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ULFA-I says funeral of its top commander killed in earlier drone strike in Myanmar hit by Indian missile, two leaders killed and many injured, vows revenge on “colonial state”

OpIndia Staff
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ULFA-I says funeral of its top commander killed in earlier drone strike in Myanmar hit by Indian missile, two leaders killed and many injured, vows revenge on “colonial state”

After saying that its camps in Myanmar were attacked by Indian forces earlier today, ULFA-I (United Liberation Front of Asom- Independent) later said that the funeral of its commander killed in the attack was also hit by missiles shot by Indian planes. In a statement issued to media, the group said that two senior leaders were killed in the missile strike.

ULFA-I also said that airstrikes on its camps in the area are still going on. It vowed revenge on Indian forces for the attack.

The statement said, “The occupying forces crossed all limits of humanity by launching a missile this time on funeral of Hon’ble President of the Lower Council of the United Liberation Forces of Assam [Independet], Lt. Gen. Nayan Asom, killed in the drone strike by the colonial forces. Brigadier Ganesh Asom and Colonel Pradeep Asom were killed and several other officers/members and civilians were injured in this brutal and inhuman attack by the mercenary forces. The occupying forces continue to carry out air strikes in certain areas. We would like to inform the indigenous people of Assam that; we are determined to take revenge on this barbaric attack by the colonial state.”

The statement has been sent to Ishan Asom, Associate Editor of the Communication Department of the banned outfit.

Notably, Indian Army launched a major surgical strike on militant camps in Myanmar on the early hours of Sunday. Over a hundred UAVs were reportedly used in the operation, which targeted camps of ULFA-I and other separatist groups of northeastern India. Four camps of ULFA-I, including the Eastern Command Headquarters (ECHQ) at Hoyat Basti and the 779 Camp located at Waktham Basti were reportedly targeted. Apart from killing Nayan Asom, the drone strike had injured several members of the outfit.

The strikes targeted camps in the Naga Self-Administered Zone near the India-Myanmar border. The operation was reportedly carried out in close coordination with the Myanmar military.

However, Indian defence forces have not confirmed any such operation till now. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that state police have not carried out any such operation, adding that no such confirmation has been issued by the Indian Army also. He said that the matter should be clear by the evening.

Who is Ujjwal Nikam, the new Rajya Sabha MP who secured conviction of 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab as special public prosecutor

OpIndia Staff
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Who is Ujjwal Nikam, the new Rajya Sabha MP who secured conviction of 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab as special public prosecutor

On Saturday (12th July), President Droupadi Murmu nominated Ujjwal Nikam, the renowned special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, to the Rajya Sabha.

Nikam joins the Upper House alongside stalwarts such as the former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, historian Dr. Meenakshi Jain, and Kerala social worker C. Sadanandan Master.

A legal luminary’s journey

Coming from a humble background, Nikam was born in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, on 30th March 1953. His father was a judge. He did his graduation from K.C.E Society’s Maniyar Law College with a Bachelor of Science, laying the foundation for a formidable legal career.

He began his career as a district prosecutor in Jalgaon. After decades of experience and handling India’s most high-profile and complex cases, he built his reputation as one of the best. Nikam has a 30-year-long career during which he secured 628 life imprisonment and 37 death penalties.

Landmark cases that defined a career

Nikam’s name became synonymous with prosecuting terrorism and high-stakes criminal cases. Nikam secured the conviction and death sentence for Ajmal Kasab, a surviving terrorist of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, as a Special Public Prosecutor. His strategic arguments ensured Kasab’s conviction in just two years.

He also spent over 14 years prosecuting suspects in the 1993 Bombay terror attack, resulting in numerous convictions, which cemented his public image.

He successfully prosecuted some high-profile murder trials such as prosecuting the killers of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan (securing life imprisonment for the brother) and music mogul Gulshan Kumar, along with handling the Khairlanji Dalit massacre, Shakti Mills gang rape (securing death sentences), and Kopardi rape case.

In 2010, Nikam represented India at a UN counter-terrorism convention, highlighting his international recognition in this field.

Political foray and nomination

In 2024, Nikam stepped into active politics. He replaced Poonam Mahajan and contested the Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North Central as the BJP candidate. His campaign was based on the themes of rule of law and national security but he lost to Congress’s Varsha Gaikwad by a very narrow margin of 16,514 votes.

