UP flight attendant among victims in plane crash that killed Ajit Pawar; village plunged into grief
Jaunpur (UP) (PTI): Pinki Mali, a flight attendant from Bhainsa village in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh, was among those killed on Wednesday in a plane crash that also claimed the life of NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and three others, officials and family sources said.
Pinki had been living with her family in Mumbai and was on board the chartered aircraft that crashed, they added.
The news of her death brought deep mourning to her native village, with residents gathering to console her grieving family.
According to villagers, Pinki's father Shivkumar Mali, an NCP leader, had moved to Mumbai several years ago with his family. Pinki completed her education in Thane and was married about a year ago in Gorakhpur.
Bhainsa village head Raju Pal mentioned that Pinki maintained strong ties with Bhainsa village, visiting every year during Durga Puja. She actively participated in the festivities and helped arrange the festival pandal.
Despite the family's current residence in Mumbai, their ancestral connection to Bhainsa village remained strong, with frequent visits, as locals noted.
As news of the crash spread, a pall of gloom enveloped Bhainsa village and the surrounding area. Family members were inconsolable, while villagers remembered Pinki as a hardworking, warm, and promising young woman.
Ajit Pawar, Pinki and three others -- Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had 15,000 hours of flying experience; co-pilot Captain Shambhavi Pathak, with 1,500 hours of flying; and Personal Security Officer Vidip Jadhav -- were killed in the plane crash in Pune.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
