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Uttar Pradesh: Varanasi Court orders Gyanvapi complex basement keys to be handed over to District Magistrate

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Uttar Pradesh: Varanasi Court orders Gyanvapi complex basement keys to be handed over to District Magistrate

A district court in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh has directed that the keys to the “Vyas ji ka tehkhana” basement in the Gyanvapi complex be handed over to the district magistrate.

District Judge AK Vishwesh stated in his judgment on Wednesday that the basement of Vyas ji, located at the southern end of the complex, requires regular maintenance, as stated by Hindu side counsel Madan Mohan Yadav.

“Therefore, district magistrate of Varanasi is appointed receiver of Vyas ji’s basement,” the court said.

Yadav had previously stated that authorities had closed and locked the basement in 1993. Yadav said in his plea that Somnath Vyas, a priest, had previously utilized the basement for worship.

This comes two days after the Supreme Court allowed the cleaning of the ‘wazukhana’ inside the disputed Gyanvapi mosque where the ‘Shivling’ was found on May 16, 2022, during a court-mandated survey. The area of ‘wazukhana’ was sealed in 2022 on a Supreme Court order after the discovery of the Shivling.

On January 2, an application was filed in the Supreme Court by the Hindu petitioners seeking direction from the District Magistrate of Varanasi for cleaning the entire area of ‘wazukhana’ of Gyanvapi mosque where the Shivling was found and maintaining hygienic condition.

The application said fish in the water tank died between December 12 to 25, 2023, and due to the same, a putrid smell emitted from the tank.

It is further submitted that the Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid which manages the mosque in the Gyanvapi complex is responsible for the condition of fish due to which they have died.

Centre honours emotions of numerous devotees, declares half-day holiday for govt employees on Ram Mandir consecration day

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Centre honours emotions of numerous devotees, declares half-day holiday for govt employees on Ram Mandir consecration day

Ahead of the much-awaited inauguration of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, the Narendra Modi-led central government has declared a half-day holiday for all government employees on January 22 to enable them to watch the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

The circular issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on Thursday, January 18, read that all Central Government offices, Central institutions and Central industrial establishments throughout India would remain closed till 2.30 pm on January 22 enabling employees to participate in the celebrations of Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha. 

5 states declare a holiday on Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony

It may be noted that earlier in the day, it was reported that five states have declared a holiday on the occasion of Pran Pratishtha on 22nd January. All education institutes will remain closed in Uttar Pradesh on the day and liquor shops will be closed too.

Other states implementing a holiday for education institutes on the day include Madhya Pradesh, which declared 22nd January a dry day. Goa has declared a holiday for schools and government employees.

In Chhattisgarh, all government and private schools and colleges will remain closed. In Haryana, schools will remain closed and liquor consumption will not be allowed.

Meanwhile, advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay has reportedly written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging them to declare 22nd January as a national holiday.

The Ram Mandir inauguration and Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha on 22nd January is set to be the global event of the century. From Ayodhya to New York to Paris, grand celebrations have been planned across cities in the US, France and Canada. The event has already captured the attention of the entire world.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad has outlined plans for events in several countries. Grand programmes will be organized in over 50 countries worldwide. The consecration ceremony will be live-streamed from these locations.

According to the VHP, there are 160 countries worldwide where people follow the Hindu faith, and various programmes are being conducted in these countries. Preparations are being made for live streaming of the procession, havan puja, Hanuman Chalisa recitation and Pran Pratishtha programme in the temple.

The consecration ceremony, according to Indian standard time, will take place at around 12.30 PM on January 22. Notably, the five people allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple include PM Modi, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, UP Governor Anandiben Patel and two chief priests of the temple.

Pran Pratishtha: Kashmiri girl sings Ram Bhajan in Pahadi language, artist from Sangli makes rangoli designs traveling across 25 cities to Ayodhya

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Pran Pratishtha: Kashmiri girl sings Ram Bhajan in Pahadi language, artist from Sangli makes rangoli designs traveling across 25 cities to Ayodhya

The grand inauguration of the Ram Mandir and Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha is just three days away. Celebrations are underway across the country and the world to mark the momentous occasion.

Videos of devotees from various parts of the country celebrating are doing rounds on social media. One such video of a girl from Kashmir has gone viral on X, formerly Twitter.

