Plane crash: UK sets up 'Reception Centre' in Ahmedabad to aid kin of British nationals
New Delhi (PTI): The UK has set up a "reception centre" in a hotel near Ahmedabad airport to provide support and advice for the families and friends of British nationals following the Air India plane crash on June 12, its High Commission here said on Saturday.
The London-bound flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad and burst into a ball of fire on Thursday moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport.
Air India has confirmed that 241 people, including 52 British nationals who were on board the flight, were killed in the crash.
One person, a British citizen, has survived and is currently undergoing treatment for injuries sustained during the accident.
"The UK has set up a Reception Centre in the Ummed Hotel to provide support and advice for the families and friends of British nationals following the plane crash on 12 June," the British High Commission said in the post on X.
"The UK Reception Centre, near Ahmedabad airport, will be open from 0900 to 2100 every day, starting today," it said.
British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, said that she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad on Friday and shared condolences on behalf of her country in the face of the tragic plane crash a day ago.
Cameron underlined that the UK and India are "working together" to establish facts linked with the accident.
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'The Ba**ds of Bollywood’ mirrors my life, damages my reputation: Sameer Wankhede tells Delhi HC
New Delhi: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has submitted his reply to the Delhi High Court in the defamation case he filed against Red Chillies Entertainment, the production company owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan. The case pertains to the recently released series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, which Wankhede claims has defamed him.
In his statement to the court, Wankhede asserted that the show’s portrayal of a police officer is clearly based on him and has caused serious harm to his public image. He cited four key reasons supporting his claim.
First, he said the character in question bears physical similarities to him, including facial and body features. Second, he noted that the character’s working style and mannerisms closely resemble his own.
Third, Wankhede highlighted that the officer in the show is depicted making a high-profile arrest involving a major film personality, which he said directly mirrors his own involvement in the Aryan Khan drug case.
Fourth, he pointed out that the character frequently uses the phrase “Satyameva Jayate,” a motto he himself had used during media interactions in the course of that investigation. He argued that using the national motto in such a context cannot be dismissed as creative expression or humour.
Wankhede also referred to an interview in which Aryan Khan allegedly admitted that the show was “inspired by some real events.” This, he said, contradicts Red Chillies Entertainment’s claim that The Ba**ds of Bollywood* is purely fictional.
He further alleged that the tone and intent of the series indicate personal and institutional vendetta, aimed at discrediting and defaming him rather than engaging in artistic storytelling.
Wankhede informed the court that the fallout from the show has affected his family, with his wife and sister receiving abusive and vulgar messages online.
Rejecting Red Chillies’ argument that he is a “thin-skinned” officer, Wankhede said that a public servant cannot be expected to tolerate false and damaging portrayals simply because of his position. He emphasized that his legal action seeks to protect the constitutional rights and dignity of both himself and his family.
