PNB scam: Vipul Ambani asks court to allow 'soft' mattress in his jail cell

Vipul Ambani, president, finance, of Nirav Modi-led Firestar Diamond, pleaded before the court to allow a “soft” mattress in his jail cell citing health issues. Ambani is in judicial custody because of his alleged role in the $2-billion fraud at Punjab National Bank. 

Replying to the plea, the judge asked for time to seek the opinion of jail authorities on whether the mattresses already provided to him were “extra soft”.

Singh seeks attention

There was a time when former Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Amar Singh was much sought after by the media. But Singh, now an “independent” Rajya Sabha member after the SP had thrown him out, knows a thing or two about attracting attention. 

A question posed by him for the electronics and information technology minister has been listed to come up in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Singh has sought to know “whether the government is aware that a large number of Indian couples are engaging in live streaming of their sexual acts on porn websites for quick money”. Further, he also wanted to know whether the government has probed this and unearthed details of such couples, and “the number of persons who have been arrested, as transmitting a sexually explicit act is a crime under Section 67A of the IT Act, 2000”. The answer is awaited, but it will ensure Singh some media coverage at least.

No work, no dinner

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu is upset at the stalling of any business at the Upper House for 12 days because of frequent disruptions. Sources said Naidu, who is also the Vice-President, cancelled a dinner he was to host for Rajya Sabha members on Wednesday. 

Naidu has been appealing to political parties to allow the House to run. Sources in his office said preparations for the proposed dinner were put in place last week. Naidu had also spoken to President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajya Sabha Leader of the House Arun Jaitley, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and floor leaders of political parties to invite them for the dinner. 

He expected the Rajya Sabha to resume normal functioning before sending out the invite, and expected a turnaround on Monday, but it was not to be. Sources said the specialist cooks, who had to come from Andhra Pradesh, were on Sunday asked to cancel their train reservation. Naidu had also refused to inaugurate a badminton tournament for MPs at the Constitution Club last week, sources said.