Mangaluru: In an incident reported at Mangalore Airport (IXE) on March 28, 2024, a family's much-anticipated vacation turned into a nightmare due to alleged mistreatment by Air India check-in staff. Zubair Shiek Usman Saheb, a resident of Bismillah Manzil, Mohalla House, Pranthya Village, Moodbidri, has penned a letter to the Karnataka Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission detailing the traumatic events his family endured.

According to Zubair Saheb's account, his family, comprising his wife and three minor children, arrived punctually at the airport for their journey to Dubai via Air India flight AI 680, scheduled for 7:55 AM (later rescheduled to 8 AM). Despite their timely arrival and adherence to all procedures, they were unexpectedly directed by Air India check-in staff to wrap their already well-conditioned bags additionally.

Reluctantly complying with the staff's directive, the family returned to the counter only to face the shocking denial of their boarding passes, allegedly due to perceived tardiness. Adding to the distress, their flight was a connecting one to Mumbai, where they had another flight to catch. While other passengers proceeded with boarding, Zubair’s family was left stranded, facing an inexplicable denial.

The situation was particularly harrowing for the minor children, who were left in tears and confusion, grappling with the unjustifiable denial of boarding. Zubair highlighted the emotional and psychological toll inflicted upon his family, compounded by the financial losses amounting to a minimum of 63,537.00 INR.

Seeking recourse for the grievances incurred, Zubair Saheb implored the Karnataka Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the events of that day. He urged the commission to utilize available documentation and CCTV footage to verify the claims and hold Air India accountable for the alleged negligent and unprofessional conduct of its staff.

In his plea for justice, Zubair requested compensation of not less than Rs 10 Lakhs, emphasizing the need for deterrent measures against future instances of misconduct by service providers. He expressed his trust in the impartiality and efficacy of the judicial process, affirming his cooperation in the pursuit of justice.

Zubair also highlighted a perplexing observation that on the same day, their luggage underwent no wrapping scrutiny when they later boarded an Air India Express flight to Dubai from the same airport.

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Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.

The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.

"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.

The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.

There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.

Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.

The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.