MP: DCP, police station in charge transferred after lathi-charge on Bajrang Dal activists in Indore
Indore/Bhopal, Jun 16: Two officers, including a deputy commissioner of police, were on Friday removed from field posting within 24 hours of a lathi-charge on Bajrang Dal activists staging an anti-drug mafia protest at a busy intersection in Indore.
The action took place after leaders of the ruling BJP and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the state took strong objection to the baton charge that took place late Thursday night at Palasia intersection.
Indore Police Commissioner Makrand Deoskar told PTI DCP Dharmendra Singh Bhadoria has been relieved of his current duties and is posted as commandant at the Rustomji Armed Police Training College (RAPTC) in the city, while Palasia police station officer-in-charge Sanjay Singh Bais has been attached to the police line.
An FIR has been registered against "unknown persons" under Sections 147 (rioting), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 332 (causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code in connection with the Bajrang Dal protest, he said.
"Bajrang Dal activists were brutally caned by the police, which led to 11 persons suffering injuries. The action against the protestors is totally unjustified," BJP's Indore unit president Gaurav Randive told PTI.
VHP's Malwa region (Indore-Ujjain division) secretary Sohan Vishwakarma alleged "some police officers selectively beat up Bajrang Dal activists with sticks due to old grudge".
"We demand that DCP Bhadoria, who ordered the lathi charge, as well as an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and three station house officers be dismissed from service within 48 hours," he said.
He said if the state government did not sack these police officers within 48 hours, the VHP would launch a "violent agitation" in Indore and Ujjain divisions.
Police lathi-charged a group of Bajrang Dal activists and arrested 11 of them when they held a sit-in protest over registration of "false" cases against the outfit's members for complaining against those involved in illegal drug trade, Bhadoria had said earlier.
"A group of Bajrang Dal activists suddenly gathered at the busy intersection without any permission and staged a sit-in protest, leading to traffic jams on all four roads. When the protesters refused to budge despite repeated appeals by the police, they were moved away from the spot using mild force," Bhadoria said.
Eleven protesters were arrested under Section 151 (preventive arrest to prevent commission of a cognizable offence) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), he said.
Five police personnel suffered injuries while trying to control the Bajrang Dal activists during their 'chakka jam' protest, while some people also hurled stones at the cops, he added.
However, VHP leader Vishwakarma said Bajrang Dal activists, who were demanding action against the drug mafia, gathered at Palasia intersection when the police asked them to leave Palasia police station."
"The purpose of these activists was not to harass the public by blocking traffic. They did not pelt stones at the police," he claimed.
Talking to reporters in Bhopal on Friday, state Home Minister and government spokesperson Narottam Mishra said he has taken cognisance of the incident.
"We have also taken cognizance of the police action against the protesters and have decided to send an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP)-level officer to probe all issues related to it," he said.
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Noida International Airport appoints Nitu Samra as interim CEO
New Delhi (PTI): Noida International Airport on Friday announced the appointment of its Chief Financial Officer Nitu Samra as the interim Chief Executive Officer after authorities denied permission for foreign national Christoph Schnellmann to be at the helm.
"This change follows directions issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that the Chief Executive Officer of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national," NIA said in a statement.
Samra will replace Schnellmann, a Swiss national who has led Noida International Airport (NIA) as the CEO since August 2020.
The regulatory issue related to the requirement of having an Indian national as CEO has been delaying the start of commercial operations of the airport, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
Schnellmann will join the airport's Board of Directors as Executive Vice Chairman. In this role, he will continue to support the project and its transition to operations, the statement said.
With immediate effect, NIA said Samra has been appointed as the CEO on an interim basis until the Board of Directors can conclude a formal selection process.
Samra has been serving as the CFO since October 2021 and was closely involved in the airport’s development journey, overseeing financial stewardship, governance, and strategic planning during a key phase of the project, the statement added.
NIA will be operated by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, under a public-private partnership.
Originally scheduled to commence passenger services in September 2024, NIA is being developed in four phases, along with a dedicated cargo terminal. It received an aerodrome license from the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in March.
YIAPL Chairman Daniel Bircher said that since the inauguration of the airport by the Prime Minister, the goal was to enable the start of operations as early as possible.
"This management change brings the airport into compliance with Bureau of Civil Aviation Security requirements while maintaining continuity in the airport’s leadership team. The newly structured team will support a smooth transition into operations, guided by clear and transparent governance and a strong corporate culture," he said.
On March 28, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said commercial flight operations from the airport would start in the next 45 to 60 days.
Among the largest greenfield airport projects in the country, NIA will initially have a capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum.
Once fully developed, the airport will have a total passenger handling capacity of 70 million.
The first phase of NIA has been developed at an investment of around Rs 11,200 crore. 'DXN' is the code for the airport.
The airport features a 3,900-metre runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft, along with modern navigation systems, including Instrument Landing System (ILS) and advanced airfield lighting.
The peak handling capacity in the first phase will be 30 flights per hour.
In the first phase, there will be 28 aircraft stands, and the projected cargo capacity is around 2.5 lakh tonnes.
Terminal 1 of the airport is spread across 1,37,985 square metres with 48 check-in counters. Over 40 acres of land have been earmarked for developing MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facilities at the airport.
