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Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Film City project in Yeida to take off on June 26
The upcoming International Film City project in Sector 21 of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) along the Yamuna Expressway will take off on June 26 with the foundation laying ceremony, officials said on Saturday. The first phase of the project is estimated to be completed within 18 months after the work starts. Boney Kapoor's consortium submits their plans for the Film City in May. (HT Photo) The Bayview Bhutani Film City Pvt Ltd — a consortium led by film producer Boney Kapoor and the Bhutani Group— is executing the project, which will be divided in three phases. The first phase will spread over 230 acre with an estimated cost of ₹ 1,510 crore. According to Boney Kapoor, in the first phase of the project, multiple film studios and sound stages will be constructed and shooting of films will begin within 18 months. Rajeev Arora, general manager, Bayview Bhutani Film City Pvt Ltd, said Yeida had approved the layout plan for the first phase on June 16. It will also include post-production units, a runway, helipad, galleries resembling the Parliament House, 'char dham' themed sets and solar-powered locations. The Bayview Projects LLP and the Bhutani Group offered the gross revenue share bid of 18 percent in the project. Following the issuance of the Letter of Award, a concession agreement was signed on June 27, 2024, between Yeida and the concessionaire representative Boney Kapoor. In accordance with the agreement, the Right of Way was handed over to the concessionaire on February 27, 2025. The project will be completed in three phases spread across 1,000 acre over the next eight years. In the first phase, construction will take place on 230 acre and in the future, expansion will take place on the remaining 770 acre in second and third phases. In the first 230 acre, main structures like film studios, sound stages, post-production units, and a film institute will be built on 155 acre while a commercial centre with retail, offices and entertainment complexes will be developed on the remaining 75 acre.
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
SC stays trial against former Haryana IAS officer in Manesar land case
The Supreme Court has stayed trial proceedings against former Haryana IAS officer Rajeev Arora in the Manesar land deal, investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The former IAS officer had petitioned the apex court after his revision petition challenging his summoning by a special CBI court was dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana high court on May 15. A special CBI court had on December 1, 2020 ordered that the former IAS officer be summoned to face trial for committing offence under section 120-B read with 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the Manesar land matter. However, on a revision petition filed by Arora, the Punjab and Haryana high court on December 14, 2020 had stayed the operation and implementation of the order of the special CBI court. Rejecting the challenge to the special CBI court's December 1, 2020 order, the HC on May15 said it found no illegality or infirmity in the order passed by learned special CBI court in summoning the petitioners. An apex court bench headed by chief justice BR Gavai, however, on May 29 ordered that notice be issued to the respondents and 'proceedings qua the petitioner (Rajeev Arora) shall stand stayed till the next date of hearing.' During the trial court proceedings on Friday, Special CBI judge, Rajeev Goyal while referring to the apex court's order of May 29 ordered that proceedings against all the accused persons except Rajeev Arora shall commence. The special court in its June 6 order noted that it is, therefore, seen that all the accused except accused Dhare Singh, Kulwant Singh Lamba, DR Dhingra and Rajeev Arora, have been ordered to be charge-sheeted qua the offences as detailed in the order December 1, 2020. The court said that now arguments need to be advanced on charges in respect of accused Dhare Singh, Kulwant Singh Lamba and DR Dhingra. Learned defence counsels seek time to prepare the arguments. Learned senior public prosecutor Harsh Mohan Singh submits that charge-sheet may kindly be framed against the accused persons who have already been ordered to be charge-sheeted vide order dated December 1,2020. 'I am not able to accept the submission made by the senior public prosecutor as it will not be appropriate to frame charge-sheet before considering the case concerning framing of charges in respect of accused Dhare Singh, Kulwant Singh Lamba and DR Dhingra. In case, the court after hearing contentions of the said accused persons and senior public prosecutor for CBI, concludes that charges are required to be framed against said accused persons as well, then a consolidated charge-sheet qua all the accused persons shall be framed and in my opinion, it will be more appropriate if such a course is adopted, for framing charge-sheet in a piecemeal manner is not desirable. As such, to come up on July 10, 2025 for arguments on charge qua accused Dhare Singh, Kulwant Singh Lamba and DR Dhingra,'' ordered the special court.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
UP youth to get preference in jobs at film institute in Noida Film City
