’ll definitely be sharing the POTM award with him; he deserves probably half of it, maybe more. That never-say-die attitude made all the difference. It was one of those strange ones (partnership) where we didn’t talk too much. It was more about taking the right options, seeing the ball, and hitting it where you needed to.”

NEW DELHI: Air India Express grounded a senior pilot rostered for duty on Friday after he allegedly assaulted a passenger in front of his family at Delhi airport’s T1 over the latter being allowed to use a security-check lane where aircraft crew and other staff supposedly get priority.Passenger Ankit Dewan accused Captain Virender Sejwal, en route to Bengaluru by IndiGo to join duty, of leaving him with a bloodied face when he called him out for allegedly “cutting the queue”. He said the pilot retorted that the lane was meant for staff and asked him if he was “anpadh” (illiterate), triggering what was initially a verbal altercation.Sources said Sejwal, seen in a blood-smeared white shirt in pictures posted by Dewan on his X handle, allegedly struck the passenger when the latter used “foul language for his ailing mother.” Security personnel intervened and the pilot flew to Bengaluru, but was barred from operating the flight he was to pilot from there. AI Express issued a statement later that Sejwal had been grounded pending an inquiry.Dewan, who describes himself as a “credit card & miles enthusiast” in his bio on X, posted on Friday night that he was to board a SpiceJet flight with his wife, daughter and an infant when the fracas took place.The passenger said airport staff guided him and his family to that security-check “because we had a 4-month-old baby in a stroller”. Dewan wrote that he had to “see a doctor” on reaching his destination and that his “seven-year-old daughter, who saw her father get assaulted brutally, is still traumatised & scared”.“I have no clue how DGCA and Air India Express can allow such pilots to fly. If they can’t keep their cool in a scuffle, can they be trusted with the lives of hundreds of people in the sky? How can Delhi airport get away with such mismanagement, combining staff entry with passengers carrying infants, creating chaos at a sensitive security area? I thought airports were safe places,” he said.Dewan claimed he was forced to write a letter stating that he wouldn’t pursue the case. “It was either write that letter or miss my flight and throw the 1.2 lakh holiday bookings down the drain. Delhi police, why can’t I file a complaint after coming back? Will the CCTV footage disappear in the two days till I make it back to Delhi?” he said.An AI Express spokesperson said the airline “remains committed to ensuring that its employees act responsibly at all times”.“We are aware of an incident involving one of our employees, who was travelling as a passenger on another airline… We unequivocally condemn such behaviour…Appropriate disciplinary action will be initiated based on the findings of the inquiry.”

From Pandharpur’s pilgrimage trails to the former US president’s 2025 playlist, a 13th-century Marathi prayer for universal brotherhood has leapt across time and tides to find a place in Barack Obama’s annual music recommendations.Amid high-energy international pop, hip-hop, and Afrobeats — from Lady Gaga and Blackpink to Kendrick Lamar and Burna Boy — Obama’s list of favourite songs, posted on X on Dec 18, features ‘Pasayadan’, a contemplative modern rendition of the 13th-century abhang by New York-born Tamil Nadu-raised vocalist Ganavya, available on YouTube. ‘Pasayadan’, composed by Sant Dnyaneshwar in the late 13th century, is traditionally sung at the conclusion of the wari, the annual Varkari pilgrimage to Pandharpur. Unlike many devotional compositions that emphasise personal salvation, the abhang casts its net wide, praying for the well-being of all beings, say cultural experts.Drawing from jazz, ambient textures, and South Asian classical traditions, Ganavya’s rendition features in her 2025 album ‘Nilam’, co-produced by Nils Frahm at Berlin’s Funkhaus studio. Viewed widely after Obama’s nod, the track’s YouTube music video, directed by Vali Chandrasekaran and featuring dancer David Adrian Freeland Jr, mirrors its contemplative spirit. In her ‘Nilam’ press statement and interviews around the release, Ganavya explained that ‘Pasayadan’ “is an abhang from the pilgrimage tradition… one of the last prayers we’d sing… where the young saint prays for the sun to rise in all cold hearts…” Describing it as a meditation on wisdom, compassion, and mutual sanctuary amid suffering, she had added that Nilam’s’ central theme is “doing what we need to do to keep carrying on”.Marathi literary experts say the early lines of the abhang establish its moral vision: ‘Je khalanchi vyankati sando, taya satkarmi rati vadho’ — a plea for cruelty to dissolve and wisdom to grow. Its most enduring line, ‘Bhootan paraspere pado, maitra jivanche’, expresses a wish that all beings be bound in friendship. Another verse, ‘Duritanche timir javo, vishva swadharma surye paaho’, calls for the darkness of suffering and ignorance to be dispelled and for the world to be illumined by ethical light.For Marathi scholar Aparna Bedekar, who has a doctorate on sant sahitya, ‘Pasayadan’ represents the philosophical culmination of the Dnyaneshwari, the foundational text of the Bhagwat tradition. “Pasayadan has emerged as its supreme prayer,” she says in Marathi. “Through this prayer, the Varkari pilgrimage in Maharashtra came to embrace people across 18 communities, dissolving distinctions of caste, sect, modes of worship, and social hierarchy.” Saints such as Gora Kumbhar, Sena Nhavi, Savata Mali, Narhari Sonar — and even Kanho Patra, a courtesan — became part of the pilgrimage, she notes, finding spiritual upliftment within its fold.Written in the spoken Marathi of the people, abhangs travelled not through texts alone but through memory, footfall, and voice. Satish Joglekar, author of ‘Window to Ancient India’, describes ‘Pasayadan’ as a prayer that transcends ‘dharma, creed, and time’, surpassing even the Upanishadic idea of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ — the world as one family — because it urges individuals to actively become a refuge for others.The message resonates in the present day. “The world is going through war and strife, so it is deeply relevant,” says Prasad Kambli, director of the acclaimed musical play ‘Sangeet Dev Bababhali’, which features abhangs by 17th-century poet-saint Sant Tukaram. ‘Pasayadan’ is about universal brotherhood. For Dnyaneshwar, this was the crux of the Bhagavad Gita. What was articulated eight centuries ago is being heard again today in a different form, he adds.According to the Siddha Yoga Path website, ‘Pasayadan’ is offered as a gift of divine grace meant for ‘the upliftment and benefit of all people’, reflecting Dnyaneshwar’s wish that compassion and joy reach every human life. The abhang, meaning ‘unbroken’, lies at the heart of the Varkari tradition, which rejected ritual hierarchy and Sanskrit exclusivity in favour of lived ethics and communal devotion, say cultural experts.In modern times, the prayer entered public consciousness through Hridaynath Mangeshkar’s iconic composition, which carried it from pilgrimage routes into homes, concerts, and civic gatherings. Now, Ganavya’s contemporary version propels it into the global spotlight.Obama’s annual book, movies and music list — a tradition he began in the White House — include other Indian highlights such as author Kiran Desai’s acclaimed ‘The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny’ apart from another work that the ex-US president had recommended over the summer: Anita Desai’s ‘Rosarita’. Like ‘Pasayadan’, the books contain similar themes of belonging, human connection and the call to care for others.