Latest news with #Manas
New Indian Express
23-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Five arrested for kidnapping, extortion of junior engineer in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur
JAGATSINGHPUR: Kujang police on Wednesday arrested five persons for allegedly kidnapping a junior engineer (JE) of the Rural Development department. Police said Rajiv Das (23), Sankar Mohapatra (36), Satya Prakash Pradhan (26), Sritam Behera (23) and Suraj Sahoo (29) abducted JE Manas Sahoo on May 16. Manas, a resident of Narasinghpur in Cuttack, is posted at the Rural Development section in Pankapal and stays in government quarters. Satya had connected with Manas on Facebook and after seeing him wearing gold ornaments, reportedly conspired with the other accused to kidnap and extort money and valuables from him, said police. As per their plan, Satya contacted the JE and claimed that he wanted to meet him for some official work. After Manas agreed, a car arrived near his quarters. In his complaint, the JE had claimed that while the car driver and another person were already inside the vehicle, two more individuals approached from behind and assaulted him. They forced him into the car at gunpoint. The assailants tore his shirt and recorded a video of his bare body reportedly to blackmail him. The car then proceeded towards Paradip via Rahama Bazaar in Tirtol. Near Rahama petrol pump, a fifth accomplice joined them. The miscreants then demanded `1 lakh from Manas and threatened him with dire consequences if he failed to comply. When the JE told them he had no money, they allegedly snatched a gold chain and finger ring from him. The accused reportedly warned Manas to arrange the money, saying they would contact him again for the payment and return his belongings afterwards. They then dropped him off near his quarters, following which he lodged a complaint with Kujang police. Kujang IIC Bansidhar Pradhan said police have seized the vehicle used in the crime and recovered the stolen gold ornaments from the accused's possession.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Time of India
Stranded at 2 at night: IIT Delhi student's nightmare on Rajasthan highway sparks outrage over bus safety
It began as any other intercity trip. Manas had booked a sleeper berth from Delhi to Laxmangarh through a popular online platform that connects users to private bus services . The ticket cost him Rs 900—seemingly a fair price for a peaceful overnight ride. But by the early hours of morning, the ride took a dramatic and deeply unsettling detour. Near Shahjahanpur in Rajasthan, the bus was flagged down by local police. The reason? The operator had been evading road tax payments for over a year. What followed was chaos: every single passenger, including elderly people, women, and children, was asked to deboard in the dead of night with no backup plan in sight. No Shelter, No Support The group was left stranded on the roadside, exposed and vulnerable, as time crawled past 2 a.m. 'After two hours on the highway with no help, I was crammed into another bus that had no available seats,' Manas wrote in a now-viral LinkedIn post, detailing the ordeal that has since caught the internet's attention. 'There was just standing room. And even then, some passengers had to board vehicles that weren't even going to their destination. They were dropped off 60 km away and forced to find their own way.' Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thousands Are Saving Money Using This Wall Plug elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Click Here Undo His tone was less of complaint and more of a call to action—a searing reminder of how unregulated private transport services can jeopardize not just schedules but safety. Manas wrote in a now-viral LinkedIn post, detailing the ordeal that has since caught the internet's attention. Outrage Over Indifference What aggravated the situation further, Manas claimed, was the lack of accountability from the online travel platform . He described the customer support as 'mechanical and unhelpful,' offering no real-time assistance during the emergency. 'There was no backup. No refund. No accountability,' he wrote. 'This isn't about Rs 900—it's about safety and trust in public transport.' You Might Also Like: Why the 'IIT tag' might not land you a global tech job: London techie's bold post sparks viral debate In an era where consumers book with a single tap, trusting that verification protocols are in place, the experience felt like a breach of more than just expectations—it felt like a breach of basic trust. Refunds, Resistance, and the Role of Outrage Initially, Manas was offered a partial refund—15% from the bus operator and 25% from the platform. It was only after he pushed back forcefully and highlighted the issue online that a full refund was processed. 'It shows how outrage is needed for what should have been done in the first place,' he wrote in a follow-up post, adding that he is still unclear whether any real steps have been taken to ensure this won't happen again. The platform responded in the comments section, stating, 'Please be assured! Appropriate action will be taken to ensure such issues are curbed in the near future. We hope to serve you better.' But for many readers, the assurance seemed too little, too late. Initially, Manas was offered a partial refund—15% from the bus operator and 25% from the platform. The Bigger Question: Who's Responsible? Manas's ordeal has opened up a larger conversation around third-party travel aggregators and the kind of operators they choose to list. 'If you're running a platform that connects people to travel services, the bare minimum is to ensure those services are legally compliant and safe,' he emphasized. You Might Also Like: Bengaluru techie feels trapped: 7.5% salary hike, 10% rent hike. Two CAs offer advice In a country where countless people rely on intercity bus services for work, education, and family commitments, the incident is a wake-up call. It raises troubling questions about how often such lapses go unreported, and whether it takes a viral post from an IIT student to trigger action.
