Archives for December 2023

The Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) conducted the annual bomb threat mock exercise on its premises on Friday.

The exercise was conducted in the staff parking lot of the airport to test the airport’s security response system and coordination with diverse stakeholders and agencies in time of crises. The hour-long drill started at 1 pm, involving the airport’s diverse stakeholders including airlines, CISF and local police, a release from the MIA said here.

The mock exercise created a scenario where an unidentified bag was found abandoned in the staff parking lot. Independent observers deployed at various critical areas of the exercise noted the response time of stakeholders to the emergency.

The airport security group (ASG) of CISF, which is tasked with maintaining the security of the airport, neutralized the threat in a professional manner with its bomb detection and disposal squad working with clockwork precision.

“The aim of the exercise was to assess the alertness, efficiency, and preparedness of the airport staff. Simulated exercise is also part of efforts to improve safety measures. We were able to successfully conduct the exercise without any inconvenience to the passengers and airport operations,” the release said.

The exercise is also reaffirmation of the airport’s commitment to its Vision 2025, with the aim of making the public asset as the safest, secure, customer centric and eco-friendly airport, it said.

Thane: A 36-year-old man detained in connection with a cheating case allegedly attempted suicide at a police station in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said on Friday.

The incident took place at Narpoli police station in Bhiwandi on Thursday when the man identified as Anil Murarilal Gupta was detained for his involvement in a cheating case, inspector Pramod Kumbhar said.

The Bandra police nabbed Gupta, a resident of Narpoli, and took him to the local police station to complete formalities, he said.

Gupta went to the washroom and consumed a poisonous substance. He was immediately administered first aid, the official said.

The accused feared arrest in connection with the offences of cheating registered against him with the Bandra and Dindoshi police stations, he said, adding that a case under section 309 (attempted suicide) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday appointed senior Congress MLAs B R Patil and Basavaraj Rayareddy, who have been critical about the government’s functioning in the past, as his advisor and economic advisor respectively, with cabinet ranking, in a move that is said to be aimed at quelling discontent within the ruling party.

He also appointed another veteran Congress MLA R V Deshpande as Chairperson of the Administrative Reforms Commission, with cabinet ranking.

While Patil is an MLA from Aland constituency, Rayareddy and Deshpande — both former ministers — represent Yelburga and Haliyal segments respectively. All three appointments have been made with immediate effect.

According to Congress sources, with these appointments Siddaramaiah has surely tried to pacify the MLAs, but they too with their long and vast experience will certainly be of value to the chief minister in managing issues and situations that may arise.

All the three senior legislators were ministerial aspirants and were said to be upset about being left out of the cabinet.

Patil and Rayareddy have been openly critical about the functioning of the government and certain ministers, and had even complained to the chief minister, expressing their displeasure.

These appointments have come even as the Congress is making preparations to appoint party legislators and workers to key positions in various state-run boards and corporations.

New Delhi: A total of 162 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been detected in the country, with Kerala reporting the highest number of 83, followed by Gujarat 34, according to the INSACOG’s data updated on Friday.

Several states have been reporting an uptick in the number of Covid cases over the last few weeks and nine states and Union territories have so far detected the presence of the JN.1 sub-variant of the virus.

These states are — Kerala (83), Gujarat (34), Goa (18), Karnataka (eight), Maharashtra (seven), Rajasthan (five), Tamil Nadu (four), Telangana (two) and Delhi (one), according to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).

The INSACOG’s data showed 145 Covid cases recorded in the country in December had the presence of JN.1, while 17 such cases were detected in November.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate “variant of interest” given its rapidly-increasing spread, but said it poses a “low” global public health risk.

The JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.

However, in recent weeks, JN.1 cases continued to be reported from multiple countries and its prevalence has rapidly increased globally.

The Centre has asked the states and Union territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country.

Jaipur: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped in the Ajmer district on Wednesday, police said. After threats by the accused, the victim consumed a poisonous substance, they said.

SHO Sunil Tada said that the girl’s father lodged a case against two accused on Thursday. Both the accused allegedly took the minor to a deserted place and raped her.

“After the incident, the girl consumed poison and when her health deteriorated, her family members got her admitted to a hospital. She was later discharged,” he said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Ajmer Rural) Manish Badgujar, who is investigating the case, said that the victim’s medical examination has been done and the matter is being investigated further.

Ayodhya: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on Saturday during which he will inaugurate a redeveloped station and a newly-built airport in the temple town.

He is also expected to lay the foundation stones for a slew of development projects in Uttar Pradesh.

To welcome the prime minister, the holy city has been decked up with flowers, murals and thematic ornamental columns amid heavy security deployment. Huge posters with images of Modi have been put up at prominent locations here, while cut-outs of Lord Ram have been installed outside the redeveloped railway station.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made along the Ram Path to the Ayodhya airport, located about 15 km from the main city.

