Archives for 2024

New Delhi: Amid the controversy surrounding the latest web series directed by Anubhav Sinha, Netflix India has announced that the opening disclaimer of ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ has been updated and includes the real-life names of the hijackers along with their code names.

Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content, Netflix India, released a statement on Tuesday, stating that the opening disclaimer has been updated and they are committed to showcase stories with authentic representation. “For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been updated to include the real and code names of hijackers. The code names in the series reflect those used during the actual event. India has a rich culture of storytelling and we are committed to showcasing these stories and their authentic representation,” read her statement.

This Netflix series showcased the code names, namely Burger, Doctor, Bola, Shankar and Chief, used by the hijackers on the flight. There was a massive row on social media regarding the names of Bola and Shankar being used in the series as it reportedly offended Hindu sentiments.

The show starring Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma, Dia Mirza, Pankaj Kapur, Amrita Puri, Manoj Pahwa, Patralekhaa, among others, continues to stream on Netflix.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal

New Delhi : Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said the killing of a class 12 student after being ‘mistaken’ for a cattle smuggler was due to the encouragement given to the agenda of hate, and asked whether Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak up on the incident.

The student, Aryan Mishra, was allegedly chased in a car and shot dead in Faridabad on August 23 by a group of five suspected cow vigilantes who claimed they mistook the boy for a cattle smuggler, police sources said on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Sibal said, “Shame on us. Aryan (class 12th student). Shot and killed by cow vigilantes in Haryana mistaking him to be a ‘cow transporter’! Cause: Encouraging the agenda of hate.”

“Will our PM, our Vice-President, our Home Minister speak up!” the former Union minister said.

All the five accused — Saurabh, Anil Kaushik, Varun, Krishna and Adesh — were arrested on August 28 and remanded in police custody for two days, Superintendent of Police (Crime) Aman Yadav said in a statement released on Tuesday.

During interrogation, the accused claimed that on the night of August 23, they had received information that some suspected cattle smugglers driving two SUVs were doing recce in the city, according to the sources.

They mistook the victim, Aryan Mishra, and his friends, Shanky and Harshit, for cattle smugglers and followed their car for about 30 km near the Gadhpuri toll on the Delhi-Agra National Highway, the sources said.

The accused told the police that when they asked the boy and his friends to stop their car, the driver accelerated, following which they opened fire and Mishra was killed on the spot near the Gadhpuri toll in Palwal, they said.

Kolkata: The ceasework by junior doctors at state-run hospitals in West Bengal continued on Wednesday to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee medic at RG Kar hospital here last month.

Health services remained crippled at most state-run medical facilities due to the ceasework, which has been underway for over three weeks now.

“Our demand for justice is still unfulfilled. The protests will continue till our sister gets justice and the culprits are brought to book,” one of the junior medics said.

He said Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal has not resigned, too, which was another demand of the agitating doctors.

The protesters have alleged inadequate steps by the police during its probe into the August 9 rape-murder of the young doctor, before the investigation was handed over to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court.

The body of an on-duty postgraduate trainee was found in the seminar room of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the city. The incident has triggered nationwide outrage.

A civic volunteer was arrested shortly after the trainee doctor’s body was discovered. The CBI has also arrested former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, for alleged financial misconduct at the medical establishment.

Ahmedabad: An analysis of recent flooding in parts of Gujarat showed that it was caused by severe weather conditions and exacerbated by extensive urban development, altered elevations and compromised drainage patterns, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IIT-GN) have said.

Parts of Gujarat witnessed flooding due to heavy rains between August 20 and 29.

During this period, 15 out of the 33 districts in the state recorded three-day rainfall totals exceeding their 10-year return period – a statistical measure indicating the average interval between such intense events – with Jamnagar, Morbi, Devbhumi Dwarka, and Rajkot experiencing levels above their 50-year thresholds, the analysis showed.

The recurrence of “unusual weather events along India’s western coast”, such as the one witnessed last week, highlights the urgent need to reassess urban planning and infrastructure resilience. This scenario underscores the need for robust and scalable emergency response strategies that can handle the complexities of concurrent extreme events, researchers at IIT Gandhinagar’s Machine Intelligence and Resilience Laboratory (MIR Lab) said.

“As rapid urbanisation continues to modify regional and local hydrology, placing greater strain on drainage systems, it is crucial to keep hydrology at the core of urban development strategies,” the researchers observed.