Lucknow: Youth from the state will be given preference in the state-of-the-art Film Institute being established in the upcoming International Film City near the Yamuna Expressway, an official spokesperson said on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The International Film City is being developed in Sector 21 under the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). The construction of the Film City will be carried out by Bayview Bhutani Film City Pvt Ltd—a consortium led by renowned Bollywood filmmaker and the Bhutani Group. In its first phase, the project will cover 230 acres and involve an investment of Rs 1,510 crore. It will include the construction of multiple studios and the film institute, expected to be completed within the next three years. "The film institute will be one of its kind. In the first phase, it will be built over an area of 3 lakh square feet. The institute will have modern classrooms, studios, editing suites, and a VR lab equipped with the latest technologies. Students will get hands-on experience working on real film projects and will also have access to the latest film-making technologies," said Rajeev Arora, general manager of the company. He added, "Local youth will be given priority in both training and employment. Special preference will be given to the youth from the Yamuna Expressway region and nearby areas, while young people from other parts of Uttar Pradesh will also benefit." He also mentioned that training local youth and offering them jobs will be more cost-effective than hiring staff from Mumbai. This will help create jobs within the film city in areas like studios, production, and more. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The institute will offer courses in acting, story writing, script writing, editing, camera operation, lighting, spot boy duties, VFX, fashion, and mass communication. In addition, it will provide training and facilities related to film music. There will be workshops, internships, and guest lectures in partnership with production houses, allowing students to learn directly from industry experts. The Film City will also host movie premieres, so that production houses don't have to travel to other cities to launch their films. A comprehensive resource centre will be set up with films, scripts, and academic materials, which will serve as a valuable asset for both students and filmmakers. The institute will also organise film festivals, exhibitions, and competitions, giving students opportunities to showcase their talent. The campus will also include facilities like hostels, a cafeteria, a health centre, and recreational areas for students.
United News of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- United News of India
UP: Upcoming Film Institute to offer training in acting, script writing
Lucknow, May 28 (UNI) The upcoming International Film City near the Yamuna Expressway will offer professional training across a wide range of disciplines such as acting, script writing, editing, VFX, camera operation, lighting, fashion, media and mass communication, official sources said here on Wednesday. Sources said that after completing their training, students will be provided employment opportunities within the Film City itself, thereby fostering local job creation and strengthening the region's creative economy. Sources said that the International Film City is being developed in Sector 21 under the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). "In its first phase, the project will cover 230 acres and involve an investment of Rs 1,510 crore. The construction of the Film City will be carried out by Bayview Bhutani Film City Private Limited, a consortium led by renowned Bollywood filmmaker Boney Kapoor and the Bhutani Group. The first phase of construction, including multiple studios and the film institute, is expected to be completed within the next three years," they said. The company's General Manager, Rajeev Arora, said that this Film Institute will be one of its kind. "In the first phase, it will be built over an area of 3 lakh square feet. The institute will have modern classrooms, studios, editing suites and a VR lab equipped with the latest technologies. Students will get hands-on experience working on real film projects and will also have access to the latest film-making technologies," he said. He said that local youth will be given priority in both training and employment. "Special preference will be given to the youth from the Yamuna Expressway region and nearby areas, while young people from other parts of Uttar Pradesh will also benefit," he said. Arora said that training local youth and offering them jobs will be more cost-effective than hiring staff from Mumbai. "This will help create jobs within the film city in areas like studios, production and more," he said. The institute will offer courses in acting, story writing, script writing, editing, camera operation, lighting, spot boy duties, VFX, fashion and mass communication. Besides, it will provide training and facilities related to film music. There will be workshops, internships and guest lectures in partnership with production houses, allowing students to learn directly from industry experts. The Film City will also host movie premieres, so that production houses don't have to travel to other cities to launch their films. A comprehensive resource centre will be set up with films, scripts and academic materials, which will serve as a valuable asset for both students and filmmakers. The institute will also organise film festivals, exhibitions and competitions, giving students opportunities to showcase their talent. These events will not only enhance creativity but also help students build industry connections and gain exposure. The campus will also include facilities like hostels, a cafeteria, a health centre and recreational areas for students. These amenities will provide a comfortable and inspiring environment where students can focus on learning and developing their creativity. The institute will not only become a hub for training and employment for young people, but it will also help establish UP as a major centre for the film and entertainment industry. UNI AB GNK 1401