A Kashmiri girl named Batool Zehra’s video singing a Ram Bhajan has won the internet. Zehra, a first-year college student from Uri in J&K, sang the Ram Bhajan in Pahari language dedicating the same to the Pran Pratishtha.

The video of the singer was shot in the backdrop of the beautiful valley of J&K. The video has garnered over 233k views.

Speaking to PTI, Zehra said, “I wrote a Ram Bhajan in the Pahadi language recent which became viral on the internet. I believe that as the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple is nearing Ayodhya, we the people of Jammu and Kashmir should also have contribution in it.”

She further said, “Out L-G is a Hindu but he does not discriminate against us on the basis of religion while carrying out development work. Our Imam Hussain has also taught us that the followers of the Prophet love the country in which they live. Loving one’s country is part of being faithful.”

Another heartwarming video of a rangoli maker has gone viral drawing attention to the deep devotion of devotees. Sunil Kumbhar from Maharashtra’s Sangli has covered a distance of 25 cities to Ayodhya by drawing rangoli patterns in all the cities.

Speaking to DD News, Kumbhar said that he has come to Ayodhya on his own to offer his art on the Divine Feet of Ram Lalla.

“I have been making rangolis since 30 years and I wanted to offer my art on to the feet of Shri Ram. I will be making rangoli here (in Ayodhya outside Ram Temple) with 2,000 kg of rangoli. And while coming here, I made this rangoli in 25 cities covering Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.”

“Right now I have 1,000 kg rangoli. I will use at least 500 kg today (17th January) and will see the rest tomorrow,” Kumbhar said ending on the note Jai Shri Ram.

Kumbhar can be seen making a Rangoli pattern at Lata Mangeshkar Chowk in Ayodhya using a steel tumbler with a handle and with holes at the bottom to filter the rangoli design.

The video has been widely shared by netizens earning the artist a much-deserved appreciation for his devotion.

Iran-Pakistan conflict: 4 children, 3 women killed in Iran after Pakistan launched “precision strikes” to target militants

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Iran-Pakistan conflict: 4 children, 3 women killed in Iran after Pakistan launched “precision strikes” to target militants

On Thursday (18th January), Pakistan launched “precision military strikes” against what it claimed “terrorist hideouts” in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province leaving seven people dead. While Pakistan claims to have killed many terrorists in its “intelligence-based operation” named “Marg Bar Sarmachar”, Iran’s news agency IRNA reported that among the seven killed by Pakistan today were three women and four children who were not Iranian citizens.

“Seven people, who did not have Iranian nationality, were killed during Pakistan’s missile attack on the southeastern Iranian city early on Thursday,” IRNA reported citing a provincial security official.

IRNA reported that the strike, which occurred at 04:05 local time (0335 GMT), was directed at an Iranian border settlement, according to Ali Reza Marhamati, the deputy governor-general of Sistan-Baluchestan province in southeast Iran. Marhamati reported that three women and four children were killed in the attack. He went on to explain that another explosion occurred near Saravan with no casualties. Saravan is located 347 km southeast of Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan, and shares a border with Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement patting its back for its so-called “series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes” which killed women and children. “This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities. This action is a manifestation of Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend its national security against all threats,” the statement reads.

Furthermore, Pakistan called Iran a “brotherly country” and asserted that it had advocated for dialogue and cooperation to combat terrorism. “Iran is a brotherly country and the people of Pakistan have great respect and attention for the Iranian people. We have always emphasised dialogue and cooperation in confronting common challenges including the menace of terrorism and will continue to endeavour to find joint solutions,” the Foreign Ministry said.

HalVash, an advocacy group for the Baloch people, posted pictures on X that showed the remains of the munitions used in the strike. It stated that several residences in Saravan had been struck. It released videos of a mud-walled building being destroyed and smoke rising after the strike.

In other X posts, the group released pictures of the alleged victims of Pakistani ‘precision strike’.

Meanwhile, Iranian state television, quoting an anonymous official after the Pakistan strike, said Tehran strongly condemned the attack and “demanded an immediate explanation” from Pakistan.

Iran summons Pakistani ambassador

Iran summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires on Thursday after the strike. “Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to protest against the missile attack from the neighbouring country to a southeastern Iranian village near Saravan on Thursday,” IRNA reported.

Iran strikes Jaish-al-Adl headquarters in Pakistan

As reported earlier, on 16th January, Iran attacked the headquarters of a terrorist group with drones and missiles inside Pakistan’s territorial borders. Two important headquarters of Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) in Pakistan were destroyed. The strikes were concentrated in an area in Pakistan’s Balochistan region where “one of the largest headquarters” of Jaish al-Adl was located.

