Thanks to Rahul Gandhi, my son is a pilot now: Delhi gang-rape victim’s mom

News Network
November 2, 2017

The brother of the young physiotherapist Nirbhaya who died in a hospital after a brutal gang-rape in Delhi in 2012, is now a pilot. And their mother thanks Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for making the family's dream come true.

"Aman (name changed) is a pilot now because of Rahul Gandhi," said Asha Devi, who fought for years to get justice for her daughter. The brutality of the crime against the 23-year-old, who was named "Nirbhaya" - meaning fearless - because of laws against naming rape victims, provoked intense anger and weeks of protests across Indian cities and also hit international headlines.

All the accused were arrested and charged with sexual assault and murder. One of them died in police custody. The four remaining adult defendants were found guilty of rape and murder and sentenced to death. A juvenile too was convicted and sent to a reform facility for three years.

The tragedy hurt Aman but could not stop him, Asha told media persons. Apart from sponsoring his higher education, Rahul's regular phone calls motivated him to achieve what he wanted, she said.

When his sister was killed, Aman was in Class 12. He wanted to join the military. But the brutal crime sent him into shock.

"Rahul Gandhi was the one who counselled him and motivated him to achieve something good in life to support the family. After learning that he wanted to join the defence forces, Rahul asked him to pursue a pilot's training course after completion of school," Asha said.

After his CBSE board examinations in 2013, Aman got admission at Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi in Rae Bareli, the Congress leader's parliamentary constituency.

"While shifting to Rae Bareli, Aman made up his mind that he will prepare for the Indian Army's recruitment examination. But on joining the course, he found it difficult. He never got time to pursue parallel studies," Asha said, quoting conversations with her son.

During his 18-month pilot's training course, Aman used to get regular updates about the Nirbhaya trial. "When he was studying, Rahul used to talk to him over the phone and taught him to adopt a 'never quit' attitude." she added.

"Even after he completed his studies, he called him to find out about his training-cum-job." Aman is now undergoing final training with a commercial airline in Gurugram. He will soon fly a plane. Asha said even Rahul's sister Priyanka calls them over the phone. "She often asks about our health," she said.

Nirbhaya's youngest brother is studying engineering in Pune. Their father is a permanent employee at Delhi airport's terminal 3 and has a desk job. On Wednesday, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice to the city's Tihar Jail administration and the deputy commissioner of police in the south district for delaying the execution of the death penalty awarded to Nirbhaya's rapists.

Asha Devi had complained to the DCW, asking why the criminals have not been hanged as per the Supreme Court order which came five months ago.

Comments

Gigi
 - 
Saturday, 23 Dec 2017

Good question. If their appeals have been exhausted, why has the sentence not been carried out? 

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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News Network
November 30,2025

The United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) has condemned the Israeli regime for enforcing a policy of “organized torture” against Palestinians.

In a report published on Friday, CAT stated that the occupying regime enforces a deliberate policy of “organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment” against Palestinian abductees, particularly since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza.

The committee expressed “deep concern over repeated severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, water-boarding, use of prolonged stress positions [and] sexual violence” inflicted on Palestinians.

Palestinian prisoners were degraded by “being made to act like animals or being urinated on,” systematically denied medical care, and subjected to excessive restraints, “in some cases resulting in amputation,” the report added.

CAT also condemned the routine application of “unlawful combatants law” to justify the prolonged detention without trial of thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children.

More than 10,000 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently held in Israeli prisons, according to Palestinian and international human rights groups, with 3,474 Palestinians in “administrative detention,” meaning they are imprisoned without trial for indefinite periods.

The report highlighted the “high proportion of children who are currently detained without charge or on remand,” noting that while Israel sets the age of criminal responsibility at 12, even younger children have been abducted.

Children designated as security prisoners face severe restrictions on family contact, may be subjected to solitary confinement, and are denied access to education, in clear violation of international law.

The committee further suggested that Israel’s policies across the Occupied Territories constitute collective torture against the Palestinian population.

“A range of policies adopted by Israel in the course of its continued unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading living conditions for the Palestinian population,” the report said.

On Thursday, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas condemned the systematic killing and torture of Palestinian abductees in Israeli prisons, urging international action to halt these abuses.

Citing human rights data, Hamas stated that 94 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli prisons since the start of Tel Aviv’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“This reflects an organized criminal approach that has turned these prisons into direct killing grounds to eliminate our people,” the resistance movement said.

Hamas called on the international community, the UN, and human rights organizations to immediately pressure Israel to end crimes against prisoners and uphold their rights as guaranteed by all international conventions and norms.

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