Another mishap averted at Mumbai airport

Barely a week after a near-miss, a mishap was averted at the Mumbai airport on Thursday night when a Kingfisher flight was cleared for landing at a runway where a Spicejet plane was stationed after a technical fault.
The Mumbai-Chennai Spicejet flight was to about to take off at around 11 pm but developed a technical problem at the last minute after which the Air Traffic Control asked it to abort the take-off, airport sources said.
But, at the same time, a Delhi-Mumbai Kingfisher Airlines aircraft was given permission for landing at the same runway.
However, just in time, the ATC asked the pilot of the Kingfisher plane to go around after which the flight landed.
The Kingfisher Airline spokesperson confirmed the incident and said that the pilot complied with the ATC instruction.
The flight, however, landed at Mumbai airport safely, he said.
"Shortly before the Kingfisher Airline flight IT318 was to land at Mumbai Airport, the ATC requested the captain of the flight to do a go around. The captain immediately complied with the ATC instruction and was revectored a fresh approach" the spokesperson said.
The aircraft which was operating from Delhi landed at Mumbai Airport shortly thereafter, he said.
On May 27, a major disaster was averted at the airport here as a Jet Airways plane was asked to abort landing at the last minute after an IndiGo aircraft entered the runway.

65 die as train derails after suspected Maoists sabotage

At least 65 people were killed and over 150 injured early on Friday when the engine and 13 coaches of a Mumbai-bound
passenger train derailed and were hit by a speeding goods train in West Bengal, officials said.
They said 20 bodies had been recovered from the derailed and badly damaged coaches of the Howrah-Kurla Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express.
As soon as the engine and 13 coaches fell on the adjoining track, rudely shaking the sleeping passengers, at least five derailed bogies were hit by the speeding goods train
coming from the opposite direction.
Shrieks of injured passengers tore through the night as they feverishly tried to escape from the mangled coaches. Shocked train passengers stumbled out of the bogies and
they frantically looked for their near ones.
In Delhi, a railway official didn't rule out sabotage by Maoist guerrillas, but he said deaths were mainly caused by the goods train hitting five coaches of the passenger train. "We suspect it is a case of sabotage. The driver (of the passenger train) has reported to have heard a large sound. There was definite tinkering with the tracks," the member railway board, Mr Vivek Sahai told reporters.
Sahai said 20 passengers were dead and 104 injured. He said a light engine and three trains had passed on the track earlier. "It is unfortunate that Gyaneshwar Express got
hit." He said the railways had sounded a red alert in five states — Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal — in the wake of Maoists observing black week since the past midnight.
In Kolkata, the Director General of Police, Mr Bhupinder Singh told IANS that the train ran off the track at 1.30 a.m. as a portion of the tracks as well as fish plates were found to have been removed near Jhargram, about 155 km from the West Bengal capital. Initial reports indicated that a huge blast was to blame for the derailment, but it was not
officially confirmed. "There could have been a blast. But the train derailed primarily because of the missing
fishplates and rail tracks," Mr Singh said. Villagers and railway officials frantically tried to rescue passengers still trapped in the fallen bogies. "We heard a loud, screeching noise of the train braking and the coaches derailing," said a shocked passenger who survived the accident. A man who rushed to help the injured said: "Initially, no security staff in the train helped.
Only public came to the help of the passengers. We rushed to try and save people."
No one has claimed responsibility for the sabotage, but it is suspected to be the handiwork of Maoist guerrillas active in the region.
Officials say they have recovered posters of Maoists and the Peoples Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA), a group of tribal agitators having close links with Leftist
rebels in West Midnapore.
The Indian Air Force and other security agencies have launched a massive rescue operation for hundreds of people believed to be trapped in the damaged and tilted coaches of the train.
A Chetak and one Mi-17 helicopter has been sent to help in the rescue effort at the site,
Wing Commander Mahesh Upasni, an IAF spokesperson told IANS. "CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel have rushed to the area," an official at
the accident site said. The injured passengers were taken to the nearest major town Kharagpur and elsewhere in West Midnapore district. Many of those wounded are believed to be in a serious condition.
Four second class sleepers - S3, S4, S5 and S6 - were badly mutilated, with rescuers fearing that most of the passengers trapped inside could be gravely injured. The condition of the crew of the goods train was not immediately known.

Modi may be sacked

With several Central agencies vying to haul the IPL commissioner, Mr Lalit Modi, over the coals in the controversy regarding the Indian Premier League, it could possibly be the end of his innings in cricket: his wings are likely to be clipped by the BCCI panel. Sources said the BCCI president, Mr Shashank Manohar, could be the man to replace Mr Modi as the head of the IPL.

Mr Modi may be asked to step down at a meeting of the IPL governing council likely on April 26. It has been learnt that if he refuses to step down, the BCCI will convene an emergency AGM and pass a resolution to oust the IPL commissioner. Mr Modi has reportedly not been invited for that meeting.