India Today
20-05-2025
- India Today
IIT Delhi student stranded at midnight as bus stops midway in Rajasthan, shares ordeal
An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi student said he was stranded at 2am along with other passengers after the private bus he boarded was pulled over mid-route for not paying road taxes for over a Jajodia detailed the incident in a now-viral LinkedIn post. He had booked a private bus from Delhi to Laxmangarh through redBus, paying Rs 900 for a single sleeper seat. The journey, however, took an unexpected said the bus was stopped near Shahjahanpur by Rajasthan Police in the early hours of the morning, who found it had been operating without clearing road taxes for over a year. All passengers, including women, children, and elderly people, were asked to deboard and left stranded without assistance. 'After two hours stranded on the roadside, I was forced into another bus that had no available seats, just standing space,' he said, adding, 'Some people had to board a bus that didn't even go to their destination. They were dropped off 60 km away and had to find their own way from there.'The student also slammed redBus support as he claimed the responses were generic and unhelpful throughout the ordeal. He questioned how such buses, operating illegally, are listed on travel platforms without basic was no backup. No refund. No accountability,' he wrote, adding, 'This isn't just about Rs 900. It's about safety and trust in public transport.'Jajodia questioned the absence of emergency protocols in such situations and called for stricter checks on bus operators listed on third-party platforms.'This isn't just about Rs 900. It's about trust, safety, and responsibility in public travel. If you're running a platform that connects people to travel services, the bare minimum is to ensure those services are legally compliant and safe. We deserve better,' Jajodia said as he concluded his post. Take a look at the post here: In a follow-up post, Jajodia said he was initially offered a partial refund, 15 per cent from the operator and 25 per cent from redBus. A full refund was issued only after he strongly objected. 'It shows how outrage is needed for what should have been done in the first place,' he said, adding that he is still unsure if any real steps have been taken to prevent such in the comments section of the post, said, 'Manas, as discussed over the call. Please be assured! Appropriate action will be taken to ensure such issues are curbed in the near future. We hope to serve you better.' advertisement Several social media users said that such incidents raise serious questions about the checks in place for listed travel services. Must Watch
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kering & Cannes Film Festival To Honor Brazilian Filmmaker Marianna Brennand With Prestigious Women In Motion Prize Alongside Nicole Kidman At Glitzy Sunday Night Soiree
Filmmaker Marianna Brennand notes that familial abuse is something 'that starts happening really subtly.' No one really believes that someone 'that you trust and is so close to you, someone that should be protecting you' could be capable of sexually abusing you. The stark topic of child sexual abuse is at the core of Brennand's film Manas, set on Marajó Island where the Amazon empties into the Atlantic. More from Deadline Brazil Named As Country of Honor At 2025 Cannes Market Legendary Musician & Brazilian Culture Minister Margareth Menezes On Rebuilding The Country's Film Sector & Regulating Streamers: 'We Want What Is Fair' One To Watch: Antonia Desplat On Her Memorable Experience On 'The Phoenician Scheme' Set: "It Never Gets Normal Because Wes Is A Genius" Manas is the result of eight years of research where she and colleagues interviewed young girls and their families 'about this very specific reality that happens in the north of Brazil,' she explains, 'in this very specific social, political, economical context. But sexual violence happens everywhere, and familial abuse happens next door to us.' The film's screenplay was shaped and written by Felipe Sholl, Marcelo Grabowsky, Brennand, Antonia Pellegrino, Camila Agustini and Carolina Benevides. On Sunday night, Brennand will be the recipient of the Kering and Festival du Cannes 2025 Women in Motion Emerging Talent Award because of the stunning achievement that Manas is. Kering and the festival will bestow Oscar winner Nicole Kidman with its 10th Women in Motion Award, the organization's highest honor. Brennand is thrilled that Manas will be in the room tonight where important things can be made to happen. RELATED: Brennand chose to fictionalize the research results rather than have the young girls they'd interviewed relive their trauma in front of a camera. In a sense, turning the reality into drama has enabled her to dig deeper. In Manas, Jamilli Correa plays Marcielle, known as Tielle, and we realize that there's something untoward going on when she finds that the ropes of the hammock she sleeps in have been cut. She has no other choice but to cuddle up beside her father in his bed. Her pregnant mother prefers to sleep separately. Brennand says the mother is significant in 'this perverse cycle of abusive relationships' because what happens to Tielle happened to her as well. 