Rafale deal: This is different war room and you go to your war rooms
SC after interaction with IAF officers
New Delhi, Nov 14: "This is a different kind of war room and you all can go to your war rooms", said the Supreme Court Wednesday after interacting with senior Indian Air Force (IAF) officers in the case pertaining to import of Rafale fighter jets from France.
Top IAF officers -- Air Vice Marshall J Chalapati, Air Marshal Anil Khosla and Deputy Chief of Air staff, Air Marshal V R Chaudhari -- had to rush to the apex court at a short notice after a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that it wished to interact with IAF officers as the controversy over Rafale fighter jets deal concerns them.
The issue has become a political battlefield with Congress levelling various allegations against the Modi government on the deal.
The Supreme Court Wednesday commenced its crucial hearing on pleas seeking a court-monitored probe into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.
"We are dealing with the requirements of the Air Force and would like to ask an Air Force officer. We want to hear from an Air force officer and not the official of the Defence Ministry on the issue," the bench said when the Attorney General K K Venugopal began his arguments on behalf of the Centre in the pre-lunch session.
Chalapathi, who appeared before the bench also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph, answered the questions asked by the CJI about the induction of fighter jets by India and said the fifth generation aircraft have niche stealth technology and the electronic warfare capabilities are very very enhanced.
The CJI asked Chalapathi the first question as "What is the latest induction to IAF?"
Chalapathi replied that its Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft which is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited at Nashik in Maharashtra and Bangalore in Karnataka.
He said that IAF is getting new Su-30MKI aircrafts each year.
The CJI then asked Chalapati that besides Su-30MKI, which aircraft are being manufactured in India.
The officer said that he himself is a pilot and has special liking for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) being built in Bangalore but is yet to be inducted into IAF.
The CJI also asked the officer which generation aircraft is LCA and Su-30MKI.
Chalapathi said there is no clear definition of generation and as he has flied the LCA which according to him is three and half generation aircraft.
He said both LCA and Su-30MKI are three and half and fourth generation aircrafts respectively but the requirement of IAF at present is of four plus or fifth generations aircrafts.
The CJI asked does it mean that IAF currently requires few squadrons of fourth and fifth generation aircrafts.
Chalapathi replied in affirmative and said, "the fifth generation aircraft have niche stealth technology and the electronic warfare capabilities are very very enhanced".
The CJI Gogoi then asked Chalapati was there any induction made in IAF after Mirage in 1985.
The officer replied in negative which led CJI to observe: "It means since 1985 to 2018 there is zero induction".
The CJI said it is all that they wanted to know from the officials and later asked them to go back to their offices after nearly half an hour saying, "Air Marshals can now leave. This is a different kind of war room and you all can go to your war rooms. Thank You".
The bench then continued with the arguments on the validity of Rafale jets deal.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Virudhunagar firecracker unit blast: Toll climbs to 25, Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia announced
Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): With most bodies charred beyond recognition, identification remains difficult, police said on Monday, as the toll in the massive explosion at a fireworks unit near Kattanarpatti here rose to 25.
The Virudhunagar district administration has announced Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia to the kin of deceased.
The accident is one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the region in recent years.
"Bodies were so badly charred that we were able to identify mostly with jewellery that the victims were wearing," a police official told PTI.
He said that the families have not yet claimed the bodies due to the uncertainly in the identities.
The factory owner is absconding, he added.
The accident occurred at the Vanaja firecracker unit, owned by one Muthumanickam, which functions under the Vachakarapatti police station limits.
The unit is reportedly licensed by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), Nagpur.
Post-mortem reports have established that the 25 victims, include 22 women and three men, the police official added.
Eight workers, mostly women, are critically injured with 60 per cent burn injuries. Twelve others, including eight policemen, were injured in a second blast on Sunday evening while rescue operations were underway.
Rescue operations were severely hampered for hours, as unexploded materials continued to detonate.
A second blast at 7.20 pm, triggered as an earthmover was clearing debris, caused chaos and injured several responders, including a revenue official.
Meanwhile, sources said about 1,000 people, including the families of the victims and residents of nearby villages, are threatening a road roko, demanding the arrest of the owner of the factory.
Local eyewitnesses, including Ranganathan from the nearby Seervaikarampatti village, described hearing a massive blast that sent "thick black smoke" into the sky.
"Nothing was recognisable. We saw bodies being loaded four at a time into vehicles," he told PTI Videos.
Many of the deceased were from Seervaikarampatti village, with residents claiming that at least 20 victims belonged to their village.
Among those killed was 46-year-old Indrani, a veteran worker of 25 years.
"My mother was the sole breadwinner. My father is disabled and stays home. I have an MSc degree, but I’m working at a petrol bunk to help out, and we haven't even paid my brother's school fees yet," said Madhubala, Indrani’s daughter, while pleading for government employment assistance.
Virudhunagar Collector N O Sukhaputra confirmed that the unit was operating without permission on a rest day.
Preliminary findings suggest the blast originated in a chemical mixing shed, where nearly 40 workers were busy making crackers, a violation of safety norms that typically limit occupancy to four workers per shed.
"Had these workers followed primary safety norms, the casualties could have been minimal," a senior official stated.
Chief Minister M K Stalin has ordered a high-level probe and directed ministers to oversee relief efforts.
The tragedy follows a similar accident in Vembakottai just days earlier, which claimed four lives, intensifying calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in the district’s firecracker hub.
The explosion occurred at approximately 3.15 pm on Sunday. Although the fireworks industry is officially shut on Sundays, over 100 workers were reportedly engaged in production.
Later in the day, Sukhaputra said Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia each has been finalised for the families of 25 persons killed in the explosion.
Speaking to PTI Videos, he said the ex gratia cheques are ready for immediate distribution to the legal heirs.
"Out of 25 deaths, we have finished conducting post-mortems on 22 bodies. Already we have cheques (that) are ready,” Sukhaputra said.
The announcement followed intense demands from grieving relatives for financial security and government employment.