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Manesar land deal:No illegality committed by trial court, says HC on summoning of 5, including former IAS officer, as additional accused
The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has said that the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, Panchkula, did not commit an 'illegality' while summoning five officers, including former IAS Rajeev Arora, as additional accused in the controversial Manesar land deal. 'Illegality or infirmity in the impugned order passed by the learned special court in summoning the petitioners. The challenge to the impugned order is, therefore, liable to be rejected. Consequently, all the petitions stand dismissed,' the bench said. In December 2020, while framing charges against former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and 32 others, the trial court had summoned Arora and four other officers as additional accused, who had not been indicted in the CBI chargesheet. The trial was stayed by high court on December 14, 2020. The May 15, detailed judgment of which has been released now, paves the way for the commencement of the trial. The high court bench of justice Manjari Nehru Kaul rejected the argument of the petitioners that they had been cited as prosecution witnesses and no new material had emerged subsequent to the filing of the chargesheet that would warrant their summoning as accused. '…the court is only required to ascertain from the material on record whether a prima facie case is made out. The court is not expected to evaluate the probative value or conclusiveness of the material. If, upon consideration of the record, the court discerns the involvement of any person in the commission of the offence who has not been arrayed as an accused, it is well within its powers to summon such person to stand trial,' the bench added. In this judgment, the court has dealt with the issue of summoning officers as accused. The judgment on the petitions from builders and some private persons challenging framing of charges against them is still awaited. Hooda himself had not challenged the trial court order. Those summoned as additional accused by the trial court in December included former Haryana home secretary Rajeev Arora, who served as the managing director of HSIIDC between 2005 and 2012; HSIIDC former chief town planner Surjit Singh; former chief town planner of the town and country planning department Dhare Singh; the then deputy superintendent, town and country planning, Kulwant Singh Lamba; and the then director, industries DR Dhingra. The high court rejected the argument of the petitioners that prosecution sanction is required in the case of retired public servants also in view of the amendment to Section 19 of the PC Act. The amendment requiring prosecution sanction in the case of retired public servants came into effect in July 2018, while cognisance of the case by the trial court was taken in March 2018, prior to the amendment. 'Thus, the amendment requiring sanction for retired public servants does not retrospectively apply to the present case. Consequently, no sanction under Section 19 of the PC Act is required in the case of the petitioners (other than petitioner Rajeev Arora),' the bench observed adding that even in the case of Arora, court did not direct the authorities for granting prosecution sanction but only said that material available in his case be put up before the competent authority. Arora, at the time of the summoning order, was working while other accused persons had retired. The court further said that the petitioners held key positions in the HSIIDC and the department of industries at the relevant point in time. The special court took into consideration various materials forming part of the chargesheet, which prima facie indicated 'their complicity', it said. To the argument that the court could have ordered further investigation, the high court said there is no legal requirement that the special court must invariably direct further investigation upon disagreeing with the police report. 'On the contrary, the law empowers the court to directly summon persons found prima facie involved based on the material placed before it,' it added. 'It is impermissible for the trial court, at this preliminary juncture, to embark upon a detailed evaluation of the defence put forth by the accused, nor is it appropriate for the court to delve into or critically assess the probative value or merits of the case of the prosecution. Engaging in such an exercise would amount to conducting a mini-trial, which is legally impermissible and contrary to the settled position of law,' the bench underlined. The case The controversy dates back to 2004. The Haryana government issued a notification to acquire 912 acres of land under Section 4 (1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, on August 27, 2004, in Manesar, Lakhnaula and Naurangpur villages. Worried that this would reduce the value of their land, owners sold it at throwaway rates, resulting in a wrongful loss of ₹1,500 crore, as per the CBI probe. On August 24, 2007, the then director industries passed another order, releasing the land, in violation of government policy, in favour of the people who had bought the land, instead of the original landowners, CBI had alleged in its chargesheet. The Central agency had started a probe in September 2015, and in 2018, it filed a chargesheet running into 80,000 pages against 34 people, including Hooda. The charges were framed against 33, including Hooda, in December 2020 and these five officers were summoned as additional accused, an order challenged in high court, the same month.
