3 more held over clashes between 2 groups during Ganesh idol procession in Mandya
Nagamangala (PTI): Three more people have been held in connection with the clashes that broke out between two groups during a Lord Ganesh idol procession, police said on Friday.
The situation in Nagamangala town in Mandya district has returned to normal two days after the clashes on Wednesday following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension.
Though the situation remains peaceful in the town, additional police forces have been deployed and prohibitory orders preventing the assembly of more than four people have been imposed in the area till September 14 as a precautionary measure.
With the fresh arrests, the total number of people held in the case now stands at 55.
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A team of experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory also visited the spot on Thursday to collect evidence.
"The situation is peaceful here and besides the 52 people already arrested, we have secured three more people in connection with the incident. We have additional police forces deployed and prohibitory orders will be in place till September 14," Mandya Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baldandi told PTI.
A case has been registered for unlawful assembly, attempt to murder, obstructing public servants, destruction of public property and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
A few people, including two policemen, sustained minor injuries in stone-pelting.
The situation has been brought under control and additional security forces have been deployed, police said.
According to police, an argument broke out between two groups, when the Ganesh idol procession by devotees from Badarikoppalu village reached a place of worship on Wednesday, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation. Following the clashes between the two groups, a few shops were vandalised and goods torched and vehicles set on fire on Wednesday night, they added.
Police used mild force to disperse the crowd to control the situation.
The group of youth that carried out the procession halted and staged a protest near the police station, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible for the violence.
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AI to operate new Dreamliner with limitations; awaits certain FAA approvals
New Delhi (PTI): Air India will operate its new Boeing 787-9 aircraft with certain limitations as the Tata Group-owned airline is awaiting approvals from the US watchdog FAA for the sliding privacy doors in the plane's business class suites and for 18 economy class seats, sources said on Friday.
The aircraft, also the first custom-made Dreamliner to join the Air India fleet after takeover by the Tata Group in January 2022, will enter commercial operations on the Mumbai-Frankfurt route from February 1.
The plane has 296 seats, comprising 30 business class, 28 premium economy and 238 economy class seats. Out of them, 18 economy class seats will not be available for use till the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) give its approval, the sources told PTI.
In a statement to PTI, an airline spokesperson said the new B787-9 will enter commercial operations on February 1 with certain limitations.
"The sliding privacy doors in our business class suites will remain securely fixed in the open position and unavailable for passenger use, as this specific seat feature awaits regulatory approval. We expect to receive the necessary approval in the near future. All other seat features are available for passenger use," the spokesperson said.
Separately, a total of 18 specific economy class seats are blocked from sale and are also physically blocked from use.
"The seat product itself (RECARO 3710) is fully certified and in regular operation on many airlines worldwide; however, there is a regulatory interpretation affecting the 18 specific seats that we are working with the manufacturer and regulator to resolve.
"The 18 specific seats will only be offered for sale once full certification is received," the spokesperson said.
When contacted over e-mail, an FAA spokesperson told PTI, "We don't comment on ongoing certification work".
There was no comment from Boeing.
In 2026, five more wide-body aircraft -- three Boeing 787-9s and 2 A350-1000s -- are set to join the Air India fleet. The airline, currently, has 188 planes, and the legacy Boeing 787s are undergoing retrofit progressively.
According to the spokesperson, the product limitations due to pending certification apply only to the new B787-9 aircraft, and not to the retrofitted B787-8 planes.
These are two different variants, and their interior fitout undergoes a separate certification process. The certifications for seats and features on the B787-8 are complete and have been approved by relevant regulators and will be available for customer use, the spokesperson added.
The sources also said that some global airlines are awaiting certain regulatory approvals for their business class seats. These include Lufthansa, which is awaiting regulatory certification nod for some of the business class seats in their new Boeing 787-9 aircraft, they added.
At present, Air India has 33 Boeing 787s -- 26 legacy Boeing 787-8s and 7 Boeing 787-9s, including 6 from Vistara and the new one.
In 2025, Boeing delivered 14 Boeing 787s to various airlines, including 12 Boeing 787-9s.