Meanwhile, apart from the income-tax department, officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) will question Mr Modi, sources said. The move comes in the wake of reported allegations that a few IPL officials might be engaged in betting on international websites.

Mr Modi, who had been to Dubai to meet the Kochi franchise consortium chairman, Mr Harshad Mehta, on Sunday, was to meet I-T officials at his Worli office in Mumbai on Monday.

Sealink row: Amitabh hasn’t committed a crime, says Thackeray

Coming out in defence of old friend Amitabh Bachchan, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Saturday said the actor has done nothing wrong by attending the inauguration of the second phase of the Bandra—Worli Sea Link.

“Amitabh hasn’t committed a crime by attending the event,” Mr. Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ’Saamana’.

Lambasting Congress for “treating the actor as an untouchable”, Mr. Thackeray said “Shah Rukh Khan, who took cudgels on behalf of Pakistanis, will do for Congress, which is allergic to Amitabh.”

“Amitabh attending the function only added to the prestige of the event,” Mr. Thackeray said on the actor sharing the dias with Congress leaders at the sealink function.

Bachchan is not a thief, dacoit or a terrorist, Mr. Thackeray said.

The presence of Bachchan at the inauguration of second phase of the Sea Link a couple of days back had sparked a controversy with Congress leaders from Mumbai taking objection to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan sharing platform with the actor who is a brand ambassador for BJP-ruled Gujarat.

“Amitabh is targeted because he is brand ambassador of Gujarat. Ambani and Tata who live in Mumbai have invested heavily in Gujarat. Will anyone from Congress ask them why they were investing in Narendra Modi’s Gujarat,” Mr. Thackeray said.

The actor belongs to the nation and will remain so, he said.

One killed, 11 injured in stampede at Kalina grounds

A 22-year-old police aspirant was killed and 11 others injured in a stampede that broke out during a police recruitment drive at the Kalina grounds here on Monday.

As soon as the gates of the ground were opened, thousands of youth forced their way in. They jumped over the barricades set up on the ground and fell on each other as well as on the police personnel who were trying to stop them, police said.

One person was killed in the ensuing melee.

Around 30,000 youth had gathered at the ground since last night to submit their forms for 3600 vacant posts of police constables, police said.

“The deceased has been identified as Ramesh Amer from Ahmednagar district and the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital,” Additional Commissioner of Police Amitabh Gupta said.

Maharashtra Congress welcomes Railway Budget

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) welcomed the MPCC presented by Mamata Banerjee in Parliament on Wednesday, saying the budget showed that the minister has “blessed” the State by announcing several new initiatives.

“Banerjee’s announcement of starting 101 new suburban trains in Mumbai, no fare hike and holding railway recruitment exams in local language are a welcome step,” MPCC spokesperson Husai Dalwai said.

“This shows that the initiative by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan in getting maximum railway projects for the State was successful,” Dalwai said.

The wagon repair unit proposed at Badnera in Vidarbha region would help locals get jobs, Dalwai said. “Overall, this budget can be said to reflect Banerjee’s blessing on Maharashtra,” he said.

Friends, well-wishers of Pune blast victims take out peace march in Mumbai

Anguished friends and well-wishers of the victims of the German Bakery bomb blast in Pune took out a peace march along the Marine Drive here on Sunday.

“September 13, Delhi; November 26, Mumbai; February 13, Pune what next?,” “Who will answer for their deaths?,” “You can’t win by bombs” and “Be vigilant, stop accepting” were the messages flashed across the placards raised by a group of around 25 youths.

A wake-up call

“We feel this is a wake-up call for everyone. We don’t want people, the government, or the media to forget. We would like the government to take a strong stand, not just pass around documents. We want the government to ask for extradition. The government knows what is best and we support it. We just want them to do what is best. The government should realise it has a bigger responsibility,” Vidit Saxena, a friend of victim Ankik Dhar and a fellow IITian told The Hindu.

Sudeep Chakraborty, a childhood friend of Anindyee Dhar, Ankik’s sister who also died in the blast, said that a simultaneous peace march was to take place in four other cities, Delhi, Ranchi, Kolkata and Chandigarh. “We could not do it in Pune as we did not get the permission owing to security concerns,” he said.

From their schooldays in Kolkata, Sudeep remembers Anindyee as “a lively and enthusiastic person” who liked writing and played various sports. The brother-sister duo is survived by a younger brother who is currently studying for his Standard 12 board exams.

The family is trying to cope with the tragedy. “Their mother broke down on the spot; the father was strong, but now its the other way round,” Sudeep said.

Many of Ankik’s friends from college and workplace (he passed out of IIT, Kharagpur and worked in Mumbai) raved about his multifarious talents. “He would excel in everything and was curious about everything. Whenever any of us was in trouble, he would say Just chill. He was the most popular guy in college,” Sumit Wadhwa and Vidit said.

