Accused in Preeti Rathi acid attack case convicted

September 6, 2016

Mumbai, Sep 6: A special women's court today convicted Ankur Lal Panwar for murder in connection with the Preeti Rathi acid attack case.

Special Judge A S Shende convicted Panwar under Sections 302(murder) and 326B (Voluntarily throwing acid) of the IPC and is likely to hear arguments on the quantum of sentence tomorrow.

Rathi, who hailed from Delhi, had died of multiple organ failure after hotel management graduate Panwar threw acid on her in May 2013.

According to police, Rathi had secured a nursing job with the Ministry of Defence at the INHS Asvini Hospital and Panwar was unhappy over it. Police said acid was thrown on Rathi as Panwar was jealous of her career growth.

Outside the court, Panwar's mother Kailash demanded a CBI inquiry claiming her son had been falsely implicated. "We have been implicated just because we were poor. I want a CBI inquiry into the case," she said.

Meanwhile, Rathi's father Amar Singh Rathi hoped Panwar was awarded capital punishment. "It took 3 years for us to get justice but I am happy that it has been finally delivered. I hope he gets death sentence," he said.

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India’s Tougher Pilot Fatigue Rules: Why IndiGo’s Operations Crashed Into Turbulence

News Network

December 6,2025

New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced major operational turbulence this week after failing to prepare for new pilot-fatigue regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The stricter rules—designed to improve flight safety—took effect in phases through 2024, with the latest implementation on November 1. IndiGo has acknowledged that inadequate roster planning led to widespread cancellations and delays.

Below are the key DGCA rules that affected IndiGo’s operations:

1. Longer Mandatory Weekly Rest

Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours.

The government says the extended break is essential to curb cumulative fatigue. This rule remains in force despite the current crisis.

2. Cap on Night Landings

Pilots can now perform only two night landings per week—a steep reduction from the earlier limit of six.

Night hours, defined as midnight to early morning, are considered the least alert period for pilots.

Given the disruptions, this rule has been temporarily relaxed for IndiGo until February 10.

3. Reduced Maximum Night Flight Duty

Flight duty that stretches into the night is now capped at 10 hours.

This measure has also been kept on hold for IndiGo until February 10 to stabilize operations.

4. Weekly Rest Cannot Be Replaced With Personal Leave

Airlines can no longer count a pilot’s personal leave as part of the mandatory 48-hour rest.

Pilots say this closes a loophole that previously reduced actual rest time.

Currently, all airlines are exempt from this rule to normalise travel.

5. Mandatory Fatigue Monitoring

Airlines must submit quarterly fatigue reports along with corrective actions to DGCA.

This system aims to create a transparent fatigue-tracking framework across the industry.

The DGCA has stressed that these rules were crafted to strengthen flight safety and align India with global fatigue-management standards. The temporary relaxations are expected to remain until February 2025, giving IndiGo time to stabilise its schedules and restore normal air travel.

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