Devotional songs dedicated to Lord Ram played out on the streets here on Saturday morning while ringing of bells and holy chants at several temples filled the air.

“The prime minister is expected to reach Ayodhya airport around 10.45 am. After landing at the airport, he will head to the Ayodhya railway station where he will inaugurate the redeveloped railway station. He will then return to the airport, inaugurate the newly-bult airport and subsequently address a ‘jan sabha’ (public rally),” Gaurav Dayal, Divisional Commissioner of Ayodhya

About 1.5 lakh people are expected to assemble for the rally that will last nearly an hour, after which the prime minister will depart from Ayodhya, he added.

In a statement on Friday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s office said during Modi’s visit, more than 1,400 performers will present folk art and cultural programmes in a total of 40 stages set up along the route from the airport to the railway station.

The prime minister would hold a roadshow while travelling from the airport to the railway station and acknowledge the greetings of the people of Ayodhya, sources had earlier said.

He is expected to spend about three hours here.

At around 11.15 am, Modi will inaugurate the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and flag off new Amrit Bharat trains and Vande Bharat trains, the PMO said in a statement on Thursday, adding, he will also dedicate several other railway projects to the nation.

At around 12.15 pm, the prime minister will inaugurate the newly-built Ayodhya airport. He would later participate in a public programme where he would inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 15,700 crore in the state, the statement said.

“The phase-1 of the state-of-the-art airport has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1,450 crore. The airport’s terminal building will have an area of 6,500 square metres, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually,” it said.

The interiors of the terminal building have been decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting the life of Lord Ram.

This visit by the prime minister comes just ahead of the ‘pran pratishtha’ or consecration ceremony of the Ram temple here.

A grand Ram temple is currently under construction here, with the consecration ceremony to be held on January 22, which will be attended by the prime minister.

Agartala : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has requested Railways Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw to provide a special train from Agartala to Ayodhya for the pilgrims of the state to witness the inauguration of Ram temple.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the newly built Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

In a letter to the railways minister, Saha said a large number of devotees from the state is eager to participate and witness the significant event.

He mentioned that approximately 2,000 devotees from the state plan to join the auspicious occasion.

Saha requested Vaishnaw to direct the railways to run a special train from Agartala to Ayodhya on January 20 and a return train on January 23. He said pilgrims would bear the cost of the fare themselves.

The inauguration of Ayodhya Ram Mandir holds immense cultural and religious significance for millions of Indians, Saha emphasized.

He added that this momentous occasion symbolises unity, harmony, and the rich cultural heritage of the nation.

Panaji : The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have demanded action against the organisers of the Sunburn EDM festival here claiming that they insulted Lord Shiva.

While Congress leader Vijay Bhike filed a police complaint at Mapusa on Friday night against the organisers of Sunburn, AAP Goa chief Amit Palekar said the state government should take action against them for hurting “Sanatan Dharma”.

Sunburn EDM, a popular electronic dance music festival, started on December 28 at Vagator in North Goa and will wind up on Saturday, December 30.

“We saw that Lord Shankar’s image was used during the festival. It was flashed on the LED screen when people were drunk and dancing,” Palekar told reporters on Friday.

The AAP leader said they have demanded from the government that action be taken as “the sanctity of our Sanatan Dharma” was compromised.

“The use of our God for the purpose of the EDM festival where alcohol is served is not right. We have called up the director general of police demanding registration of an offence against Sunburn festival organisers,” he added.

In his complaint to the Mapusa police station, Congress leader Bhike said the “organisers have intentionally insulted the religious feelings of Hindus by portraying that Lord Shiva supports drinking alcohol, consumption of prohibited substances and all other illicit activities that take place during the event”.

A senior police official said that they have received a complaint from the Congress and are looking into it.

By Online Desk

MUMBAI: A plane carrying more than 300 passengers, mostly Indians, grounded in France for four days over landed in Mumbai in the early hours of December 26, three days after it was detained by French authorities over suspected human trafficking, a source said.

The aircraft, an Airbus A340, landed in Mumbai shortly after 4 a.m., the official said. It had taken off from Vatry airport near Paris around 2:30 p.m. local time.

The Nicaragua-bound flight that had taken off from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with 303 passengers was grounded at Vatry airport, 150 kilometres east of Paris, on Thursday over suspected “human trafficking”.

On Sunday, four French judges questioned the detained passengers.

The hearings were conducted as part of the investigation opened by the Paris prosecutor’s office on the suspicion of human trafficking. According to the French media, some of the passengers spoke Hindi and others Tamil.

After authorising the plane to leave, the French judges on Sunday chose to cancel the hearings of the passengers due to irregularities in the procedure. The plane includes 11 unaccompanied minors.