Despite the electoral setback, his decades of service were recognized with a Rajya Sabha nomination under Article 80(1)(a) of the Constitution, reserved for individuals excelling in art, literature, science, or social service. His term began on 13th July 2025 and runs until 12th July 2031. While nominated members are technically non-partisan, Nikam is formally listed with BJP affiliation in official records.

Recognition and controversy

In 2016, Nikam was awarded India’s fourth-highest civilian honour Padma Shri. Nikam faced criticism for a remark he made about Kasab demanding mutton biryani in jail during the trial. He later stated that he did it to break the emotional “sympathy wave” for the terrorist.

Vision for parliament

Nikam emphasized his commitment to strengthening the rule of law. By aligning with his focus on legal reform. He stated “Ram Rajya cannot be attained until there is the rule of law amongst the people.”

He has expressed interest in amending extradition laws to bring more criminals to justice. Earlier this year, Nikam made a remark that because of the positive image of India created by PM Modi.

No one can call us ‘Banana‘ country today. His remarks highlighted his ideological alignment with the current government’s narrative on legal matters and national strength

Conclusion

Ujjwal Nikam stepping into the Rajya Sabha is a big deal. He brings decades of real-world experience, the kind he get from taking on terrorists and major criminals in court.

India’s wrestling with some seriously tough legal and security headaches. Having Nikam’s voice in the mix is likely going to really shape how the country talks about and makes laws on justice and keeping people safe.

Just look at his path: one minute he’s prosecuting India’s most infamous bad guys, the next he’s helping write the laws as an MP. It’s a pretty major new step in his work for the public on’s legislative discussions regarding justice and security.

Raipur: Mob of over 80 Muslims led by history sheeter Yasin Sheikh attack a Hindu family over a minor dispute with neighbour

OpIndia Staff
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Raipur: Mob of over 80 Muslims led by history sheeter Yasin Sheikh attack a Hindu family over a minor dispute with neighbour

A small dispute between neighbours in the Bhavna Nagar area of Raipur in Chhattisgarh turned into a serious communal incident on the night of 7th July. The whole issue started over a minor argument between Sanjay Chaudhary, a Hindu resident, and his neighbour Rajesh Tiwari. Sanjay’s family used to throw leftover food for stray animals outside their house. Rajesh Tiwari objected to this, and an argument broke out.

Things took an ugly turn when Yasin Sheikh alias Sonu, a known history-sheeter in the area and Sanjay’s neighbour, got involved. He, along with his Muslim friends, attacked Rajesh Tiwari’s house and door with an axe multiple times. Eyewitnesses say that around 70-80 muslim men, armed with sticks, rods, and knives, stormed into Tiwari’s home and started beating him and his son’s friend brutally. The victims suffered serious injuries to their faces, legs, backs, and stomachs.

The attack didn’t stop at the hospital

Even after the police reached the spot and took the injured Tiwari family to the hospital, the attackers didn’t back off. They followed them to the hospital and beat them up again, this time right in front of the police.

FIR registered, some arrested

Rajesh Tiwari filed a police complaint after the attack. Based on CCTV footage and statements, the police arrested the main accused, Sanjay Chaudhary, Yasin Sheikh, and others, including Irfan Siddiqui, Anas Atif, and Rayaz Aggarwal. Attempted murder and rioting charges were filed. However, around a dozen more attackers are still absconding.

Communal tensions rise, Bajrang Dal protests

What started as a small fight soon turned into communal violence where the muslim mob attacked a Hindu family. After videos of the attack went viral, Bajrang Dal workers protested in front of the police station and Yasin’s house, demanding strict action. The area remains tense, with Yasin’s family reportedly admitting the mistake. However, they denied trying to give the matter a communal colour.

The organisation challenged the administration, saying the attack was communal and the delay in arresting others would not be tolerated. Police have increased security in the area, but locals say the fear still lingers.

Meet Harsh Vardhan Shringla: Career diplomat and former Foreign Secretary of India, who has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha

OpIndia Staff
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Meet Harsh Vardhan Shringla: Career diplomat and former Foreign Secretary of India, who has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha

On Saturday (12th July), President Droupadi Murmu nominated Harsh Vardhan Shringla, India’s most experienced diplomat. He is a retired Foreign Service officer of the Indian Foreign Service of the 1984 batch. He was the Foreign Secretary of India from January 2020 to April 2022.

