‘Release Kasab or your plane will be hijacked’

October 23, 2012

JetAirway

Mumbai, October 23: A call about a plane being hijacked to secure the release of 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab triggered panic and delayed a Bangalore-bound Jet Airways flight, with 46 passengers on board, by around three hours on Monday evening. It turned out to be a hoax call after security agencies carried out a thorough search and investigation.

The airline, it could be recalled, had received a hoax call about a hijack on May 7 as well. Officials are trying to find out if there is any connection between the two incidents.

The flight was scheduled to leave at 4.10pm. Around 4pm, when it was almost ready for take-off—the passengers were in their seats, the gates were bolted and the plane was ready to leave its bay and taxi towards the runway—the airline's call centre received the call.

"The caller said the flight would be hijacked to help secure Kasab's release. The caller reportedly identified himself as Vikas Yadav. The call centre forwarded the information to the airport and the flight was halted," a senior police official said. According to airport officials, the usual protocol was followed soon after. "The passengers were deplaned and individual checks were conducted on them. All hand baggage was checked again. The Central Industrial Security Force and the police also conducted checks on the aircraft to ensure that no prohibited item was hidden on board," an airport official said. "Nothing was found during the checks and the call was declared a hoax," he added. The flight eventually left at 7.30pm with 41 passengers as five flyers reportedly opted for other flights.

A Jet Airways spokesperson confirmed the incident.

Cops said the employee who answered the call found the number familiar. "The call came to the airline's office in MIDC. The staffer said the caller might have contacted them earlier as the number looked familiar. We are trying to trace the number and check if the caller has a history of contacting the call centre," an official said.

Some reports claimed that the caller was the same person who was involved in the May 7 incident. (see box). "There is no such apparent link yet, but we are probing the matter," a security official said. No police complaint has been filed yet.


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Agencies
June 19,2020

Srinagar, Jun 19: Suspended Jammu and Kashmir DSP Davinder Singh, arrested while ferrying two Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists in a vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway earlier this year, was granted bail by a Delhi court on Friday, his lawyer said.

Singh and another accused in the case - Irfan Shafi Mir - were granted the relief by the court in a case filed by special cell of Delhi Police, noting that the probe agency failed to file charge sheet within 90 days from his arrest, as prescribed under law, their lawyer M S Khan said.

The bail was granted on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties of like amount.

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News Network
February 4,2020

New Delhi, Feb 4: Senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday accused Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party of not implementing the central government's schemes in the national capital.

Addressing an election rally in Moti Bagh, he also sought to allay fears over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), assuring the gathering that the legislation will not take away anyone's citizenship.

Singh alleged that the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government did not do anything in the last five years.

The AAP had promised to add 5,000 buses to the fleet of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), but instead the number has come down by 1,000, he claimed.

The Union minister said the AAP dispensation did not implement central schemes in Delhi fearing that the popularity of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will grow among Delhiites.

Pension schemes and the Centre's flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, are some of those that the Kejriwal government did not allow to be implemented in Delhi.

On the anti-CAA protests, Singh said that the opposition parties have been spreading "lies" about amended citizenship law and the National Population Register (NPR).

"The CAA will not take away anyone's citizenship. The opposition parties are spreading lies about the CAA. There should be no such politics over this. Some people are trying to write the history of the country with the ink of hatred," he said.

The culture of India is such that it considers the entire world one family, he said.

Delhi goes to polls on February 8. The results will be declared on February 11.

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News Network
May 12,2020

New Delhi, May 12: With 3,604 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases reached 70,756, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday. 87 deaths were reported during the period.

As per the tally, 46,008 patients are active coronavirus cases while 22,454 patients have been cured/discharged and one patient has migrated.

With 87 deaths due to COVID-19 reported in the last 24 hours, the number of deaths has risen to 2,293.

As per the ministry, Maharashtra has the most number of coronavirus cases with 23,401 cases with 4,786 patients being cured/discharged while 868 deaths have been reported in the state.

Gujarat is second on the list with 8,541 cases that include 2,780 patients recovering from the disease and 513 fatalities.

Tamil Nadu's tally reached 8,002 cases, including 2,051 recoveries and 53 deaths.

While Delhi's tally stands at 7,233 cases with 2,129 patients recovered and 73 deaths.

Meanwhile; Mizoram (one case reported--now recovered), Goa (seven cases reported and all seven recovered), Manipur (Two cases reported and both patients recovered) and Arunachal Pradesh (one case reported--now recovered) have reported no new cases in the last 24 hours.

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