Latest news with #Ajit
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Mumbai's Hebbar's Heritage Home turns 100 and continues to be a slice of paradise in the heart of the city
In a city that never sleeps and where change happens in the blink of an eye, stepping into Hebbars Heritage Home is like walking into a time capsule. This 'home away from home' is nestled in the bylanes of Fort and has stood the test of time as it completes a century this year. Originally known as the Modern Hindu Hotel, the caretakers of this establishment wanted to add a familial touch 'some 10 years back' and rebranded it with their family name. Founded in 1924 & taken over by Shankar Narayan Hebbar in 1926, he passed the legacy to his son Anantha Krishna. The lodge is now in the capable hands of the third generation of the Hebbar family, Ajit Hebbar. The word hotel means 'means something else abroad and in India, its used very loosely, which is why we changed the named to Hebbar's Heritage Home,' explain Ajit, adding that people were also confused about the word Hindu - 'They didn't understand the concept of us only serving vegetarian food. So we rebranded and modernised ourself. I don't want people to come here and say, it's a hotel, We like the concept of this being a 'home' for travellers.' 'It is very quiet & peaceful, especially as the hostel is in the heart of SoBo. There is a lot of greenery & you can even hear the birds chirping,' says Ajit, as he shows us the various rooms they have available. One can see the love & effort that's gone into maintaining this 100-year-old building and the antiques they house. 'A lot of our money goes into maintenance. It is very tough, but they all belong to my family - the wooden almirahs, trunks that my family traveled with when moving to Mumbai, then Bombay, even the ceramic boxes my grandmum & mum stored wheat & rice in,' he shares. A post shared by HT City Showstoppers (@htcityshowstoppers) 'We encourage community living,' Ajit says, adding, 'We have people coming from all over the world to stay here for business or on vacation, we also get a lot of backpackers. So everyone, from all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds live and even eat together. The hotel used to house an in-house South Indian eatery that served simple, homely & cost-effective 'tiffin'. It was relished by the nearby mill workers, taxi drivers, families visiting & even the politicos working in the nearby Mantralaya & Bombay High Court. However, a court order stating gas cooking wasn't allowed on the ground floor, some 15 years back, put an end to a flourishing business. 'We had several women, wives mostly, who came & asked us to re-start the kitchen,' he saying, laughing, 'Because we used to take care of their husbands' lunch.' Explaining the reason for their popularity, Ajit tells us, 'Nowadays, we all wear similar clothes, talk the same language & even eat the same food; we are global citizens. But think back to 100 years ago, when my ancestors - South Indians from Mangalore - came to Bombay in search of work, they were like fish out of water. And that could be said for a lot of South Indians, who didn't know the language, ate dal & chawal, & wore lungi. This place was started by my grandfather as a way to help them. They would come here & feel happy to find people who ate and looked like them & spoke their language.' Ask Ajit what the future holds for this hostel, that's also a premier shooting location for ads, magazines and films as it retains the Victorian era architecture with hints of Art deco and Portuguese elements. 'I don't think the next generation of Hebbars' will want to take over this business, they have their own aspirations. I was a banker before I took over the family business,' he says, adding, 'Things will take its own course and a place can't run forever. This building will also get old.'
News18
11-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
We Are No Saints To Sit in Opposition, Says Ajit Pawar On Joining Hands With BJP
The party did not form an alliance with the BJP at the cost of ideology, Ajit Pawar claimed. Justifying his decision to join hands with the BJP, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said he and his colleagues were not 'saints" who could remain in the opposition and be content with protesting and shouting slogans. Speaking at an event here to mark the 26th Foundation Day of the undivided NCP, Ajit, currently Maharashtra deputy chief minister, made no definitive statement about the possibility of reuniting with his estranged uncle Sharad Pawar's faction. 'The NCP was founded on the ideologies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj. Some people question our decision to join hands with the BJP and the Mahayuti coalition," said Ajit, who parted ways with his uncle in 2023. 'But didn't we align with the Shiv Sena in 2019? Even then, compromises were made. Just sitting in the opposition, raising slogans and taking out protest marches is not enough. We are not saints. We are here to give a direction, address people's issues, and practice the politics of inclusion," he said. The party did not form an alliance with the BJP at the cost of ideology, Ajit Pawar claimed. 'When we decided to join the NDA and Mahayuti in Maharashtra, we saw that leaders like Chandrababu Naidu, known for secular ideology, had also aligned with the NDA. In the past, leaders such as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were also part of the NDA. Our focus is development….We want the schemes of the Centre and state government to reach the last man in society, to improve the people's standard of living and ensure that no section of society feels excluded," he said. On speculation surrounding a possible merger of the two NCP factions, Pawar said party workers may hold differing opinions, but the final decision rests with the leadership. 'It is the party leaders who deliberate and decide on such matters," he added. A systematic campaign was underway to spread misinformation about fund distribution by his ministry, said Pawar who holds the finance portfolio in the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government. 'Compared to the previous budget, we have increased allocations for Scheduled Tribes," he said, referring to a row over alleged diversion of funds from the ST department for the Ladki Bahin scheme for women. He also refuted rumours that the Ladki Bahin scheme, under which eligible women receive Rs 1500 per month, was being discontinued.
