Air India website puts flight chartered for BSF on 'sale'

June 30, 2012

BSF_Flight

Kolkata, June 30: For a few hours between Thursday night and Friday noon, a website error dissolved one of the world's great divides - between civilian and military.

An Air India flight chartered for the Border Security Force (BSF) found its way into the regular bookings section of the airline's website, allowing civilians book their seats in the exclusive military-only aircraft. One of those who had logged on to book a seat on AI-3255 - the Silchar-Kolkata flight on July 8 - was Keith Menezes, the director of a tea company. Menezes would have probably had to return from Silchar airport had he not called up the station manager to reconfirm the flight before making the payment. "I had booked a flight to Kolkata for June 29. But my trip got postponed and I tried on Thursday night to change the ticket to July 8. Since the AI website doesn't accept flight changes, I decided to first book the flight and then make the cancellation," Menezes said.

When he logged on - unaware like most others that an AI flight number beginning with '3' indicates it's chartered - AI-3255 was one of the options along with two other flights.

No confirmed bookings on BSF flight

Director of a tea firm Keith Menezes said: "Three flights figured on the website - AI 3254 at 7.30am, AI 9706 at 9.20am and AI 754 at 3.15pm. I opted for the first flight and was about to pay for when I decided to do it offline. When my agent went to the onsite counter, he was told no seats were available as it was a chartered flight. Why did they have to put us through this harassment?"

The duty manager of the airline in Kolkata, P K Dutta, was shocked by the flight being posted on the bookings section. "It should never have figured on the website. No seats are available on the flight," he said. The flight was taken off the website around Friday noon.

An Air India spokesperson admitted the mistake. "As soon as we were alerted about the error, we called up our Delhi office and got it rectified. However, there were no confirmed bookings on the flight. Else, it would have led to complications. Any Air India flight starting with the numerical '3' is chartered," he said. Air India operates chartered flights for the Indian Army, the BSF and the Reserve Bank of India.

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News Network
May 28,2020

New Delhi, May 28: The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police will file 12 chargesheets against 536 Tablighi Jamaat members from three countries, officials said on Thursday.

Till now, the police has already filed chargesheets against 374 foreigners from 32 countries.

The officials said the charges against the Tablighi Jamaat members pertain to violation of visa rules, government guidelines regarding the Epidemic Disease Act and acting negligently in a way that was likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life.

The Tablighi Jamaat, a religious organisation in Nizamuddin in South Delhi, had allegedly organised a congregation in March in violation of mass gatherings.

The Tablighi Jamaat’s Nizamuddin Markaz (centre) had become a coroavirus hotspot in the national capital.

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News Network
February 4,2020

New Delhi, Feb 4: Miffed over the controversy created by its former Union minister and Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde by his remarks against Mahatma Gandhi, the BJP, it was learnt, has issued a show-cause notice to him. The ruling party came under heavy criticism from the opposition over its MP’s remarks. The opposition has demanded a clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his party MP’s remarks.

Often in news for his controversial remarks, Hegde, sources said, could also be barred from attending the first parliamentary party meeting of the BJP of the budget session, scheduled on Tuesday. The party had taken a similar approach against its Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur during the last winter session for praising Mahatma Gandhi’s killer Nathuram Godse. Though the BJP leadership was earlier of the view that Hegde should tender an apology over his remarks but the party top brass, it was learnt, decided that it was not enough.

The Congress on Monday launched a scathing attack on the central government over the comments of BJP Lok Sabha MP Ananthkumar Hegde on Mahatma Gandhi. The party demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi come to Parliament and clarify his position on BJP leader’s “objectionable” remarks.

Congress party spokesman Anand Sharma said, “we can understand that why one after the other senior BJP leaders are insulting the memory of Mahatma Gandhi. They are disparaging the national movement, the freedom struggle because they are ideological descendents of those who were not only non-participants, but, actively opposed the freedom movement.” He further added, “Parliament is in session. We demand that the Prime Minister come to the House and make his position clear. As I have said, feeds that he is unhappy and angry, we are not concerned with that. In the very ideology, mindset, thinking and language of the BJP, there is violence.”

Asserting that the BJP MP’s statement was condemnable, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the leaders of the saffron party could afford to call the freedom movement a drama as they never fought for the country’s independence. “Such statements reveal their true mindset that they use Gandhi's name just for show and have no regard for him,” he said.

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Agencies
August 3,2020

New Delhi, Aug 3: India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 18 lakh mark with 52,972 positive cases and 771 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

The total COVID-19 cases stand at 18,03,696 including 5,79,357 active cases, 11,86,203 cured/discharged/migrated and 38,135 deaths," said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday.

As per the data provided by the Health Ministry, Maharashtra -- the worst affected state from the infection -- has a total of 1,48,843 active cases and 15,576 deaths. A total of 4,41,228 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the state up to Sunday.

Tamil Nadu has reported a total of 56,998 active cases and 4,132 deaths. While Delhi has recorded 10,356 active cases, 1,23,317 recovered/discharged/migrated cases and 4,004 deaths.

The COVID-19 samples tested across the country has crossed the 2 crore mark till August 2.

The total number of COVID-19 samples tested up to August 2 is 2,02,02,858 including 3,81,027 tests that were conducted yesterday, said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday. 

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