Following the attack, Pakistan expelled the Tehran envoy and recalled its ambassador. “Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan, who is currently visiting Iran, may not return for the time being,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said while addressing a press briefing in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the Iranian foreign minister admitted to missile and drone strikes in Pakistani territory. Hossein Amir-Abdollahain said the strikes in Pakistan targeted an “Iranian terrorist group”, and that the Tehran government had asked Pakistan several times to take action on the group.

Notably, Jaish al-Adl, formed in 2012, designated as a “terrorist” organisation by Iran, is a Sunni terrorist group that operates in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

Maharashtra: Man kills ex-girlfriend before committing suicide over break-up, police find girl’s dead body 34 days later after breaking ‘code’ in his suicide note

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Man kills ex-girlfriend before committing suicide over break-up, police find girl’s dead body 34 days later after breaking ‘code’ in his suicide note

A 19-year-old young woman, who had been missing for 34 days, was found murdered in the Kharghar neighbourhood of Navi Mumbai. According to the police, the preliminary investigation revealed that her former boyfriend killed her before he threw himself in front of a local train and committed suicide. 

A suicide note found on the man’s cell phone contained a “code” that the investigators struggled for days to unravel. They eventually succeeded in figuring it out and discovered that it was the number of a tree that forest officials had marked. On 17th January, the code assisted the police in locating the girl’s body. According to an official, the accused, who was upset that the girl had severed her relationship with him, allegedly strangled her to death in the Kharghar Hills.

On 12th December, the girl departed for her college in Sion and never came back, which led to the Kalamboli police station opening a missing person case. The official stated that authorities also initiated another investigation after learning that a resident of Kalamboli named Vaibhav Burungale had committed suicide on 12th December by jumping in front of a local train.

A special task force was established by Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe to look into the matter. The official added that police recovered a suicide note that was in the man’s cell phone, in which he confessed to killing the woman and planned to end his life.

According to the official, the suicide note contained code terms like “L01-501” which the police deciphered to solve the case. The code corresponded to the number of a Forest Department numbered tree where Vaibhav Burungale had disposed of the victim’s corpse.

A press release by the police read, “The investigation revealed that the woman and Burungale were present in the Kharghar Hills area on December 12. Police took the help of voluntary rescuers from Lonavala and collaborated with the Fire Brigade, Cidco, and Forest Department to search the woman’s body. Drones were also used.”

The uncovering of the woman’s body hidden behind bushes at a wasteland in the Kharghar region’s Owe camp area signified a significant turning point. Her clothes from when she left for college, the ID card and the wristwatch were used to identify the body. Police said that a further investigation is being carried out.

Kerala: Padmanabhaswamy temple to gift Onavillu to Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on the occasion of Pran Pratishtha ceremony

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Padmanabhaswamy temple to gift Onavillu to Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on the occasion of Pran Pratishtha ceremony

The consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will take place on 22nd January. On this occasion, gifts will be sent from temples across the country. The famous Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala will present ‘Onavillu’ as a gift to Lord Rama.

What is Onavillu?

Onavillu is a traditional musical instrument, shaped like a small bow. The Onavillu, which will be sent as a gift to Lord Ram, will also be seen by devotees from Thursday (18th January) morning. The Onavillu will be handed over by the Shri Padmanabhaswamy temple priest and temple administration committee members to the representatives of the Sri Rama Teertha Kshetra Trust at 5.30 pm at a ceremony.

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, holds profound historical significance, as mentioned in the Puranas. According to the Shrimad Bhagwat, the temple has a rich legacy. Lord Ram is also an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Balram is said to have visited the Padmanabhaswamy temple. He also took a bath in the holy lake Padmatheertham here. Nammalwar, a 9th-century poet and one among the 12 Vaishnavite saints of the Alvar tradition has composed ten hymns in praise of Lord Padmanabha.

Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the ‘Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. An idol of Ram Lalla will be enthroned in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on 22nd January. According to a report by ANI, Shri Ram Mandir Construction Committee chairperson Nripendra Mishra on Wednesday said that the ‘Shubh Muhurt’ or auspicious time for the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla at the temple in Ayodhya is 12.30 pm on 22nd January.

