Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Dr. KV Rajendra on Friday July 29, issued an order to close all shops in the district after 6 pm till August 1, 2022.

The order comes in the wake of tension in the district owing to recent murders of Praveen Nettare in Sullia and Mohammed Faazil in Surathkal.

According the order, all shops in the district will remain closed after 6 pm during the period except the shops of emergency services including medical stores and hospitals.

The DC has also directed local authorities to keep a watch on shops in their respective jurisdiction.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking review of its order upholding the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) principle adopted by the Centre in its 2015 communication issued to the Chiefs of three defence forces, saying it neither suffers from any Constitutional infirmity nor is it arbitrary.

A bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath said there was no merit in the review petition.

Application for listing the review petition in open Court is rejected. We have carefully gone through the review petition and the connected papers. We find no merit in the review petition and the same is accordingly dismissed, the bench said.

The apex court on March 16 had upheld the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) principle adopted by the Centre.

It had said that the Bhagat Singh Koshyari committee report, tabled in the Rajya Sabha on December 10, 2011, furnishes the historical background, the reason for the demand, view of the Parliamentary Committee which proposed the adoption of OROP for personnel belonging to the armed forces and beyond this, the report cannot be construed as embodying a statement of governmental policy.

It had held that governmental policy formulated in terms of Article 73 by the Union or Article 162 by the State has to be authoritatively gauged from the policy documents of the government, which in present case is the communication dated November 7, 2015.

The top court’s verdict had come on the plea filed by the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM) through advocate Balaji Srinivasan against the Centre’s formula of OROP. 

Ambikapur: A moderate earthquake of 4.6 magnitude hit some parts of Korea district in north Chhattisgarh in the wee hours of Friday, officials said.

Two employees of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) suffered minor injuries when they fell while trying to move to safety on sensing the tremor inside an underground coal mine in the district.

This is for the second time this month that the district has reported earthquake of above-4 magnitude. On July 11, a 4.3 magnitude earthquake had hit the same area in the district.

“A 4.6-magnitude earthquake was felt in the area around Baikunthpur, the headquarters of Korea district adjoining Madhya Pradesh, at around 12.56 am. The epicentre of the quake was 16 km deep from the surface of the earth,” a government official here said.

It was a moderate category earthquake that did not cause any major destruction, he said, adding that it could, however, result in damage to kutcha (mud) houses.

Korea Collector Kuldeep Sharma said minor tremors were felt in the area and so far no loss of property or lives was reported from the aftershocks.

Local officials have been instructed to carefully monitor the situation and report if damage has been caused, he said.

As per the preliminary report, two employees of SECL who were inside its Charcha underground coal mines suffered minor injuries when they fell down while trying to come out after sensing the tremors, the collector said.

An SECL official said the two injured employees were shifted to a local hospital, from where they were referred to a private hospital in Bilaspur district for further treatment.

Their condition was stated to be out of danger, he added.

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed the COVID-19 pandemic as ‘unprecedented’ and once in a century crisis and said the country faced it confidently due to its scientists and common people.

There was a “temperament” for reforms in the government, which is not restrictive but responsive, he said about the ruling NDA at the Centre and listed out various reforms, including in the drones and geospatial and infrastructure sectors.

In his address at the 42nd Convocation of Anna University here, the PM described the COVID-19-19 pandemic as “unprecedented” and “once in a century crisis” for which nobody had a user manual.

The pandemic “tested” every country, he added.

“India faced the unknown confidently, thanks to its scientists, health care workers, professionals and common people. As a result, today every sector in India is bursting with new life, whether it is industry, innovation, investment or international trade” he said.

The country was at the forefront in every sector and has been converting obstacles into opportunities. He hailed the removal of retrospective tax and various sectoral reforms for aiding the country in various sectors.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, in his address, hailed the education atmosphere in the state and noted that it stood out in the number of persons receiving higher education.

State Governor R N Ravi, Union Minister of State L Murugan and Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy participated in the event.

A number of students were awarded degrees and medals.

Birmingham: The region’s rich musical heritage and inclusivity were at the heart of the 22nd Birmingham Commonwealth Games opening ceremony here as a joyful evening offered a stupendous cornucopia of colour, light and dance.

Drummer-percussionist Abraham Paddy Tetteh started things off at the Alexander Stadium that was packed to the rafters, and then, Indian classical vocalist and composer Ranjana Ghatak took the lead, the section intended to showcase the diversity of the city.