India.com
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This actor was most dangerous villain of Bollywood before Amrish Puri, married three times, he was…
This famous actor, once graced the screen as charming hero, winning hearts with his charisma and striking presence. But destiny had a different path carved for him, one that roared louder than the rest. Transitioning from the lead roles to the world of menacing antagonists, he redefined villainy in Indian cinema. With his signature baritone, fierce gaze, and commanding screen aura, he became synonymous with fear, earning the unforgettable title of 'The Lion.' His transformation wasn't just career-defining, it set a new benchmark for on-screen villains like Amrish Puri, Shakti Kapoor, Amjad Khan and Sadashiv Amrapurkar, who could be as iconic as the heroes they challenged. The Lion Of Bollywood Here we are talking about Bollywood's one of the most dreaded villains, Ajit Khan , who carved out a unique niche for himself in the film industry by rising above poverty and the various trials of life. He debuted in Bollywood as a hero from Shah-E-Misr , but it was through his portrayal of antagonists that he truly gained fame. Viewers appreciated his performances so greatly that his movies consistently achieved box office success. Before his film career, Hamid Ali Khan had abbreviated his name to 'Ajit' on the suggestion of film director Nana Bhai Bhat due to the length of his actual name. Ajit's Dream and Life-Changing Incident As per reports from media, Ajit Khan had dreamed of becoming an actor since he was a child. In pursuit of this aspiration, he left his home and traveled to Mumbai. Lacking financial resources, he even resorted to selling his books. With no place to stay in Mumbai, he began to sleep in large cement pipes. During that time, some thugs would extort money from those residing in those pipes. If residents failed to pay, they would be beaten and forced to leave. One day, Ajit became extremely frustrated and confronted the thugs. No thug could withstand Ajit's bravery, and they all fled. Following this incident, he earned great respect among the residents in that area. This chapter in Ajit Khan's life exemplifies his passion and bravery, which ultimately made him one of Bollywood's most iconic villains. The Personal Front And End Ajit was married three times. His first marriage to an Anglo-Indian Christian ended quickly due to cultural differences. He then married Shahida in an arranged match. The marriage was successful and they had three sons, Shahid, Zahid, and Abid . His third wife, Sarah , was introduced to him by actor Jayant, and they had two sons, Shehzad and Arbaaz . Ajit lived in Hyderabad in his last days and died on 22 October 1998 at the age of 76 after suffering from a massive heart attack.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Time of India
AIIMS student,intern among 3 held for RajNEET fraud
Jaipur: A final-year MBBS student of AIIMS Jodhpur and a medical intern from Bharatpur were among three persons arrested Friday for alleged involvement in a dummy candidate racket in NEET-UG 2020 exam, police said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Jaipur DCP (West) Amit Kumar identified the student as Sachin Gaura (22), intern as Ajit Gaura (30) and the third suspect as Subhash Saini (33). Ajit has completed his MBBS and is interning at Shri Jagannath Pahadia Medical College, Bharatpur, while Saini is posted as a community health officer in Jaipur. All three are residents of Jaipur's Chomu. Sachin allegedly paid Rs 60 lakh to Saini to arrange the impersonation. Saini was previously arrested in a 2013 exam fraud of Rs 65 lakh. Kumar said a case was registered after it emerged that Ajit may have appeared in NEET 2020 in place of Sachin. Sachin's admit card featured Ajit's photograph, and the impersonation helped Sachin to score 667 marks and secure an All-India Rank of 1,443 — good enough for admission to AIIMS Jodhpur. "Ajit had cleared NEET in 2019 after eight years of preparation. Ironically, while he had struggled with backlogs during his MBBS, Sachin, who never took the exam himself, is performing well at AIIMS," DCP Kumar said. The investigators are ascertaining if it was Ajit or someone else who had appeared on behalf of Sachin in the test, Kumar said. Saini, an ayurvedic doctor, allegedly used forged documents and his contacts to facilitate the fraud. The investigators have sought records from National Testing Agency (NTA) — which conducts NEET — AIIMS Jodhpur and Pahadia Medical College. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Last month, cops busted another racket in Jaipur's Chomu involving dummy candidates and hi-tech devices. That case led to the arrests of five people, including two postgraduate students from the National Institute of Ayurveda and a first-year MBBS student from Karnataka allegedly trying to field a dummy candidate in this year's NEET-UG exam. Their plans were foiled by a police raid. "Saini is a habitual offender. We suspect there's a major cheating racket in Chomu given this is the second time in 30 days that we busted another NEET fraud," said an officer.
Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Months before completing MBBS, AIIMS Jodhpur man held over 'dummy candidate' use in NEET exam
Barely months before his MBBS course was to be completed in AIIMS Jodhpur, a man was allegedly found to have paid for a "dummy candidate" in his National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) in 2020, officials said on Friday. Rajasthan Police has arrested him and a doctor for the fraud. Another doctor working as a health officer in Ghatwa, Nagaur was detained in connection with the case, they said. Jaipur Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Amit Kumar said a report was received from the National Examination Agency, New Delhi that Sachin Gora who scored 667 marks in NEET UG-2020 never appeared for the exam and used a "dummy candidate". The DCP said the agency found that the photo of Dr Ajit Gora was used in Sachin's admit card. Sachin is currently a final year student at AIIMS Jodhpur Medical College. Dr Subhash Saini who now works as a health officer in Ghatwa allegedly involved Ajit in the fraud and took money for it. Ajit is currently doing the compulsory one-year internship after completing his MBBS from Bharatpur Medical College. As per initial investigation, a deal of ₹60 lakh was fixed to make the "dummy candidate" clear the test. Police have arrested Sachin and Ajit and detained Saini. During interrogation, police said they found that Saini had taken ₹65 lakh in 2013 to get a person clear the NEET-PG exam. Police had then arrested six people in connection to the case.
