'Healthy enough to contest': Malegaon terror victim's father urge NIA to bar Sadhvi

Agencies
April 18, 2019

Mumbai, Apr 18: An application has been filed before the NIA court here against Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, seeking a bar on her contesting the Lok Sabha poll.

The BJP has declared her candidature from Bhopal seat in Madhya Pradesh.

The applicant has questioned Thakur’s candidature citing that she had got bail on the ground of her poor health, but she is “healthy enough to fight elections.”

“That intervener would further submit that Sadhvi Pragya Thakur got bail on health ground but clearly healthy enough to fight elections in the crippling summer heat which means she has misguided the court,” says applicant Sayyed Bilal in his petition, filed in the NIA court on Thursday.

NIA will file its reply on April 23 when the court is also likely to hear the petition.

Nisar Ahmed Sayyed Bilal lost his son Sayyed Azhar Nisar Ahmed on the spot in Malegaon blast that took place on September 29, 2008.

The applicant states that “he came to know by electronic, print and social media that Sadhvi Pragya Thakur has joined the BJP and is going to contest parliamentary elections from Bhopal seat.”

The petitioner has submitted that Thakur was “enlarged on conditional bail and she is not attending hearing of this court on the pretext that she is unwell and she is a ‘breast cancer patient.’ But on the contrary, she has been seen participating in various programmes and giving objectionable and instigating speeches since her release from the jail.”

Thakur has “flayed her duty to the court under false pretense but has submitted herself to the duty of being a parliamentarian. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur has taken a casual outlook to the trial and it casts serious doubt on her non-availability for the trial and the reasons so told.”

The petitioner has further submitted that “during bail hearing in the Bombay High Court Sadhvi Pragya Thakur had filed written statement in support of her health and claimed that she cannot even walk without support, her contention and the High Court’s observations are being reproduced here for kind perusal of this court.”

“Sadhvi Pragya Thakur got bail on health ground but is clearly healthy enough to fight elections in the crippling summer heat which means she has misguided the court,” applicant Sayyed Bilal said in the application.

“Sadhvi Pragya Thakur may be asked to attend court proceeding here in Mumbai and is barred to contest the election as trial is still in progress and the petition of cancellation of bail is sub-judice before the Supreme Court,” the application added.

Thakur is among seven accused facing trial in Malegaon blast case, in which six people were killed and a dozen others were injured when a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra’s Malegaon on September 29, 2008.

Polling in Madhya Pradesh will be held in the last four phases of elections, ending on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Comments

MR
 - 
Friday, 19 Apr 2019

Cancer may be another cooked up lies by Sadvi Pradvi thakur and her BJP lawyer

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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News Network
December 6,2025

pilot.jpg

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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