The black-stone idol of Ram Lalla, exquisitely sculpted by a Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj has been selected for enthronement. The rituals started on Tuesday and will continue for seven days. Thousands of VIP guests have received invitations from the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the ceremony. More than 11,000 guests nationwide have received invitations from the Trust for the Pran Pratistha ceremony, with special arrangements underway to provide memorable gifts to all attendees. A team of priests led by Lakshmikant Dixit will perform the main rituals at the Pran Prathistha.

Karnataka High Court issues notice to ASI, state and central govt on petition over illegal madrasa in ASI protected Jama Masjid in Srirangapatna

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Karnataka High Court issues notice to ASI, state and central govt on petition over illegal madrasa in ASI protected Jama Masjid in Srirangapatna

On Wednesday (17th January), the Karnataka High Court ordered the issuance of notices to the state and central governments in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition contending that a madrasa was being run illegally on the premises of an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected mosque in Mandya district’s Srirangapatna.

On Wednesday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit heard Abhishek Gowda’s appeal, issued summons to the respondents to file objections and subsequently adjourned the hearing.

Reports say that petitioner Abhishek Gowda, a resident of Hosa Kabballu village, Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagara district said that the madrasa inside the Jama Masjid in Srirangapatna caused damage to the original structure by making structural modifications, demolishing the compound, building bathrooms, destroying historic sculptures, and cooking and consuming food there daily. The petitioner told the court that the said mosque was constructed during Tipu Sultan’s era.

“All the above acts are totally illegal and a violation of Section 7, Rule 7 & 8 of the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains Act and Rules,” the petitioner said.

The petitioner also contended that the office bearers of the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had asked the government to take action in this regard in 2022 and had filed a police complaint but to no effect. In response to the petitioner’s RTI appeal for information on the madrasa inside the mosque, the ASI stated that no permission was obtained to operate a madrasa within the protected site.

The petitioner sought the court to order the ASI to remove unlawful structures from the mosque and to shut down the illegal madrasa that is operating there. The petitioner filed a court petition after receiving no answer from the Archaeological Survey of India, the state, or the central government.

Sanjay Raut now credits Mulayam Singh Yadav for Ram Mandir, says Ram Janmabhoomi movement escalated because of firing on Kar Sevaks on his order

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Sanjay Raut now credits Mulayam Singh Yadav for Ram Mandir, says Ram Janmabhoomi movement escalated because of firing on Kar Sevaks on his order

Ahead of the Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha scheduled in Ayodhya on 22nd January, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut has made a bizarre statement showcasing the opposition alliance’s ‘support’ to the Ram Mandir. Raut said that Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav who was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh when the Ram Janmabhoomi movement was underway in the year 1990, also contributed to Ram Mandir by ordering open fire against the Kar Sevaks.

In an exclusive interview with Satya Hindi’s YouTube channel on 17th January, Raut claimed that Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh contributed to the construction of Ram Mandir as he ordered firing on Kar Sevaks during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which resulted in the killing of a large number of Ram devotees.

“I believe, Mulayam Singh Yadav also contributed to Ram Mandir. If he hadn’t fired, the Ram Janmabhoom movement wouldn’t have taken a grip. Ram gave everybody the sense at that time and everybody acted accordingly so that the temple could be built today,” Raut could be heard saying after 11 minutes into the video. He said that Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao also contributed to the Ram Mandir movement.

In the interview further, he alleged that BJP was trying to convert the Ram Temple into a political event. “When the Ram Janmabhoomi movement started, there was no political intention in the minds of people. Everybody just wanted the temple to be constructed. People sacrificed their lives for the temple. Some of our members also participated in Kar Seva. But today the picture is only in favor of BJP. It is as if the Ram temple or Ayodhya is BJP’s property,” he said.

Raut added that the ‘construction of Ram Temple’ is the biggest ‘failure’ of PM Modi’s leadership. “Modi government will not talk about Kashmiri Pandits, it will not talk about corruption, it will not talk about employment generation, etc. Ram Mandir is the only agenda that PM Modi has been using to win elections. This is the biggest failure of PM Modi’s leadership that he has to take the support of Ram Mandir to win elections,” Raut added.

Commenting on the controversy involving the Shankaracharyas, Raut said that earlier people believed only in 4 Shankaracharyas, now the 5th one had arrived and that was PM Modi. “Now people believe in PM Modi if they are willing to follow Sanatan Dharma. They don’t pay attention to what the Shakaracharyas are saying,” he stated.

