IndiGo cancels around 180 flights from Bengaluru, Hyd on Tuesday; likely to lose some routes
Mumbai (PTI): IndiGo cancelled around 180 flights from Bengaluru and Hyderabad on Tuesday, as the disruption in the crisis-hit airline prolonged for the eighth consecutive day, sources said.
"IndiGo is not operating 58 flights to and from Hyderabad on Tuesday. Of these, 14 are arrivals and 44 departures," the sources said, adding that the number of cancellations at Bengaluru Airport stood at 121, of which 58 are arrivals and 63 departures.
Meanwhile, the carrier is likely to lose some of its routes to other domestic airlines during the ongoing winter schedule after Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the government will "definitely" reduce IndiGo slots.
ALSO READ: 13,989 pilots employed by 6 major domestic airlines: Govt
The Rahul Bhatia-controlled airline operates over 2,200 flights per day from 90-odd domestic destinations and 40-plus abroad destinations.
"We will definitely reduce the number of routes, which are in IndiGo's (winter) schedule. The order to this effect will be issued. This will be a kind of penalty on the airline as they will not be able to fly on those (curtailed) routes," Naidu told DD News on Monday.
He said the routes, which will be reduced from IndiGo's schedule, will be given to other carriers. He added that when the airline demonstrates the ability to operate them, they will be returned to IndiGo.
The Gurugram-based carrier, which commands over 65 per cent of India's total domestic traffic, had cancelled over 560 flights from six metro airports alone on Monday.
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.
Court orders FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand under POCSO ACT
Prayagraj (UP) (PTI): A special POCSO court here on Saturday ordered the Jhunsi Police Station SHO to register an FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati to investigate allegations of sexual abuse of boys.
Last week, the court of Special Judge (POCSO Act) Vinod Kumar Chaurasia reserved its decision on an application filed by Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj and others under Section 173(4) of the BNS after examining the evidence and recording the statements of the victimised 'batooks', the boys, as they are called at the ashram, Vidya Math.
The petitioner had filed the application seeking direction for an FIR against Avimukteshwaranand under sections 69, 74, 75, 76, 79, and 109 (all related to sexual assault) of the BNS, as well as sections 3/5/9 and 17 of the POCSO Act.
The court accepted the petition and ordered the police to conduct an investigation.
"Now we will get justice," Ashutosh Brahmachari said.
"Starting today, we are organising a Sanatan Yatra from here to Vidya Math (Varanasi). We will demonstrate how children are sexually abused on the fifth floor of Vidya Math. There is ample evidence of child abuse there. We have presented all the evidence to the court and will also provide it to the police," he said.
Avimukteshwarananda has been in the headlines for his confrontation with the organisers of the Magh Mela in Prayagraj. He accused the administration he was prevented from bathing on Mauni Amavasya.