It was refreshing as the Birmingham Games is the first multi-discipline event since the start of the pandemic to be held without major COVID-19 restrictions.

Meanwhile, as many as 70 cars in red, white and blue got together to form a Union Jack, even as Prince Charles, representing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, arrived in his Aston Martin car along with the Duchess of Cornwall. The formation of cars was a tribute to the city’s incredible motor industry history.

Just before that, the city paid a tribute to the Queen, even as a montage featuring her stretched back to the black and white era.

After a spectacular demonstration of Birmingham’s culture and diversity, the evening paid a tribute to Charlie Chaplin, with the legendary comedian being hailed as one of the city’s heroes. Between London and Birmingham, his place of birth, in fact, has been subject of much debate.

There was an honorary mention of William Shakespeare too, as the broadcasters spoke about the Shakespeare First Folio which is in the new Library of Birmingham — the largest public library in the UK.

Through its printing press, the place’s history was shown in all its glory.

Then there was a gargantuan bull in the stadium, pulled along by overworked, underpaid female chain makers of the Industrial Revolution. Till the time the raging bull was there going on a rampage, it was the cynosure of all eyes at the glittering ceremony.

Perry the Bull, the Games mascot, got its name because of the city’s iconic Bull Ring market, which has been around for hundreds of years.

“Our 72 nations and territories are all here and Birmingham looks magnificent,” Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Louise Martin said.

“I believe this event will be one of the greatest and most important editions of the Commonwealth Games in our 92-year history,” she added.

Then began the Parade of Nations.

As per CWG tradition, Australia, being the host of the last Games, entered first during the Parade, followed by the rest of the Oceania region.

Then, other countries made their way into the arena in alphabetical order from their respective regions.

The countries from Africa, America, Asia, the Caribbean followed, and then came the turn of 2010 Games host India, with double Olympics medallist badminton ace PV Sindhu and men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh leading the contingent out amid loud cheers from the stands.

Again, as is the norm, hosts England entered last with “We will, we will rock you” playing in the background.

Birmingham got into the spirit of the Mexican Wave right at the start of the ceremony showcasing grandeur, rich culture, diversity and heritage.

The ceremonial Commonwealth Games flag was brought out and hoisted after which CGF president Martin walked out to give a speech, at the end of which the Prince of Wales read out the Queen’s message to declare the Games open.

LGBTQ+ activist and British Olympic champion Tom Daley, a winner of four Commonwealth golds in the pool, brought the Queen’s Baton into the Alexander Stadium accompanied by a entourage of LGBTQ+ flag-bearers.

One of the highlights of the two-and-half-hour long ceremony was local favourite chart-topping band Duran Duran who delivered the finale to the stunning night in the city where their career began 44 years ago.

Renowned musician Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra also performed, while talented young singer from the Ribble Valley, Samantha Oxborough, sung the British National Anthem ‘God Save the Queen’.

A massed choir of over 700 voices, comprising 15 choirs from across the West Midlands reverberated the arena, led by Carol Pemberton and Black Voices, one of Europe’s leading female Acapella groups.

The Royal Marines dished out a rousing trumpet fanfare, while Grammy-winning guitarist Iommi and saxophonist Soweto Kinch led a dream sequence entitled Hear my Voice, based on the title track from 2020 film Trial of the Chicago Seven, re-imagined by Birmingham-born R&B vocalists Indigo Marshall and Gambimi.

Creator of acclaimed British crime drama ‘Peaky Blinders’, Steven Knight was the creative mastermind behind the ceremony that had more than 2,000 performers tracing the story of the city’s glorious past and present, while also reflecting the links between the 72 countries and territories in the Commonwealth Games.

The Games, set to be the biggest and most expensive sporting event in the UK since the 2012 London Olympics, have had to deal with the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It comes almost 10 years to the day since the much-acclaimed opening ceremony of the London Games.

The opening act marked the beginning of 11 days of sporting action in the city. More than 5000 athletes from 72 countries will compete in 280 events across 19 sports in 15 venues.

Mangaluru: Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the city following back-to-back murders of two people belonging to different communities in the last couple of days.

Security has been beefed up in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in view of the tense situation, police said on Friday. Schools and colleges in Suratkal, Bajpe, Mulki and Pannambur police station limits will remain closed today.

While BJP Yuva Morcha activist Praveen Nettar was hacked to death on Tuesday night, Mohammed Fazil was murdered by four unknown assailants on Thursday night.

Two residents of Bellare have been arrested in connection with Nettar’s murder, investigation is on to nab the assailants of Fazil.