“We are so used to hearing about blasts. I was in a cinema hall when I heard the about the incident. Initially, I did not think much of it. I did not think much of the fact that Shilpa’s mobile was not reachable. But all of a sudden it struck me that she was in Pune and her phone could not be reached. I heard from friends that Ankik had been identified [among the dead]. I rushed out of the movie and headed to Pune. I identified Shilpa in the hospital. I was told that her legs had been severed from the body. Her face was covered with blood and badly marred, but I could identify her,” said Milind Thaker, Shilpa Goenka’s friend and office colleague.

He said Shilpa who hailed from a conservative family was the first member to become an engineer.

Speaking of her generous nature, Milind said, “She was always there for us in all ups and downs. She believed in charity and ran in the [Mumbai] marathon. It was her dream to set up an educational trust for girls. Her parents are now trying to make that dream come alive.”

AP pitches for 4 matches

In a face-saving exercise, the State government is now planning to wrest at least four of the seven IPL matches scheduled to be held in Andhra Pradesh.

The IPL governing council, which moved four games to Mumbai, is now planning to reschedule three, barring the inaugural, out of the troubled city. Bhubaneswar is now being talked about as the other possible venue for the Deccan Chargers’ games after Saturday’s terror strike in Pune. It might get to host three games while the other three would be held in Nagpur.

“I have spoken to Mr Sharad Pawar and explained the situation to him. We are trying to get at least two matches each for Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam,” sports minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said.

The minister sounded upbeat but said the governing council’s decision could only be known on Monday.

Mr Reddy reiterated the Telangana JAC’s cooperation for the smooth conduct of matches in the state.

My Name Is KHAN opens to packed theatres across country

 

Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘My Name Is Khan’ had a smooth opening on Friday across the country with Mumbai restricting the number of shows following Shiv Sena threat.

10 multiplex owners in Mumbai decided to go ahead with the screening while the single screen theatres decided against showing the movie for the time being, fearing violence.

Amid unprecedented security for the film’s release, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil drove to multiplex INOX to catch the first show of ‘MNIK’

Khan, who is in Berlin, tweeted early on Friday morning, “good m’ing mumbai. wotever the fate of the film, never wished this upon the city that made my dreams come true & gave me all. i belong to u (sic).”

In Gujarat, the first few shows were cancelled after VHP and Bajarang Dal activists staged protests and torched posters of the movie.

The film opened to full houses in Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and several other cities.

“Post noon shows were all sold out in our theatres in Delhi. We are booked till Sunday,” Jayendra Banerjee, Vice President Satyam Cineplexes told PTI.

“Some 75 screens in Delhi and NCR are screening the movie. The film has also benefited from the Shivratri holiday today. On an average multiplexes are running 11 to 12 shows a day,” a distributor said.

The film’s release ran into trouble after Sena lashed out at Khan for supporting inclusion of Pakistani players in the IPL.

In suburban Andheri, some Sena activists were canecharged and arrested after they pelted stones outside Fun Republic cinema, showing the film.

“We have arrested eight Shiv Sainiks who tried to disrupt the screening of the movie,” Deputy Police Commissioner, K Prasanna said.

“Am overwhelmed and moved to tears with all the support our labour of love is getting...thank you...,” filmmaker Karan Johar tweeted.

Over 1800 Sena activists were arrested by the Mumbai police to ensure the smooth release of the film.

In a massive security bandobast rare for a film, CCTV cameras with night vision were installed inside some of the cinema halls and policemen in large numbers were deployed.

Security personnel at cinema halls have been told to frisk every ticket—holder and check their bags as they enter the cinema.

’MNIK’ is the story of Rizwan Khan (SRK), a man suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome, who is mistaken for a terrorist in post 9/11 America and undertakes a long journey across the U.S. to prove his innocence to the love of his life, played by Kajol.

It is the first major Bollywood movie to be picked up by an international production house Fox Searchlight for overseas distribution. Fox reportedly bought the movie rights for a whopping Rs 100 crores.

Mumbai is for all, says RSS, sets collision course with Shiv Sena

Disunity in the Sangh Parivar over Marathi came out into the open on Sunday with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headed for a confrontation with the Shiv Sena over whether Mumbai belongs to all Indians or only to Marathis.

The RSS has issued a diktat to its cadre in Maharashtra to protect North Indians throughout the state and to prevent the growth and spread of anti-Hindi sentiments. The RSS chief, Mr Mohan Bhagwat, said: “It is not fair to restrain our own people from settling in any part of the country. Nobody should play politics on linguistic issues.”

The Sena hit back at the RSS on Sunday, and the senior Sena leader, Mr Manohar Joshi, responding to Mr Bhagwat’s remarks, said: “The time has come to remind the RSS that Mumbai belongs to Marathi people only, and they should get priority here... The Sena is with the Sangh on Hindutva ideology as always, but the RSS should not overlook the plight of the Marathi manoos and their right over Mumbai.”

Mumbai belongs to whole India: Ambani

Mukesh Ambani has said the recent controversy over making knowledge of Marathi mandatory for issuing taxi permits in Mumbai was unfortunate and said the metropolis belongs to all of India.