During his tenure, he handled big-ticket issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and thereafter served as Chief Coordinator for India’s G20 Presidency in 2023.

Over his long career, Shringla has served in significant positions. He has been India’s Ambassador to the US, Bangladesh, and Thailand.

During his time in Washington, he was instrumental in forging greater India-US ties and actively interacted with US lawmakers during delicate negotiations pertaining to Article 370 and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

He is known for his calm nature and deep knowledge of global affairs. Many say he was one of the few Indian diplomats who could handle tough international situations with clarity and balance. During the pandemic, he helped lead the Ministry of External Affairs’ response and managed the massive Vande Bharat Mission that brought back lakhs of Indians from abroad.

Shringla was born in Mumbai and graduated from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He has, over time, earned a reputation for having a clear grasp of India’s foreign policy and for his diplomatic prowess.

His nomination to the Rajya Sabha is viewed as an appreciation of his decades of service to the nation and for his capability to make contributions to public policy and foreign relations even past retirement.

Who is Meenakshi Jain, the newly nominated Rajya Sabha MP whose books countered the lies and anti-Hindu propaganda of leftist historians

OpIndia Staff
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Who is Meenakshi Jain, the newly nominated Rajya Sabha MP whose books countered the lies and anti-Hindu propaganda of leftist historians

Eminent historian, Dr Meenakshi Jain, has been nominated by President Droupadi Murmu to the Rajya Sabha on Saturday (12th July). Jain has served as an Associate Professor of History in Gargi College at the University of Delhi. She has authored various books relating to Indian civilisation, religion and politics.

Her nomination to the Rajya Sabha is a significant step towards recognising scholarship having indigenous perspectives. In 2020, she was conferred the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her exceptional contribution to the field of history. Some of her textbooks have been included in the school curriculum.

Dr Jain is also a former member of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library and the Governing Council of the Indian Council of Historical Research. Currently, Jain is a Senior Fellow of the Indian Council of Social Science Research. Her areas of research include cultural and religious developments in medieval and early modern India.

Dr Jain has done extensive research on various historical topics and has a vast body of work on issues relating to medieval and modern Indian history. Her historical works include, Flight of Deities and Rebirth of Temples (2019), The Battle for Rama: Case of the temple at Ayodhya (2017), Sati: Evangelicals, Baptist Missionaries and the changing Colonial Discourse (2016), Rama and Ayodhya (2013), Parallel Pathways: Essays on Hindu –Muslim Relations (1707-1857) (2010).

Jain’s works cover a wide range of topics in Indian history, including the practice of Sati, ancient temples, and India’s rich religious heritage, but her works on the Ayodhya Ram Temple stand out. Through her meticulously researched works, she presented a scholarly rebuttal to the established leftist narratives propagated by the likes of Romila Thapar and Irfan Habib, who distorted historical facts relating to the issues of national and civilizational importance like the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

How Dr Jain exposed the left-narrative on the Ram Temple in Ayodhya

Dr Meenakshi Jain presented arguments founded on historical evidence in favour of the Ram Temple in her books on the Ayodhya dispute,  Rama and Ayodhya (2013) and The Battle for Rama: Case of the Temple at Ayodhya (2017). Her books cleared the way for the Supreme Court judgment on the Ayodhya dispute in 2019, which held that a Ram Temple historically existed at the Janmabhoomi site. In her works on the Ram Temple, she also exposed how the so-called historians of the left distorted the truth and how the historical and government documents were tampered with after the British considered the site the birthplace of Lord Ram. According to Jain, all the literary evidence before 1989, when the left-historian hijacked the narrative about the Ram Temple, pointed to the fact that Babri Masjid was built on the site of a Hindu temple.

She said that a strong section of Muslims wanted the Ayodhya Ram Temple site to be handed over to the Hindus. But these left historians kept the dispute alive by convincing the Muslims that they had a strong case against the Ram Temple and promised to provide them with evidence for it.

Dr Jain’s latest book on the history of ‘Kashi’

In her latest book, “Vishwanath Rises and Rises” (2024), Jain writes about the history of one of the world’s oldest and holiest cities, Kashi. In the book, she gives an account of centuries of invasions and desecrations beginning from the early Islamic invasions till the destruction of the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir in 1669. She throws light on the unwavering commitment of Hindus, who made repeated attempts to rebuild their temples in Kashi, which were destroyed by the Muslim invaders. She cites, inter alia, the temple restoration efforts of Ahilyabai Holkar and the Marathas.