It is important to note that Sringeri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Mahaswamiji on 15th January said that propaganda was being run by a few people claiming that Shankaracharyas were against the Ram Mandir. He asked the Sanatan Dharmis to ignore the propaganda and unitedly recite Lord Ram’s name (Ram naam) and seek the blessings of Shri Ram on 22nd January.

“This is the moment for which Hindus have struggled for the last 500 years. Everybody is happy and satisfied as the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha is taking place in Ayodhya on 22nd January. We all have to unitedly participate in the event and seek blessings of Lord Ram,” he said.

Earlier, on 12th January, top spiritual leaders of Sanatan Hindu Dharma, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Dwarka SharadaPeetham and Sringeri Math had issued statements addressed to Lord Ram devotees regarding the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the idol of Lord Ram in Ayodhya on 22nd January. They denounced the fallacies disseminated in social media by vested interests and extended their firm support and blessings to the Pran Pratishtha event. They were reacting to claims by Congress leaders and others that four Shankaracharyas in India including the Shankaracharya of Dwarka and Sringeri math have opposed the Pran Pratishtha ceremony and that they are not attending the event.

While the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath and Puri have indeed said that they will not attend the event, no such announcements were made by Dwarka and Sringeri, but their names were also added to the claims. They have not said that they are opposed to the ceremony, and have not said that the Ram Mandir is incomplete, as claimed by several opposition leaders. Therefore the Dwarka and Sringeri Maths have issued statements refuting such claims, and they urged the devotees to celebrate the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut mocked the Pran Pratishtha event scheduled to take place on 22nd January 2024 in Ayodhya. He called the ceremony a political event and said that the only thing left for the BJP was to announce Lord Ram as their election candidate.

Also, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sushma Andhare was booked by Maharashtra Police for insulting and raising questions over Lord Rama, Lord Krishna’s character. “I don’t want a husband like Lord Rama. Who wants a husband like Lord Rama who showed mistrust of his wife and sent her to exile while she was 7 months pregnant? If people raised questions about Goddess Sita’s character for being in Ravana’s captivity for years, why did nobody question Lord Rama’s character? He was also alone in the jungle while she was held hostage, right?” Andhare had said in the speech for which she was booked.

I was traumatised, dazed, and injured as I was thrown around inside the toilet: Bengaluru techie narrates mid-air horror of being trapped in SpiceJet lavatory

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I was traumatised, dazed, and injured as I was thrown around inside the toilet: Bengaluru techie narrates mid-air horror of being trapped in SpiceJet lavatory

A Spicejet passenger, who was stuck inside the plane’s toilet for nearly an hour on the morning of 16th January due to an alleged malfunction of the lavatory door lock, has shared his harrowing experience. He described his experience of being trapped in the restroom of the Mumbai-Bengaluru flight with the words horrified, panicked, and suffocated. He was eventually rescued and was reportedly the last person to de-board the plane.

After being rescued from the lavatory 20 minutes after arriving at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), he disclosed that he was given a bottle of water and an apology but no medical attention, not even an assessment of his blood pressure. “I was traumatised, dazed and injured as I was thrown around inside the toilet as the plane landed in Bengaluru. There was no medical assistance at all,” he said.

The passenger intends to file a complaint with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and sue the airline for endangering his life. He added that SpiceJet offered him a Rs 5,000 coupon as compensation but he declined. However, the airline said that the staff “provided assistance and guidance” to the passenger.

The Koramangala resident, who was allotted seat 14D in the plane, mentioned, “Soon after the flight took off at 2.10 AM on Tuesday, I went to use the lavatory on the front left side of the plane. Within minutes, I realised something was wrong with the lock and I tried to open it. I managed to draw the attention of the crew, who tried to open the door. It was getting scarier every minute.”

The techie highlighted, “During landing, I was thrown around and suffered injuries. It took 20 minutes for someone to start breaking open the door. When I came out, I had bruises, and my vision was blurred for a while. But I received no medical help even after coming out of the lavatory. I got a bottle of water and some apologies from SpiceJet.”

A ground staff divulged, “The plane landed at KIA at 3.42 AM. An aircraft engineer boarded the flight after all passengers disembarked. The passenger was still trapped inside the cramped toilet. The landing was horrific as he was seated on the commode.”

