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How can a ‘Microsoft font’ of 1992 be present in PM Modi’s degree certificate of 1983? Don’t be a Pappu. Read to know how

Raju Das
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How can a ‘Microsoft font’ of 1992 be present in PM Modi’s degree certificate of 1983? Don’t be a Pappu. Read to know how

The Gujarat High Court on Friday quashed a Central Information Commission (CIC) order issued in 2016 directing Gujarat University to furnish information regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Master of Arts (MA) degree to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Delhi CM Kejriwal for using the RTI mechanism to get PM Modi’s degree which is available in the public domain as they were published in the media.

Opposition parties keep questioning the educational qualifications of the Indian prime minister. Responding to such questions, BJP had displayed the degree certificates issued to Narendra Modi earlier. But opposition leaders including Kejriwal continues to question the same. In such an attempt to prove that the certificates are fake, a Congress leader made a hilarious claim today.

The Delhi resident Shantanu, who called himself Nehruvian, Gandhian and Congressman, claimed that Modi’s Gujarat University MA degree is fake because it is from 1983, and a font used in the certificate didn’t exist before 1992. Therefore it is not possible to use it in a 1983 certificate, he tried to insinuate.

The font in question is Old English Text MT, a font by Microsoft. He posted a screenshot of the Microsoft webpage about the font, which shows that the software giant had copyrighted it in the year 1992.

While it is true that this particular font named Old English Text MT was copyrighted in 1992, it does not mean that the certificate uses exactly this font. This is because this calligraphic font has been in use for over a thousand years now, the reason why it is literally called “Old English Text”.

Fonts or typefaces didn’t start with Word Processing programs like MS Word, they were made thousands of years ago, since the time human civilisation invented writing. Many manuscripts were written using particular fonts, and several calligraphic fonts were developed during that period. Later, these fonts were incorporated into printing technology, and then computer DTP programs.

This particular style of typography is called the Gothic or Blackletter script, and they are in existence since their use in Western Europe, including Germany and England, since the 12th century. This was a major style of text used in manuscript books and other documents throughout Europe, mostly in the German language. Later its use expanded to other languages including English which uses the Latin script.

Many historical monuments have text engraved in such styles, apart from historical documents and coins preserved in museums.

The Microsoft webpage that Shantanu referred to itself mentions that there are two main kinds of what people tend to call Gothic letters: the German Frakturs and the English Blackletter. It states that the particular font, Old English Text MT, looks remarkably like the famous Cloister Black designed by Morris Fuller Benton in 1904.

Moreover, on closer inspection, it is found that the text in the certificate is not exactly as the Microsoft font, there are subtle differences in the glyphs. On the other hand, it matches Mariage font by Morris Fuller Benton in 1901 and Cloister Black by the same person in 1904.

Gutenberg Bible

One of the most famous books printed using Blackletter is the Gutenberg bible, published in 1455. Filled with colourful illustrations, the entire book was printed using metal moveable typefaces, a technology that pioneered mass printing.

First edition of NYT

In modern times, such Blackletter or Gothic fonts are generally used in titles and not in the main text. One of the widespread uses is Newspaper mastheads. Mastheads of several well-known newspapers were designed using such Old English Fonts, which are in use now.

For example, The New York Times was founded in 1851 as New-York Daily Times, and its masthead was designed using Old English fonts.

Washington Post from 1974

Back home, The Tribune and The Assam Tribune have their mastheads designed in similar Old English Fonts.

Therefore, the Old English font is in existence for hundreds of years, and as it is a preferred font for titles, it is no wonder that Delhi University used it in its degree certificates. In fact, many universities use such typefaces in the Degrees, as it gives the certificates a royal hue.

With the advent of computer-based printing technology, many fonts have been developed based on such old typefaces, and the persons or companies that develop such fonts for computers hold the copyright for these fonts. It does not mean a particulate style of text didn’t exist before that, it only means that the font developer holds the copyright for the computer file of the font.

Unibersity?

