Case against 3 journalists in UP for report on plight of children at a govt event

Agencies

January 27, 2021

Lucknow, Jan 27: Three local journalists working with a news channel have been accused of public mischief and criminal intimidation in an FIR filed against them for airing a news report on school children allegedly exercising in biting cold conditions without winter wear at a government function, a police official said.

The FIR lodged by a Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA), an official who takes care of primary education in government schools, also accused the journalists of threatening him.

"The case was registered on Tuesday against three journalists--Mohit, Amit and Yasin on complaint off Basic Siksha Adhikari (BSA) Sunit Dutt at Akbarpur police station of Kanpur Dehat under IPC Section 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation)," Station House Officer (Akbarpur), Tulsiram Pandey, said.

He said the journalists aired the news repot which alleged that several government school students "shivered in biting cold while government officials were busy with an event . The BSA also alleged that the three journalists were not present at the event.

Officials concerned claimed the children were made to take off their winter wear only for the exercises.

The videos was of a function held to mark the UP foundation day on Sunday and was attended by state minister for technology, Ajit Pal Singh, several MLAs and government officials, including DM Kanpur Dehat Dinesh Chandra.

The video, after being aired by the journalists, also went viral on social media on Tuesday in which students were seen braving the biting cold, dressed in cotton shirts and knickers.

In the FIR, the BSA said the the children wore woollens after the drill and the videos were shared with malafide intention.

He added that the journalists also hurt the sentiments of yoga teachers, who were insulted in the process.

District Magistrate, Kanpur Dehat, Chandra, told reporters, "It was painful that some journalists who were not present here spread such news. You all know that yoga cannot be performed wearing sweater, coat and pants. The students did good performance and we all appreciated them."

One of the journalists, Amit Singh, said making the children do yoga in inadequate clothing in harsh winter conditions could not be justified and authorities could have been more careful.

Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat), Keshav Kumar Choudhary, said that FIR has been registered against three local journalists for airing news reports by allegedly misrepresenting facts conducing to public mischief and threatening the BSA.

The instructions have been issued to the Investigation Officer to probe the charges in a fair manner, he said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

IndiGo meltdown: 200 flights cancelled; Bengaluru hit hard with 42 cancellations

News Network

December 3,2025

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is battling one of its worst operational disruptions in recent years, with hundreds of delays and cancellations throwing domestic travel into chaos.

Government data on Tuesday showed its on-time performance plunging to 35%, an unusual dip for a carrier long associated with punctuality.

By Wednesday afternoon, airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad had collectively reported close to 200 cancellations, stranding travellers across the country.

Crew Shortage After New Duty Norms

A major trigger behind the meltdown is a severe crew shortage, especially among pilots, following the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms last month.

The rules mandate longer rest hours and more humane rosters — a shift IndiGo has struggled to incorporate across its vast network.

Sources said several flights were grounded due to lack of cabin crew, while some delays stretched upwards of eight hours.

With IndiGo controlling over 60% of India’s domestic aviation market, the ripple effect has impacted airports nationwide.

IndiGo Issues Apology, Lists “Compounding Factors”

In a statement, IndiGo acknowledged the large-scale disruption:

“We sincerely apologise to customers. A series of unforeseen operational challenges — technology glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, system congestion and updated FDTL norms — created a compounding impact that could not have been anticipated.”

To stabilise operations, the airline has begun calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours, aiming to restore punctuality. Affected passengers are being offered refunds or alternate travel arrangements, IndiGo said.

What the FDTL Rules Require

The FDTL norms, designed to reduce pilot fatigue, cap duty and flying hours as follows:
•   Maximum 8 hours of flying per day
•   35 hours per week
•   125 hours per month
•   1,000 hours per year

Crew must also receive rest equalling twice the flight duration, with a minimum 10-hour rest period in any 24-hour window.

The DGCA introduced these limits to enhance flight safety.

Hyderabad: 33 Flights Cancelled, Long Queues Reported

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport saw heavy early-morning crowds as 33 IndiGo flights (arrivals and departures) were cancelled.

The airport clarified on X that operations were normal, advising passengers to contact IndiGo directly for latest flight status.

Cancellations included flights to and from Visakhapatnam, Goa, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Madurai, Hubli, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar.

Bengaluru: 42 Flights Disrupted

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport recorded 42 cancellations — 22 arrivals and 20 departures — affecting routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata and Lucknow.

Passengers Vent on Social Media

Irate travellers took to X to share their experiences. One passenger stranded in Hyderabad wrote: “I have been here since 3 a.m. and missed an important meeting.”

Another said: “My flight was pushed from 1:55 PM to 2:55 PM and now 4:35 PM. I was informed only three minutes before entering the airport.”

Delhi Airport Hit by Tech Glitch

At Delhi Airport, the disruption deepened due to a slowdown in the Amadeus system — used for reservations, check-ins and departure control.

The technical issue led to longer queues and sluggish processing, adding to delays already worsened by staff shortages.

Comments