The 37-year-old software engineer documented the event with a video showing himself confined inside the restroom and struggling to open the door. Now, the footage of the passenger fumbling to open the door has gone viral. He can be observed sitting on the toilet’s lid before getting to his feet and attempting to open the door in the short clip. The latch appeared to be unlocked in the video, however, the door is jammed. Someone from outside also tries to move the door knob to open it but to no avail. The mirror reflected his fleeting glance as he panned the camera around.

The Bangalore-based software engineer was travelling back to the IT hub on SpiceJet’s SG-268 Boeing 737-8 aircraft from Mumbai where he had visited family. The aircraft was supposed to depart Mumbai at 10:45 PM, but it didn’t take off until 2 in the morning.

Once on board, he proceeded to the restroom when the seat belt sign was turned off. He laboured for more than twenty minutes to catch the attention of the in-flight personnel when he was unable to open the toilet door. He eventually got them to notice, but by then the air pressure had caused the door to jam further and the team was unable to unlock it.

The passenger couldn’t hear the in-flight attendants trying to talk to him at first and moved himself closer to the door in an anxious state so he could hear their directions. “Sir, we tried our best to open the door; however, we could not. Do not panic. We are landing in a few minutes, so please close the commode lid and sit on it and secure yourself. As soon as the main door is open, an engineer will come,” read a note handed over to him by a cabin crew member through the cracks in the folding door of the loo.

The crew had instructed the passenger to settle down on the commode and hold on tight but the force of the landing had been so intense that the person was flung to one side without a proper seat belt and sustained injuries.

One employee who saw the rescue remarked, “He told us how he struggled inside the toilet, which had constricted space and the panic of being locked for hours. He was quite shaken up and dazed when he stepped out of the toilet. He could hardly manage to walk.”

He reportedly requested to meet with a senior SpiceJet official to file a formal complaint, but the staff instead put him in a cab and sent him home. A bottle of water was given to him and a car was provided to drive him to his place.

According to a close friend of the passenger who asked to remain anonymous, SpiceJet staff failed to take him to the closest hospital for a check-up despite the seriousness of the event. He revealed, “We had to take him to a hospital ourselves. We are looking at filing a formal complaint against the airline.”

His cousin also posted a message on social media about the passenger’s ordeal which stated, “After flight took off, he went to rest room and after that he was locked for almost 2 hours. Had to suffer a lot inside the room, it was really suffocating and was hard to breathe. He had breathing issues while he was locked inside the restroom, moreover, while landing on the flight there was no proper safety as he was stuck in the restroom during that and no one resolved this until the flight landed in Bangalore after which the door was opened with the help of engineer.”

He added, “It seems like he has booked a seat for the toilet, this is really a pathetic way of maintaining the flight and poor maintenance resulted in a traumatised journey which he is suffering now.”

The airline released a statement after the episode which said, “SpiceJet regrets and apologises for the inconvenience caused to the passenger. The passenger is being provided with a full refund. On 16 January, a passenger unfortunately got stuck inside the lavatory for about an hour on the SpiceJet flight operating from Mumbai to Bengaluru, while the aircraft was airborne due to a malfunction in the door lock. Throughout the journey, our crew provided assistance and guidance to the passenger. Upon arrival, an engineer opened the lavatory door, and the passenger received immediate medical support.”

Youth tries to flee with the car that was en route to pick up MoS Sadhvi Jyoti from the airport, police arrest youth on charges of attempted kidnapping

OpIndia Staff
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Youth tries to flee with the car that was en route to pick up MoS Sadhvi Jyoti from the airport, police arrest youth on charges of attempted kidnapping

On Tuesday, January 16, the Lucknow police in Uttar Pradesh arrested a youth who tried to flee with MoS Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti’s car. The car was en route to pick up the union minister from the airport when the incident happened. The police arrested the youth and charged him with attempted kidnapping based on the complaint filed by Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti’s driver.

In the complaint, the Union Minister’s driver said that the accused tried to run away with the car when he stopped the car to have tea near New Pradhan Dhaba in the Banthara police station area while he was on his way to the airport to receive the minister. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti was returning to Lucknow from Delhi.

According to him, the accused suddenly came there, pushed the gunner who was sitting inside the car out of it and tried to drive away with the car. The accused was then apprehended by the other security personnel who surrounded him and stopped the vehicle. When the security personnel pulled out the accused from the car he started hurling abuses at him. The accused was then handed over to the police.

The union minister was not inside the car when the incident took place.

The police, meanwhile, arrested the youth and registered a case against him for attempting to kidnap the minister. The accused is being interrogated.

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