Some people also claimed that the word university is misspelt in the certificate, therefore it has to be fake. This is also a low IQ claim, because in the Old English Fonts, the top of v is joined by a thin stroke, making it look like b. Anyone can check this by selecting an Old English font and typing the letter on a computer.

v in University looks like b in Old English fonts

Therefore, the word university is not misspelt as unibersity in the certificate, it is the result of the calligraphic font that creates the misconception. It is also seen in the degrees of several other universities which use such fonts.

Regarding the claim that the certificate is fake because PM Modi’s middle name is written Damoderdas instead of Damodardas, minor variations in spellings were common in those times. In fact, most people had their date of birth mentioned wrongly in their school documents during that time. While his name was spelt Narendra Damodardas Modi in some certificates and marksheets, in others it was spelt as Narendra Damoderdas Modi

Satellite pictures show new military infrastructure being built in strategically important Myanmar-controlled Coco Islands, Chinese hand suspected

OpIndia Staff
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Satellite pictures show new military infrastructure being built in strategically important Myanmar-controlled Coco Islands, Chinese hand suspected

Some latest satellite imagery released in January this year revealed how mysterious constructions of military infrastructure have come up in Coco Islands in the Bay of Bengal.

The images uphold India’s long-held belief that China is increasing military activities on the Myanmar-controlled Coco Islands, one of South Asia’s most strategic islands, which India lost control of due to Jawaharlal Nehru’s lack of strategic comprehension and his inability to bargain hard with the Britishers.

The images that were captured by Maxar Technologies in January reveal that Myanmar may soon be intending to conduct maritime surveillance operations from Great Coco Islands.

According to media reports, the satellite images revealed new developments in the Great Coco Island region, including two newly-built hangars in the centre and a few new buildings in the north, as well as a large pier possibly for accelerating naval activities.

A satellite image shows the construction of two newly-built hangars in the centre and a few new buildings in the north on Coco Island (source: Chatham House)

On March 31, 2023, Chatham House, an independent policy institute headquartered in London, published an article written by Satellite imagery expert Damien Symon, who goes by the Twitter handle @detresfa_, and foreign affairs and security issues expert John Pollock that read that the satellite images show that there are two new hangars, a new causeway, and what appears to be an accommodation bloc — all of which are visible in proximity to a newly lengthened 2,300-metre runway and radar station.

Visible as of late March on the southern tip of Great Coco, just beyond the causeway connecting the islands is evidence of land clearing efforts indicating construction work to come, the article read.

Initially, a length of 1,300m, the runway on Great Coco Island has been extended over the last decade to reach its current reported length of 2,300m (Source: Chatham House)

Chinese presence in Coco Islands

The Coco Islands give India an immense strategic advantage in the region, considering its proximity to the strait of Malacca which is a crucial point for the global supply routes of oil from the Gulf. With the reports of increasing military activities of China on the Myanmar-controlled Coco Islands, the region becomes another hotspot for potential Chinese notoriety.

Coco Island, which is north of Andamans is strategically important to India. China, which has been eyeing to encircle India in the Indian Ocean Region with its aggressive ‘String of Pearls’ policy has shown keen interest in this island for the last four decades. Since the early 1990s, there have been frequent reports of China using those islands for military and naval purposes. There are even reports that the islands have been leased out to China in 1994, but Mynamar denies it.

It is, however, well known in defence circles that the islands, specifically the Great Coco Island, are under Chinese control and they have established a strong military presence there. They have signal intelligence facilities, maritime bases, and radar facilities that they use to monitor the activities of Indian armed forces, especially the Indian Navy based in nearby Andamans. The Great Coco Island had a short airstrip of around 1000 metres that allowed the operation of small aircraft. But the Chinese have now extended it to an almost 2500 metre runway, which is used solely for military planes as no civilian plane flies there.

An analysis of satellite images shows that the runway was extended only 5-6 years ago when China increased its military presence in other countries. Apart from extending the runway inward, the Chinese also reclaimed lots of area on the coast to extend it towards the sea, which can be seen in the two images from Google Earth given below, from 2006 and 2020.

