Military pilots not capable of flying Dornier and helicopters donated by India: Maldives minister
Male (PTI): The Maldives military still does not have pilots capable of operating three aircraft donated by India, Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon has acknowledged, days after 76 Indian defence personnel left the island nation at the instance of Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu.
Ghassan Maumoon made the remarks at a press conference held at the President's Office here on Saturday to brief the media about the withdrawal of Indian soldiers stationed in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft and their replacement with civilians from India.
Responding to a question from a journalist, Ghassan Maumoon said there were no Maldivian soldiers with the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) who can operate the three aircraft donated by the Indian military despite some soldiers who began training to fly them under agreements formed by previous governments.
"As it was a training that required passing various stages, our soldiers had not reached completion due to various reasons. Therefore, there aren't any people in our force at the moment who are licensed or fully operational to fly the two helicopters and Dornier aircraft," Ghassan Maumoon was quoted as saying by Adhadhu.com news portal.
The relations between the two countries came under severe strain after Muizzu, a pro-China leader, insisted on the withdrawal of all Indian military personnel operating the three aviation platforms in the island nation by May 10. India has already withdrawn 76 military personnel.
However, the Maldives government has no intention of removing the doctors from India at Senahiya military hospital, a Maldivian media report said.
Contrary to Ghassan Maumoon 's remarks, when the current administration's senior officials were in the opposition during the past five years, they criticised the previous government and claimed that there were capable pilots in the MNDF, the Adhadhu.com report noted.
Training Maldivians was the main reason for the arrival of Indian soldiers with the helicopters donated during former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Abdulla Yameen's governments and the Dornier aircraft brought during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's government, it said.
Despite the failure to complete the training to date, Foreign Minister Zameer said Saturday that the agreement to replace the Indian soldiers with civilians also included provisions for training local pilots.
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Four of family found dead in Maharashtra’s Nanded district in suspected mass suicide
Nanded (PTI): A farmer, his wife and their two sons were found dead in two different locations in Maharashtra’s Nanded district on Thursday morning, in what police suspect to be a mass suicide, an official said.
Around 8 am, the bodies of Ramesh Sonaji Lakhe (51) and his wife Radhabai Lakhe (45) were discovered on a cot in their home at Jawala Murar village in Mudkhed tehsil, he said.
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The bodies of their sons, Umesh (25) and Bajrang (23), were subsequently found on nearby railway lines. It appears they jumped in front of a speeding train, the official said.
Police inspector Dattatray Manthale told reporters, “The parents were found dead inside their home, while the sons took their lives on the railway tracks. We have asked a Forensic Science Laboratory team to collect evidence. The truth will come out only after a thorough technical investigation and autopsy.”
While the nature of their death appears to be part of a suicide pact, police said the exact circumstances remain unclear.
The family belonged to the small-scale farming community, but it is not yet confirmed if financial distress or a domestic crisis triggered the extreme step, the official said.
Neighbours described the Lakhes as a hardworking family who struggled against the odds of small-land farming to sustain themselves.
The Nanded rural police are recording statements of relatives and checking for notes or final messages left by the family.