'I met so many women and I heard so many stories through my research,' Brennand says when we meet at a cafe a block away from the Palais de Festivals. 'Usually it's like a woman seeing her mother go through that. It happened to her mother, it happened to her grandmother, it happened to her sister, it happened to her aunt. So it's just really something that's become normalized,' she laments. Because of harrowing court cases that I covered many years ago, and because my wife once worked for a charity that campaigned to prevent cruelty to children, and for other reasons too, I'm more aware than I ever should be of the denial in families where child abuse has occurred. 'It's really out in the open. People see, but they pretend they do not see, maybe they think that's the only possible way to exist,' Brennand sighs. RELATED: We come back to the noun normalization. 'There's nothing normal in abusing a child or a woman. And it happens. And it happens all the time. You see the MeToo movement and look how hard it was for women, even powerful women in the industry, to come out and speak their truth and ask for help — and be believed.' 'The fault and the shame,' says Brennand, shaking her head with incredulity, 'is always down to the woman.' She mentions Giséle Pelicot, who was abused by her husband in the most heinous manner over a nine-year period and argued that 'shame has to change sides.' RELATED: Brennand continues: 'The shame is not ours, and I think that's so huge, so important for us to realize the shame should be in the abuser. The fault is the abuser, not ours. But society has just glued that fault and that shame on us.' We live in a patriarchal, misogynist society, she adds, 'where people think they have the right over our bodies. The right to do whatever they want with us.' She shows me a large red button that reads: MANAS SUPPORT MANAS (Sisters Support Sisters). There are women 'supporting each other and being supported to break the silence,' she says. 'That's our movement in Brazil, but this is a universal reality.' Manas opened in Brazil a few days ago, and the Women in Motion honor will bring wider awareness to both the film and its subject matter. Strangely, Manas is a beautiful piece of cinema. The locale, for starters, is breathtaking. Brennand and her producers found a river that looked very much like the Tajapuru River, which is huge and has a dark-colored water. The sound design was constructed 'to really provoke this sensorial experience to put you inside Tielle's soul,' starting with the sounds of the forest ,and you hear the water lapping at the wooden structures where they live. As the abuse becomes more intense, 'the sound becomes more psychological,' she says. And the sounds in the film should be listened to by the largest audience possible. Brennand says that in parts of rural Brazil, there's no sex education at all. I counter that by saying in major cities in the UK, and more than likely in the U.S. as well, there's little or no sex education in classrooms. What's so vital about the film and it being championed by Kering and the festival is that it allows exposure to a sensitive subject. Brennand won the 2024 Venice Days Director's Prize for Manas, so that and Sunday's prestigious award allows her time and space to develop two further feature films. One is an adaptation of a contemporary Brazilian book written by a female author who, for now, she declines to name. The second film project will be based on research she's made on psychological violence against women. Brennand says she'll be very busy for 'as long as we keep suffering in having to fight for our existence.' Kidman's going to want to have a long chat with Brennand at the Kering dinner. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About Ari Aster's 'Eddington' So Far
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Zoology Cong concludes with cultural events
Lucknow: A vibrant cultural evening marked the conclusion of the 36th All-India Congress of Zoology and the International Conference on Innovations in Life Sciences for Sustainable Development (ILSSD-2025) at Lucknow University on Saturday. The evening featured an electrifying rock concert by Abhinn Shyam, Manas, Ved, Shashwat, and Aditi, mesmerizing classical dances by Sarvagya, Sanskriti, and Shubhi, and soulful melodies by sister duo Chehek–Mahek and guitarist Sarmad. Poetry by Harsh added a reflective touch to the celebrations. The valedictory session recognized research contributions through ZSI and ILSSD-2025 awards .