The airstrip at Great Coco Island was extended by China in the past decade (Google Earth photo)

China has also installed a SIGINT facility to monitor Indian missile launches into the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. It is noteworthy that all Indian missile tests happen on the eastern coast along the Bay of Bengal, and thanks to the monitoring station at the island, now China can closely watch such launches and estimate even the classified details of the missiles, apart from being able to monitor movements of Indian navy.

The Radar station at the island is located at the highest point of the island at around 90-metre altitude, giving it the best monitoring capabilities.

Therefore, thanks to its strong military presence at the Coco Islands, the Chinese can maintain a close watch on India’s defence preparedness. Had the Island not gone to Myanmar and remained with India, China would not have such a strong military presence so close to India. Hence, not being able to retain Coco Islands cost India dearly, and it must be considered a costly strategic blunder by the Congress party under the leadership of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Kolkata: Special POCSO Court awards life sentence to Mohammed Mofizuddin and Abhishek Roy for raping a 4-year-old girl

OpIndia Staff
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Kolkata: Special POCSO Court awards life sentence to Mohammed Mofizuddin and Abhishek Roy for raping a 4-year-old girl

Two physical education teachers from a renowned school in Alipore, Kolkata, were found guilty of raping a 4-year-old girl enrolled in a nursery class in 2017. The girl was allegedly raped in the school bathroom by Mohammed Mofizuddin and his assistant, Abhishek Roy. Both were found guilty by the court on March 29, 2023, per Sections 376D of the IPC and 6 of the POCSO act.

After the conviction, Mofizuddin was handed down a life sentence on Friday, March 31, 2023, along with Roy. Both were additionally ordered to pay a fine of Rs 50,000.

“Apart from life imprisonment, the court imposes a fine of Rs 50,000 and once this money is deposited, it will be given to the victim immediately,” the Alipore court stated while pronouncing the judgment. The court further awarded Rs 5 lakh to the victim as compensation.

The girl’s father said he is relieved and satisfied with the court’s decision. “Such criminals will think before touching a child. This decision is a triumph for me, my wife, and my daughter. I have fought for about five years. I will be able to sleep peacefully after a long time.”

The victim’s father said that he lost his job during the struggle to get justice for his daughter after which he started doing business. However, he never gave up his quest for justice and attended every hearing. 

“I had to often travel out of the city due to my job. I had to frequently attend court for the first three months after the case began. Consequently, I was unable to continue working. I decided to seek justice. At that time, I advised other parents to refrain from any violence against the school since that was not my objective”, the victim’s father stated

The girl’s father produced 21 prosecution witnesses, according to Madhavi Ghosh, the special public prosecutor for POCSO cases. Meanwhile, the girl child’s testimony in a closed room served as the main evidence.

The complaint was made by the child’s parents on November 30, 2017, alleging that their daughter was led into the washroom by two men—one of whom was known to the children as “Chocolate Kaku”—and then sexually assaulted.

According to the girl’s father, she had complained of abdominal pain when she got home from school that day. The victim’s mother noticed bloodstains on her uniform as well. 

“We initially took her to a pediatrician as we thought she had an infection. We were left shocked when the doctor said it was a case of sexual assault,” the victim’s father said.

Later that evening, he brought the child to the Jadavpur police station. The child was taken to SSKM Hospital for a checkup after a complaint was lodged.

Kanjhawala hit-and-drag case: Delhi Police files 800-page chargesheet against seven accused

OpIndia Staff
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Kanjhawala hit-and-drag case: Delhi Police files 800-page chargesheet against seven accused

On Saturday, the Delhi Police wrapped up its investigation and submitted an 800-page chargesheet against seven accused in the Kanjhawala hit-and-drag case.

The case has been set for discussion of the final report on April 13 before Metropolitan Magistrate Sanya Dalal. The Delhi police have arrested seven persons in the case, Deepak Khanna, Amit Khanna, Krishan, Mithun, Manoj Mittal, Ashutosh Bhardwaj and Ankush. After the inquiry was over, a chargesheet with about 117 witnesses and 800 pages was compiled.

