Israeli NSA calls on PM Modi; discusses bilateral issues
Jerusalem, Jan 18: Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat visited India earlier this week and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss issues related to bilateral relations, including the advancing of security deals, according to an official statement here.
NSA Ben-Shabbat, who was in India on the invitation of his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, also held a series of meetings with senior officials of Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and security organisation, a statement from the Prime Minister's media adviser here said.
Prime Minister Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke over phone during the visit of the Israeli NSA to New Delhi.
Ben-Shabbat returned to Israel on January 15, on the Air India flight that flies through the Saudi Arabian airspace, the statement said. During his visit, the Israeli NSA discussed issues related to bilateral relations including the advancing of security deals, it said.
Additional measures were agreed to on advancing security, technology and civilian-economic cooperation between Israel and India, it said.
Ben-Shabbat is said to have briefed his interlocutors on regional issues, including "Iran's efforts to entrench itself militarily in Syria and its actions that undermine regional stability".
He was accompanied by Israeli Ambassador to India Dr Ron Malka and Defence Attache Colonel Efraim Defrain in the meetings.
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Baramati plane crash: CID questions VSR Ventures owner
Pune (PTI): The Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department on Thursday questioned V K Singh, owner of VSR Ventures, which operated the aircraft involved in the Baramati crash that killed deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, a CID officer said.
“The statement of V K Singh is being recorded,” said the CID officer, without disclosing more details about the questioning, which was still underway.
A Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures, crashed near the Baramati air strip in Pune district on January 28, killing Pawar and four others.
After the plane crash, an accidental death report was registered at the Baramati Taluka police station, and the case was later transferred to the Pune CID. Earlier, the state agency had said that its focus was to ascertain if sabotage or criminal negligence led to the Baramati tragedy.
Days before V K Singh's questioning, the CID had sent a set of questions to VSR Ventures in connection with its investigation into the plane crash, according to a source.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar had alleged on Wednesday that someone was trying to save VSR Ventures, and claimed that a preliminary probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) vindicated the doubts earlier raised by him.
In its 22-page preliminary report on the air tragedy, the AAIB said the visibility at the time of the crash was below the required level. It also flagged fading marks on the runway and the presence of loose gravel on the runway surface.
A few days ago, Ajit Pawar’s son Jay Pawar had shared a purported video on social media alleging that V K Singh's son Rohit Singh was seen dozing off in the chief pilot’s seat during a flight, and demanded his immediate arrest.
He had also demanded that all aircraft of VSR Ventures be grounded till the inquiry into his father’s plane crash is completed.