Vadodara, which grappled with severe flooding after heavy rains last week, suffered from the situation despite rains not being unprecedented in magnitude, the IIT-GN research said.

“However, the flooding was likely exacerbated by extensive urban development in flood-prone areas, altered elevations, and drainage patterns compromised due to rapid urbanisation and clogged drainage systems,” it said.

“This situation is a classic example of concurrent extreme events, where multiple regions experience severe weather simultaneously. Such concurrence complicates emergency response and evacuation efforts as resources become stretched across multiple affected areas,” the study said.

Demands for rescue, relief, and evacuation operations in such a scenario can overwhelm emergency services, making it more challenging to respond effectively and efficiently to the needs of those impacted by the floods, it said.

“This underscores the need for robust and scalable emergency response strategies that can handle the complexities of concurrent extreme events,” it added.

The analysis of maximum rainfall during this period revealed that Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka and Morbi in the state’s Saurashtra region experienced rainfall over a one-day period last week that surpassed their 50-year “return period” (with Dwarka exceeding 100-year period).

Twelve of the state’s 33 districts experienced one-day rainfall totals that exceeded the 10-year return period, it said.

The situation became even more critical over two-day periods, with 17 districts exceeding the 10-year return period, including Jamnagar, Morbi, and Devbhumi Dwarka, where rainfall surpassed 50-year return levels, according to the researchers.

Additionally, 15 districts recorded three-day rainfall totals exceeding the 10-year return period, with Jamnagar, Morbi, Devbhumi Dwarka, and Rajkot all experiencing levels above their 50-year thresholds.

Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Gandhinagar, Udit Bhatia, said the granularity of the available data may not fully capture the nuances of urban flooding, which often results from short-duration, high-intensity rainfalls that overwhelm city drainage systems.

“When rainfall persists for longer durations, the soil becomes saturated during the initial spells, and subsequent rainfall is more likely to contribute directly to surface runoff. This runoff exacerbates flooding, especially when drainage systems are either incapacitated or unhealthy,” said Bhatia, who is the Principal Investigator at the MIR Lab.

Mumbai : A 26-year-old woman died after being hit by a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) in Malad area of Mumbai, police said on Wednesday.

The accident occurred in Gudiya Pada locality on Tuesday night, following which the police arrested the SUV driver, who is a merchant navy officer, an official said.

“The woman, identified as Shahana Kaazi, was walking when she was hit by a Ford Endeavor around 10 pm. After the accident, the accused himself took the woman to a nearby hospital, where she died during treatment,” the official of Malad police station said.

The accused, Anup Sinha, was booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and was placed under arrest. His vehicle was also seized by the police, he said.

The accused has an office in Andheri and he was on leave when the incident occurred, he added.

The police have collected his blood sample to ascertain whether he was driving under the influence of liquor, the official said.

Congress Leader Pawan Khera

New Delhi: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday accused Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch of receiving salaries from private entities, specifically ICICI Bank and ICICI Prudential, during her tenure.

At a press conference, Khera raised concerns over potential irregularities, claiming that Buch continued to draw income from these institutions while serving in her official capacity. He further alleged that several investigations involving ICICI Bank were resolved during this period, implying a conflict of interest.

Khera urged the SEBI Chairperson to clarify her position, accusing her of relaxing norms for ICICI Bank. He also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, highlighting their roles in the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, responsible for appointing SEBI’s Chairperson. “Between 2017 and 2014, Madhabi Buch received regular income amounting to Rs 16 crore 80 lakhs from ICICI Bank while serving as a full-time SEBI member,” Khera claimed, questioning the appropriateness of such payments.

New Delhi : The Enforcement Directorate on Monday arrested AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan as part of a money laundering investigation against him and some others linked to him, official sources said.

He was taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the agency conducted a search at his residence in Okhla area of the national capital.

The money laundering case against the 50-year-old legislator stems from two FIRs, one by the CBI in the Wakf Board related alleged irregularities and another by the Delhi ACB related to an alleged case of possession of disproportionate assets.

Sources said Khan has evaded at least ten ED summons since he was last questioned in the case in April.

The legislator and his party broke the news first with Khan posting at 6:29 AM on his X handle that an ED team has reached his house in Okhla area to arrest him.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh too posted a video.

On X, AAP leader Manish Sisodia said the only work left for the ED is to “suppress every voice raised against the BJP and break it”.

Those who do not break, are arrested and put in jail, he alleged.