Indian Army conducts surgical strikes on ULFA-I and NSCN-K camps in Myanmar using over a hundred UAVs, ULFA-I says thee senior leaders killed

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Army conducts surgical strikes on ULFA-I and NSCN-K camps in Myanmar using over a hundred UAVs, ULFA-I says thee senior leaders killed

Indian Army conducted major surgical strikes on ULFA-I (United Liberation Front of Asom- Independent) and NSCN-K (National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang) bases inside Myanmar territory on early hours of Sunday. As per reports, India forces launched a series of drone strikes on the militant bases. ULFA-I said that it lost three senior leaders in the strike.

The strikes targeted camps in the Naga Self-Administered Zone near the India-Myanmar border. As per sources, over a hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were used in the surgical strikes. The operation was reportedly carried out in close coordination with the Myanmar military.

Some of the camps targeted by strike were ULFA-I’s Eastern Command Headquarters (ECHQ) at Hoyat Basti and the 779 Camp located at Waktham Basti. Two other camps of the outfit were also attacked in the operation. It is believed that ULFA-I’s top commander Nayan Medhi, alias Nayan Asom, may have been killed in the strike. He is considered a key strategist and military trainer of the banned outfit led by Paresh Baruah.

Similarly, some several NSCN-K camps were also hit in the drone attack.

ULFA-I confirmed the drone strikes in a press statement, saying that the attacks were carried out with drones in the early hours at several mobile camps. The outfit said that while one senior leader has been killed, around 19 others were injured.

The statement said that the strikes from 2 AM to 4 AM targeted the its camps along with nearby camps of RPF and PLA near the Nagaland-Myanmar border and Arunachal-Myanmar border. As per ULFA-I, drones made in Israel and France were used in the strike.

However, defence forces have not confirmed any such operation till now.

Notably, the outfit later claimed that while the last rites of Nayan Asom was going on, the camp was hit by a missile. The statement said that Brigadier Ganesh Asom and Colonel Pradip Asom were killed in the subsequent missile attack. ULFA-I said that airstrikes on its camps are still going on. The outfit vowed to take revenge for the strike.

The drone raid is a major operation by Indian forces on separatist groups in the north east after a long time. The region in Myanmar the Indian border has been used by the separatist groups in the region to set up camps for a long time. However, no major cross-border operation was carried out by India earlier.

Similar strikes were carried out on militant camps in Bhutan by Royal Bhutan Army in collaboration with Indian Army in 2003.

Axiom Mission 4 piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to undock from International Space Station on 14th July, splashdown in Pacific the next day

ANI
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Axiom Mission 4 piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to undock from International Space Station on 14th July, splashdown in Pacific the next day

IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS), is set to return to Earth tomorrow, July 14, along with his crew from Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4).

The crew is scheduled to undock from the ISS at around 4:35 PM IST, with splashdown expected in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at approximately 3 PM IST on Tuesday, July 15.

The return journey aboard the Dragon spacecraft will take around 22 hours, concluding their nearly 18-day mission aboard the ISS.

The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz “Suave” Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut Tibor Kapu.

During their stay, the team conducted multiple scientific experiments and outreach activities aboard the orbiting laboratory.

A live farewell ceremony with NASA’s Expedition 73 crew is scheduled to take place at 08:55 AM CT (7:25 PM IST) tomorrow. In a post on X, Axiom Space said, “The Ax4 crew will soon conclude their mission aboard the ISS. Watch the farewell ceremony live tomorrow at 08:55 AM CT ahead of their scheduled undocking on Monday.”

The Dragon spacecraft will return with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments conducted during the mission.

On “flight day 18”, Kapu continued his work on the Fruit Fly DNA Repair study, investigating genetic stability under space radiation, and the VITAPRIC project, growing nutrient-rich plants for astronaut nutrition.

Group Captain Shukla, along with his team, tested Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) to assess their accuracy in microgravity, a critical step toward enabling diabetic individuals to participate in spaceflight, as part of the Suite Ride initiative.

Other studies on flight day 18 included Voyager Displays, examining eye movement and coordination, and ENPERCHAR, exploring astronaut perception in microgravity.

The Neuromotion VR study assessed attention and motor skills, while the Suit Fabric Study gathered data on heat transfer, impacting spacesuit design and terrestrial applications.