Ashutosh Bhardwaj and Ankush were earlier granted bail by the court. The rest five were produced before the court, which extended their judicial custody till April 13. Earlier Deepak Khanna’s bail plea was rejected by a sessions court.

The police said, “On the basis of the material and evidence collected during the investigation, to the best of capabilities, sufficient material has come on record to prosecute the accused.” Amit Khanna, Krishan, Mithun, and Manoj Mittal have all been charged with murder, per the chargesheet. Amit and Ashutosh were also held in accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act.

The chargesheet revealed that all of the accused had been charged with criminal conspiracy, evidence destruction, harbouring an offender, common intention, and false information with the intent to influence a public servant to use his official authority against another person.

Amit Khanna has been charged with further offences by the Delhi Police for reckless driving and injuring others by jeopardising their lives or personal safety. The police have sent in their chargesheet as required by the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) within the allotted 90 days.

The Indian Criminal Code’s Section 302 (murder) was recently invoked in the case by the Delhi Police. It was initially registered for reckless driving on public property and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Metropolitan Magistrate Sanya Dalal has posted the matter for consideration of the final report on April 13.

The case pertains to Anjali Singh, 20, who died in the early hours of January 1 after her scooter was hit by a car driven by the accused. She was dragged for more than 12 kilometres beneath the vehicle from Sultanpur to Kanjhawala.

Australia: Khalistani elements disrupt Vaisakhi mela, organisers threatened by Khalsa Aid

OpIndia Staff
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Australia: Khalistani elements disrupt Vaisakhi mela, organisers threatened by Khalsa Aid

On Saturday, April 1, 2023, a group of pro-Khalistani elements disrupted an event organised to celebrate the Vaisakhi festival in Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, reported India Today. The event was organised by the ‘Punjabi Aussie Association of South Australia’ where the Consulate General of India to Sydney, Manish Gupta, was invited as the chief guest. 

The organisation that organised the event is run by a Hindu-Sikh couple. The couple Harmeet Kaur and Rajesh Thakur, who were farmer protests supporters, have reportedly been organising the festival for several years, but for the last two years, they have alleged that they have received threats from the dubious organisation Khalsa Aid for organising the event.

On Friday, March 31, the couple claimed that they were threatened with physical violence and their business destroyed by the dubious organisation Khalsa Aid for organizing the inclusive Vaisakhi fair. The couple claimed that they have also received boycott calls from one Sarabjit Singh Pipli on social media.

Harmeet Kaur further claimed that those behind the threatening messages are Khalistani supporters. She added that Sarabjit Singh Pipli told him over the call that he won’t tolerate any ‘insult in the name of Vaisakhi’ and the festival is an ‘insult to the Singhs’.

Last year, the couple had reportedly been threatened by dubious organisation Khalsa Aid’s South Australian coordinator Gurinderjit Singh Jassar, who allegedly made a threatening call to the couple, demanding to change the name of the fair. Thakur claimed Jassar said, “Vaisakhi belongs to us [Sikhs]”. When Thakur refused to budge in, Jassar allegedly got aggressive over the call and accused him of sexualising the festival. 

The Khalistani movement in Australia

There have been reports of Khalistani elements rising in Australia but failing to gain support like in Canada. However, the incidents have lately been on the rise. Three Hindu temples have already been attacked in Australia, and 2023 has just started. Apart from documenting the attacks on Hindu temples, OpIndia also chronicled some events that point towards the uprising of Khalistani elements in Australia, the details of which can be read here.

Another defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi, this time for calling RSS the ’21st century Kauravas’ during Bharat Jodo Yatra

OpIndia Staff
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Another defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi, this time for calling RSS the ’21st century Kauravas’ during Bharat Jodo Yatra

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, has been charged with criminal defamation for calling the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) the “21st century Kauravas” at the Bharat Jodo Yatra in January. The case has been filed by an RSS worker in a Haridwar court.