Meanwhile, a large number of people took part in the funeral procession of Fazil here today. The prohibitory orders have been imposed from Thursday night till July 30 morning, Mangaluru Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said.

All liquor shops will remain shut and 19 check posts have been set up including the Karnataka-Kerala border, where all the vehicles will be searched, the official said.

He added that no one will be allowed to roam in the city beyond 10 pm.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Gnanendra in a statement condemned the killing of Fazil and said the perpetrators will be brought to book. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met Nettar’s family members in Mangaluru on Thursday evening and offered their condolences.

The communally sensitive coastal district is tense following the murders in the past few days.

Guwahati: An IndiGo flight from Jorhat in Assam to Kolkata skidded off the runway during take off and a pair of its wheels got stuck in the muddy outfield, the airline said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday when the aircraft was taxing out for take off with 98 passengers on board and the flight was cancelled, it said.

“IndiGo flight 6E-757 operating from Jorhat to Kolkata returned back to bay during departure. While taxiing out the pilot was advised that one of the main wheels had partially run over the grass adjacent to the taxiway,” the airline said in a statement.

The pilot held the taxi procedure as a precaution and asked for necessary inspection, it added.

“The aircraft was taken back to the bay at Jorhat for inspection. During the initial inspection no abnormalities were observed. As a matter of caution the maintenance team initiated a thorough inspection. The flight was cancelled,” the IndiGo statement said.

An Airports Authority of India official told that the Indigo flight to Kolkata was cancelled after being held up for several hours at Jorhat due to a “technical issue”.

“There was some technical issue with the aircraft. There were 98 passengers on board. All passengers deboarded and are safe. They waited in the terminal building and the flight was cancelled at around 8:15 pm,” he added.

Earlier, a local journalist uploaded a picture on Twitter showing an aircraft, which apparently skidded off the runway and one pair of wheels got stuck in the soft grassy outfield.

Tagging IndiGo, the scribe posted, “Guwahati Kolkata @indigo flight 6F 757 (6E757) slips from runway and stuck in muddy field in Jorhat airport in Assam. The flight was scheduled to depart at 2.20 pm but the flight delayed after the incident.”

Replying to his post, IndiGo said, “Sir, we’re concerned to hear this and raising this right away with the concerned team. Please share the PNR via DM for the same. We hope you’re well and comfortably travelled to your destination.” 

Ahmedabad: A sessions court in Ahmedabad is likely to pass its order on Friday on the bail applications of activist Teesta Setalvad and former DGP R B Sreekuamr arrested for allegedly fabricating documents to frame innocent people in the 2002 riots cases.

Additional principal judge D D Thakkar is likely to pronounce the order on the bail pleas.

On Thursday, the court had deferred its order in the case till Friday, which it did for the second time this week.

The two accused have denied the charges. The government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. Apart from Setalvad and Sreekumar, former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt is also an accused in the case and has been arrested.

The trio has been arrested by the crime branch, which had filed a first information report (FIR) against them under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 194 (giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction for capital offence).

In its affidavit, the SIT has alleged that they were part of a larger conspiracy carried out at the behest of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel to destabilise the then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Narendra Modi.

It has alleged that Setalvad was paid Rs 30 lakh at Patel’s behest soon after the Godhra train burning incident of 2002. Sreekumar was a “disgruntled government officer” who “abused the process for damning the elected representatives, bureaucracy and police administration of the whole state of Gujarat for ulterior purposes”, the SIT claimed.

The FIR against Setalvad, Sreekumar and Bhatt was registered after the Supreme Court last month dismissed the plea filed by Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Her plea had alleged a “larger conspiracy” behind the post-Godhra riots.

On February 8, 2012, the SIT filed a closure report giving a clean chit to Prime Minister Modi and 63 others, including senior government officials, saying there was “no prosecutable evidence” against them.

The top court on June 24 this year upheld the SIT’s clean chit to Modi and 63 others.

New Delhi,: A SpiceJet aircraft heading to Kandla in Gujarat safely aborted take off on the Mumbai airport’s runway on Thursday as the caution alert lit up, the airline said on Thursday.

A senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) called the incident as “routine”, adding that the regulator has started a probe into it.

This is at least the ninth incident of technical malfunction on a SpiceJet aircraft in the last 40 days.

Just a day before, the regulator had ordered SpiceJet to operate not more than 50 per cent of its flights for eight weeks to ensure “safe and reliable transport service”.