The crew also worked on the AstroMentalHealth and EEG Neurofeedback projects, which focused on mental health and stress reduction, respectively.

Axiom Mission 4 was launched on June 25 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS on June 26 at 4:05 pm IST, ahead of schedule, connecting to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Uttar Pradesh: Kasib Pathan pretends to be ‘Shiv Verma’ to entrap Hindu woman, rapes and blackmails her, forces the victim to convert to Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Kasib Pathan pretends to be ‘Shiv Verma’ to entrap Hindu woman, rapes and blackmails her, forces the victim to convert to Islam

On Saturday (12th July), a shocking case of love jihad came to light in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. A Hindu girl has narrated that Mohammad Naved aka Kasib Pathan entrapped her by hiding her religion and then raped, blackmailed and pressured her to convert to Islam.

Trapped the victim with fake ID

According to the victim, she met Kasib Pathan on Facebook and Instagram two years ago. Pathan disguised himself using a fake Hindu ID of Shiv Verma. The accused called himself a Hindu and won her trust by wearing a tilak and kalawa and by taking oaths of Hindu gods and goddesses. By giving the false promise of marriage, Pathan had physical relations with the victim. He started blackmailing her by making obscene videos using a hidden camera.

Content of FIR

On Saturday, 12th July, 2025, The victim lodged an FIR against Kasib Pathan (the main accused), Kaif, Saman( Kasib’s brothers), Akhil(Kasib’s friend), Aalam Khan and Ujma Khan (Kasib’s parents). In that FIR the victim explained.

Kasib rented a room in Mohalla Sinjai, Shahjahanpur, where he made physical relations with the victim under his alias name ‘Shiv Verma’.

Only 3 months ago, she came to know that he is not a Hindu but a Muslim. When the victim got pregnant due to physical relations, Kasib and his family members, including his brothers Kaif and Saman and his parents Aalam Khan and Ujma Khan, together pressured her to abort the child.

When she opposed, Kasib kicked her in the stomach, causing her three-month-old pregnancy to be aborted. After this, she was forced to convert to Islam and live with him as a slave. When she refused, she was threatened with death. OpIndia has the copy of this FIR.

Conspiracy to trap Hindu girls in Love Jihad

On Friday, 11th July, during a mobile investigation done by the victim. It was revealed that Kasib, his brother Kaif and their friend Akhil were conspiring to trap Hindu girls in Love Jihad.

The conspiracy came to light after obscene images and videos of Laxmi, Medha and hundreds of girls were found in the accused’s phone. When she asked about the images and videos the victim was brutally beaten.

The accused told her that making sexual relations with Hindu girls is a very virtuous act for Muslims and she can’t stop her.

Negligence of Police

After the news of the case came to light, Hindu organisations protested outside Chowk Kotwali. They accused the police of negligence and demanded immediate arrest of all the accused and strict action.

For now, no police or administrative officer has given any reaction in this matter. Due to their ignorance, anger is increasing among the local people.

Who is Sadanandan Master, the newly nominated Rajya Sabha MP whose legs were chopped off by CPIM goons

OpIndia Staff
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Who is Sadanandan Master, the newly nominated Rajya Sabha MP whose legs were chopped off by CPIM goons

On Saturday (12th July), President Droupadi Murmu nominated C Sadanandan Master, a schoolteacher whose legs were chopped by CPIM goons, to the Rajya Sabha.

C. Sadanandan, who is popularly known as Maash” (Master), is a teacher at a school in the Thrissur district of Kerala. His nomination to the Rajya Sabha is special, as it is not just a recognition of his contribution to public life and education but also to his personal struggles.

C. Sadanandan entered the national scene after surviving one of the most horrific political attacks in the tumultuous history of Kerala.

On the night of 25th January, 1994, at the age of 30, Sadanandan was ambushed by CPI(M) goons near his home village of Perinchery. In a shocking act of political violence, they chopped off both his legs and left him bleeding on the roadside as a warning to those switching political sides.

Recalling that night, he once shared how no one dared to help him because of fear. It was only when the police arrived on the scene, maybe fifteen minutes later, that I was whisked off to the hospital. By then, I had lost consciousness.

But that terrible night didn’t stop him from moving forward. He returned to teaching in 1999 and still works as a social science teacher at Sree Durga Vilasam Higher Secondary School in Peramangalam.

