Vaihayasi Pande Daniel

Stories by Vaihayasi Pande Daniel

Sheena Bora Trial: What's Peter's crime?

Sheena Bora Trial: What's Peter's crime?

Rediff.com   9 Jan 2019

The 25 odd witnesses that so far had given testimony had not come up with anything incriminating against Peter or the way Shivade characterised it -- "not even a whisper."

Sheena Bora case: Indrani spends her birthday in court

Sheena Bora case: Indrani spends her birthday in court

Rediff.com   4 Jan 2019

Indrani is easily the most striking woman arriving in the court complex from jail on trial days. For those who don't know who she is, there is absurd puzzlement written large on faces when they bump into her. When she reaches or leaves the premises, one notices heads swivelling in jaw-dropping curiosity, as did a pair of transsexual undertrials who crossed her path at the last hearing of 2018, who were, not surprisingly, a less unusual sight than Indrani.

WATCH! Shashi Tharoor: 'Modi is a great salesman'

WATCH! Shashi Tharoor: 'Modi is a great salesman'

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2018

'People have realised they bought into the prime minister's package and it is empty.'

Sheena Bora Trial: Enter Sheena's dad

Sheena Bora Trial: Enter Sheena's dad

Rediff.com   16 Dec 2018

Badami asked Das if Indrani was in the room. Das, whipping out his hand and pointing it at Indrani, announced: "Yes, she is right there." Indrani, who was looking down, through most of the hearing, momentarily raised her eyes, just a fraction and glanced at him. That was the first time either of them looked at each other. Till then, and later, Das refused to look at her, as if he was not able to, either out of anger or revulsion. It seemed mutual. Indrani too pretended throughout like he did not exist.

'In Indian politics you have to find a place for Hindus'

'In Indian politics you have to find a place for Hindus'

Rediff.com   15 Dec 2018

Mark Tully on the India he loves.

The sheer pain of losing my father

The sheer pain of losing my father

Rediff.com   13 Dec 2018

Time unkindly has a sole endeavour: To drag the person, whose death you are mourning, further and further away from your presence, to some far edge of your falsely anesthetised mind. So your memories are drained of colour, growing faint and grainy. You are left with a more and more distant recollections of that person, their laugh, their embrace, their voice and the moments surrounding their final departure. Vaihayasi P Daniel mourns her beloved father who passed away one December morning last year.

Sheena Bora Trial: What's wrong with Peter?

Sheena Bora Trial: What's wrong with Peter?

Rediff.com   5 Dec 2018

He is, at the closing of 2018, a man quite different from the Peter Mukerjea who entered judicial custody three-and-a-half years ago. He is a man not yet convicted of a crime, but already suffering for it, like the hundreds that enter these courts every day and the thousands Peter shares jail space with in a central Mumbai prison.

'Tell me, who is today's enemy?'

'Tell me, who is today's enemy?'

Rediff.com   4 Dec 2018

'There is no remorse over the Dadri lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq or of Pehlu Khan by cow vigilante groups.' 'But should you not have remorse for those who came to kill them?' 'They were Hindus. Do you accept that?' 'That to kill one Pehlu, 20 Hindus have become murderers.' Rajdeep Sardesai in conversation with Ravish Kumar.

Sheena Bora Trial: Peter wants to access his bank locker

Sheena Bora Trial: Peter wants to access his bank locker

Rediff.com   28 Nov 2018

Peter told Judge Jagdale that there was only jewellery in the locker -- some of it that he had "gifted to my wife" and some that "she had received" at the time of their marriage, that the CBI had already inspected the locker in his presence and were aware of what was there.

Arun Shourie: How Modi can be beaten in 2019

Arun Shourie: How Modi can be beaten in 2019

Rediff.com   21 Nov 2018

'The BJP has no presence where the regional parties are strong.' 'And we should think of the Congress and support the Congress in those places where it is the dominant regional party.' 'The leaders of the other parties (have to) get together on this simple principle of one candidate against the BJP candidate.'

'Hindutva has nothing to do with Hinduism'

'Hindutva has nothing to do with Hinduism'

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2018

'No civilised nation can thrive if it is possessed with the spirit of Hindutva.'

Amitabh, Jaya and a musical book launch...

Amitabh, Jaya and a musical book launch...

Rediff.com   16 Nov 2018

Amitabh: "There is a very famous limerick that aptly describes my presence tonight, ladies and gentleman: A funny young man from Clyde In a funeral carriage was spied; When asked, "Who is dead?" He giggled and said, "I don't know; I just came for the ride."

My Daughter Mithali Raj

My Daughter Mithali Raj

Rediff.com   9 Nov 2018

'From the beginning (I have told her) "Whatever it may be -- you are losing or winning -- on the ground you're not going to cry!" She never cried.' '"I don't want you to project that you are a loser. You are a winner".' Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com speaks to Leela Raj about her famous daughter, now in the West Indies for the women's T20 World Cup.

From a quiet, benign presence to the midst of a media melee

From a quiet, benign presence to the midst of a media melee

Rediff.com   5 Nov 2018

Pragya Singh Thakur remained at the back of the courtroom during Tuesday's framing of the charges, her face serene, quite different from the fiery person one read about or saw on television. But once the day's proceedings were over and she was wheeled out, the sadhvi decided she actually was very keen to meet the media and headed right out into the melee, says Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com.

Sheena Bora Trial: What the hotel receptionist said

Sheena Bora Trial: What the hotel receptionist said

Rediff.com   1 Nov 2018

Sanjeev Khanna stepped out of his usual sort of absent-minded personality to actively 'log into' the hearing, following the testimony alertly, at times standing up in the accused box to catch all of what was being said. His co-accused Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea were less attentive, but were not switched off either.

Sheena Bora Trial: Indrani wants to argue her case for bail

Sheena Bora Trial: Indrani wants to argue her case for bail

Rediff.com   5 Oct 2018

Accused No 1 announced that there had been a change in the circumstances of her health condition. She produced a thick 19-page document, written in her neat, very feminine handwriting, detailing her condition, its symptoms and the consequences it could have on her health and well-being.

Sheena Bora Trial: How will the Indrani saga end?

Sheena Bora Trial: How will the Indrani saga end?

Rediff.com   11 Sep 2018

Ever since Indrani's bail plea was denied by the judge her security has been stepped up. The message was clear. If she felt that unsafe she could get all the security she needed. But in jail she stayed.

Sheena Bora Trial: The Very Co-operative Witness

Sheena Bora Trial: The Very Co-operative Witness

Rediff.com   7 Sep 2018

Devulkar had a certain abnormal vagueness about him that was unreal and defied belief. That came across in both his slightly too easy-going, extra-cooperative manner and the ragged nature of his testimony.

'The system is holding Indians back'

'The system is holding Indians back'

Rediff.com   1 Sep 2018

'I went to slums in India which were quite destitute, where people were clearly really struggling, but typically there is a sort of sense of purpose.' 'People are hustling.' 'What that tells you is that if the country was so organised in a way to give these people opportunity, then they would make something of it.'

Sheena Bora Trial: Why is Indrani downcast?

Sheena Bora Trial: Why is Indrani downcast?

Rediff.com   31 Aug 2018

'With folded hands, on humanitarian grounds, if she can get temporary bail on medical grounds so she can get treatment.' 'If she dies, the whole trial gets derailed.'