During these eight weeks, the budget carrier will be subjected to “enhanced surveillance” by the DGCA.

The airline, however, said there has been no flight cancellations because of the regulator’s order as it is already operating limited services “due to the current lean travel season”.

On Thursday’s incident, SpiceJet said, “A SpiceJet Q400 aircraft scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Kandla rejected take off owing to illumination of a caution alert. Crew acted as per the SOP (standard operating procedure).”

“There was no safety scare. The aircraft returned back to bay and all passengers and crew safely deboarded,” it mentioned.

On July 5, a SpiceJet freighter aircraft, which was heading to Chongqing in China, returned to Kolkata as the pilots realised after the take-off that its weather radar was not working.

The same day, the airline’s Delhi-Dubai flight was diverted to Karachi due to a malfunctioning fuel indicator and its Kandla-Mumbai flight did priority landing in Maharashtra’s capital city after cracks developed on its windshield mid-air.

On July 2, a SpiceJet flight heading to Jabalpur returned to Delhi after the crew members observed smoke in the cabin at an altitude of around 5,000 feet.

Fuselage door warnings lit up on two separate SpiceJet planes while taking off on June 24 and June 25, forcing the aircraft to abandon their journeys and return.

On June 19, an engine on the carrier’s Delhi-bound aircraft carrying 185 passengers caught fire soon after it took off from the Patna airport and the plane made an emergency landing minutes later. The engine malfunctioned because of a bird hit.

In another incident on June 19, a SpiceJet flight for Jabalpur had to return to Delhi due to cabin pressurisation issues.

The airline has been making losses for the last three years. It incurred a net loss of Rs 316 crore, Rs 934 crore and Rs 998 crore in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively.

The Delhi government has decided to withdraw the new Excise Policy for the time being and directed the sale of liquor through government-run vends, after multiple enquiries, including those by the CBI and Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police, into charges of “undue financial favours to liquor licensees” and other “major decisions/actions in violation of statutory provisions… that had huge financial implications.”

Targeting the BJP, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged they were “running an illegal liquor business in Gujarat” and they wanted to do it now in Delhi also.

The deputy chief minister, who also holds the excise portfolio, said in a press briefing that the Delhi chief secretary has been directed to ensure that liquor is now sold through government shops only and there is no chaos.

He also alleged the BJP was using agencies like the CBI and ED to threaten liquor licensees, many of whom have now shut shops, and the excise officials who were scared to start open auctions of retail licences.

“They want to create a shortage of liquor so that they can run an illegal liquor trade in Delhi like they are doing in Gujarat. But we will not let this happen,” Sisodia said.

Under the new excise policy, nearly 468 liquor stores are running in Delhi at present.

The policy, that extended twice after April 30 for a two-month period each, will end on July 31.

The old liquor policy is likely to be back in force from August 1, 2022, sources said.

This newspaper was the first to report that the city government’s liquor policy “extended wrongful gains and favours to liquor wholesalers in Delhi… at the cost of state’s revenue.”

In a letter marked “Topmost Priority” to the state’s excise commissioner Krishna Mohan Uppu, Delhi finance secretary Ashish Chandra Verma on Friday said: “Reference is invited to the directions of Hon’ble Dy CM dated 28.07.2022 vide which it has, inter alia, been directed to revert to old regime of excise policy for a period of 6 months till a fresh Excise Policy is in place.” The letter further said,

“Considering that the timelines are very short, you, while taking other necessary actions in the matter, may coordinate immediately with the heads of the DSIIDC, DTTDC, DCCWS, DSCSC (all PSUs) to get the following information prepared latest by end of today (i.e., 29.09.2022) in the following format separately for all such four organizations.”

The information sought from the excise commissioner includes the name of old vend and its location, staff deployed in the previous regime, whether the premises where the vend was located were rented or owned by the public sector undertaking, and whether the premises were still vacant or occupied.

Copies of the finance minister’s letter have also been sent to the heads of the four PSUs, which were earlier engaged in running the liquor vends.

The Delhi government implemented a new excise policy on November 15, 2021, that withdrew the four PSUs from the liquor business and handed over the entire trade over to the private sector. Friday’s order rolled it back and directed the excise commissioner to bring back the PSUs into the liquor trade.

Sources said the new policy was scrapped to stonewall the probe and prevent action against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who was the head of the group of ministers that drafted it.

The new excise policy had generated protests from retailers, with 10 zonal retailers out of the total 32 zones surrendering or refusing to renew licenses accusing the government of favouring wholesalers.