Over time, he also became an active part of the BJP and contested elections from the Koothuparambu constituency in 2016 and 2021.

In his youth, Sadanandan leaned towards communist ideas, just like many young people in Kerala. But things changed for him when he started reading more about the RSS and its views on cultural nationalism. 

He was especially moved by poet Akkitham’s article ‘Bharata Darshanangal’ and joined the RSS in 1984, even though his family had strong Left roots. His father was a retired teacher and a CPI(M) supporter, and his brother was also an active party worker at the time.

Today, apart from teaching, Sadanandan is the state vice-president of the National Teachers Union in Kerala. He also edits its magazine Deshiya Adhyapaka Vartha and is part of the Bharatiya Vichara Kendram, an RSS-affiliated intellectual group. 

He is married to his college love, Vanitha Rani, who is also a teacher, and their daughter Yamuna Bharati is studying BTech and is active in the ABVP student organisation.

From surviving a brutal attack to being nominated to the Rajya Sabha, Sadanandan Master’s life is a story of strength, hope, and transformation.

‘Advisory, not mandatory’: Air India responds to FAA bulletin on fuel switch, says all directives complied with

OpIndia Staff
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‘Advisory, not mandatory’: Air India responds to FAA bulletin on fuel switch, says all directives complied with

In a revelation that has sent shockwaves through aviation circles, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary findings on the crash of Air India Flight AI171, which tragically claimed 260 lives last month. Among the most startling disclosures in the 15-page report is that the fuel control switches, critical components that regulate engine power—were found to have moved from the “RUN” to the “CUTOFF” position moments before the aircraft went down.

The incident occurred shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, with the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London. The aircraft had reached its top recorded speed when, according to flight data, Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel switches transitioned to CUTOFF sequentially, within one second of each other. This effectively cut off fuel supply to the engines in mid-air. The switches then reverted to RUN, and the engines appeared to respond, gathering thrust. But the recovery was short-lived.

A chilling distress call, “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” was transmitted. Then, silence.

The FAA bulletin that raised early flags

The AAIB report references a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which flagged the “potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature” on certain Boeing aircraft. While the SAIB was not designated as an Airworthiness Directive, which would have made compliance mandatory, it nonetheless highlighted the possibility of inadvertent switch movement during flight, a scenario that now appears eerily prescient.

The FAA had based its SAIB on operator reports from Boeing 737 models, where some fuel switches were installed with disengaged locking mechanisms. However, since the issue did not meet the FAA’s threshold for a mandatory safety directive, airlines were left to act—or not—at their discretion.

Advisory, Not Mandatory: The grey zone

Air India informed investigators that while it was in full compliance with all mandatory airworthiness directives and service bulletins for the aircraft, it had not conducted inspections suggested in the 2018 SAIB. It said the bulletin was “advisory and not mandatory.”

Maintenance records further revealed that the aircraft’s throttle control module had been replaced in both 2019 and 2023, yet no known procedural lapses or regulatory violations occurred during those changes. In short, no corners were cut, no rules were broken, just a safety recommendation, sitting in the grey zone of aviation protocol, unheeded by the industry at large.

The unanswered question in the cockpit

Perhaps the most haunting line in the AAIB’s report is not found in the technical data, but in the cockpit conversation captured before impact. One pilot is heard asking the other: “Why did you cut off fuel?” The reply: “I didn’t.”

The preliminary report does not speculate on whether the fuel cutoff was intentional, accidental, or triggered by a system malfunction. It offers no conclusion or blame, but paints a sobering picture: two pilots fighting to regain control as their engines lost power, not to mechanical failure or external attack, but to something as deceptively simple as a switch flip.

Boeing and Air India respond

Boeing, in a statement, said it is fully supporting the investigation and remains in close contact with its customer. “Our thoughts remain with the families and loved ones affected by this tragedy,” the company stated.

Air India, for its part, reiterated that it is cooperating fully with the AAIB and all other relevant authorities, adding that it is working with regulators to enhance procedural safety where necessary.

A tragedy in the gaps

The crash of AI171 stands as a grim reminder that in aviation, safety often lies not just in what is required but in what is recommended. When lives hang in the balance at 30,000 feet, even an advisory can mean the difference between flight and free fall.

For now, the investigation continues. But one truth is already clear: a switch meant to power engines may have instead powered tragedy.

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