The complaint, according to attorney Arun Bhadoria, was brought on behalf of Kamal Bhadoria, an RSS volunteer. “We have filed the complaint under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). On April 12, the court will hear the complaint, he stated.

The two sections, which deal with criminal defamation, set a two-year prison sentence as the maximum sentence. According to Arun, the complaint is related to a speech made by Gandhi in Haryana during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

On January 9, Rahul Gandhi said in Ambala, “Who were the Kauravas? I will first tell you about the 21st-century Kauravas. They wear khakhi half-pants, carry lathi in hand and hold shakhas. India’s 2-3 billionaires are standing with the Kauravas.” However, Gandhi didn’t name RSS during his speech.

He had also asked, “Did Pandavas implement demonetisation, wrong GST, farmers bill? No, they didn’t because they were tapasvis, and they knew that demonetisation, wrong GST, farmers bill are methods of stealing”.

“There were five tapasvis on one side, and there was the Sangathan on the other side,” Rahul Gandhi had further said. The Congress leader also alleged that although Narendra Modi implemented “demonetisation, wrong GST,” it was done by some billionaires using him.

Talking about the case, Bhadauria’s lawyer Arun Bhadoria said, “Rahul Gandhi compared the RSS to the Kauravas of the 21st century. It is his indecent speech which reveals his mindset. RSS is such an organization that whenever there has been a calamity in the country, it has come forward to help.” He further informed that the court has registered the case and asked the plaintiff to appear for an advance hearing on April 12.

“A defamation case has been filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by RSS worker Kamal Bhadauria in Haridwar court. The hearing is on April 12. Rahul Gandhi said in Haryana that RSS is the Kaurava of 21st century,” he lawyer said.

Reports however mention that Gandhi has not yet responded to the notice that was sent on January 11. 

Earlier, Gandhi was found guilty of criminal defamation on March 23 and given a two-year jail term for saving that everyone with the Modi surname is thief, following which he lost his right to serve as a member of Parliament. Gandhi served as the Lok Sabha representative for the Kerala district of Wayanad.

Muslim intellectuals condemn attack on Ram Navami shobha yatras by Muslim mobs

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim intellectuals condemn attack on Ram Navami shobha yatras by Muslim mobs

After shobha yatras taken out by Hindu devotees on the occasion of Ram Navami celebrations were attacked by unruly mobs in ‘Muslim areas’ (as legitimised by leaders like Mamata Banerjee), various Muslim intellectuals – academics, jurists, journalists, authors, activists, bureaucrats, artists – have written an open letter condemning such behaviour by their co-religionists. The letter has been shared by various Muslim celebrities – actors, sportsmen, RJs, models, etc. – on their social media accounts.

You can read the letter below.

Seriously dude? You still think this would happen? Wouldn’t they rather play victim and worry about Islamophobia?

And check today’s date.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

Rather, smell the burnt ashes.

That is the aroma of ganga-jamuni tehzeeb.

Mohammad Nurujjaman, Seikh Miraj Uddin arrested in detonator consignment case, 27,000 kgs of ammonium nitrate, enough to flatten a city, recovered

OpIndia Staff
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Mohammad Nurujjaman, Seikh Miraj Uddin arrested in detonator consignment case, 27,000 kgs of ammonium nitrate, enough to flatten a city, recovered

In the course of conducting searches at various locations in West Bengal, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) detained two additional individuals on Friday who were reportedly engaged in a detonator shipment case.

One of the two people detained has been identified as Mir Mohammad Nurujjaman, who NIA alleges worked as a contract worker in the IT department of West Bengal’s Education Ministry, Bikash Bhawan.

The NIA further said that the other individual was detained after a search in Asansol, which is part of the Paschim Bardhaman district. The second accused has been identified as Seikh Miraj Uddin. 27,000 kgs of ammonium nitrate, an ingredient used to build bombs, enough to flatten cities, were recovered from the accused.

On Saturday, both defendants were scheduled to be presented before the NIA special court. In July 2022, West Bengal’s Special Task Unit carried out a raid in Birbhum district’s Mahammad Bazar neighbourhood and detained a pick-up vehicle that was reportedly carrying 81,000 detonators.

The police said that the criminals planned an explosion but that the authorities jeopardised their plot by apprehending three persons in connection with the case. The Union Home Ministry had asked the NIA to conduct an inquiry after a significant amount of explosive materials were recovered.

Rintu Seikh, who was allegedly the case’s mastermind and the supplier of the detonators, was detained by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) during the investigation. Two additional identities surfaced after Rintu Sheikh was questioned by the NIA.

The NIA conducted searches at Bikash Bhawan and Asansol as a result of the statement and intelligence from a secret source, arresting Mir Mohammad Nurujjaman and Seikh Miraj Uddin.

Kerala: IAS and IPS officers barred from accepting private awards without permission of the state government

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: IAS and IPS officers barred from accepting private awards without permission of the state government

All Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) personnel in the state of Kerala are prohibited from accepting awards from private organizations or individuals without first obtaining permission from the state government, according to an official order issued by Kerala Chief Secretary Dr VP Joy.

The order stated that going forward, all such officials would have to seek sanction through the General Administration Department. If any official fails to follow the procedures, strict action will be taken against them, the order said.

The directive comes after a section of the Kerala Police officials registered a strong protest over an IAS official getting an award from a private organisation for effective management of the devotees at a prominent temple in the state..

Awards are frequently distributed among persons who have important positions in the state, including clubs, organisations, and the corporate sector. Such awards are especially bestowed upon political figures and other influential figures like the IAS and IPS officers.

Full emergency declared at Delhi airport after Dubai-bound FedEx flight suffers a bird hit, takes off later after making a safe landing

OpIndia Staff
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Full emergency declared at Delhi airport after Dubai-bound FedEx flight suffers a bird hit, takes off later after making a safe landing

A Dubai-bound FedEx aircraft suffered a bird hit soon after taking off earlier today on Saturday, April 1, 2023, forcing authorities to declare a full emergency at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The flight landed safely and took off later in the day after technicians checked the plane for any technical glitches before giving clearance.

According to reports, the Dubai-bound FedEx flight FX5279 had taken off at around 10.46 am on Saturday morning. Minutes later, it had to make an emergency landing as it suffered a bird strike soon after taking off. The flight was grounded for a while after the incident and took off again at 1.44 pm once the technicians cleared it for flight after inspection. 

The aircraft in the incident is a Boeing 777-200LR operated by FedEx, the American logistics company.

“Delhi- Dubai FedEx flight was involved in air turnback due to a suspected bird hit at 1000 ft today. Delhi airport (DIAL) declared an emergency. Aircraft landed back safely. After inspection, it has been released for flight,” the DGCA later said in a statement.

A bird strike is often referred to as bird ingestion, a bird hit, or Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH). It happens when an airborne animal – such as a bird or a bat – hits an aeroplane in flight.

Similar incident of flight suffering bird hit reported earlier

Notably, bird-hit occurrences are not uncommon, but they pose significant technological hurdles and can be fatally dangerous. Last month, a bird strike prompted an Air Asia jet en route to Pune to make an emergency landing at Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport. Just after taking off from the airport, the plane was hit by a bird.

Similarly, in February this year, an IndiGo flight from Surat to Delhi was forced to detour to Ahmedabad due to a bird strike during takeoff.

The incident was confirmed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), who added that the aircraft landed safely in Ahmedabad.

In October last year, an Akasa Air Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft flying from Ahmedabad to Delhi hit a bird at 1,900 feet, which caused sustained radome damage. On the same day, on October 15, a bird collided with a Mumbai-Bengaluru Akasa Air flight.

It may be recalled that in June last year, a helicopter ferrying Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had to make an emergency landing in the Holy city of Varanasi. As per initial reports, Yogi Adityanath was en route to Lucknow when a bird hit his helicopter, forcing an emergency landing.

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