Deaf and mute school drop-out builds 2-seater plane!

[email protected] (Hindustan Times)
April 15, 2016

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 15: For 45-year-old Saji James, sky indeed seems to be the limit. The deaf and mute seventh class dropout is a crafty innovator who built an ultra-light two-seater aircraft, and was even featured by Discovery Channel for his skill. Hailing from the remote village in Thodupzuha in Idukki, James not only assembled the aircraft but flew it himself.

plane

It took James three attempts to build the aircraft. In his first attempt, he managed to build a frame and other equipment of the aircraft. He later he fitted it with a motorcycle engine, but couldn't fly it. “He sold his second aircraft to an engineering college for Rs 1.50 lakh and completed the third one called Saji-X Air with this. A retired wing commander S K J Nair helped him realise his dream,” said James' wife, Maria. Since he doesn't have a pilot licence, James couldn't fly the craft higher than 30 feet.

The aircraft was built using recycled materials, costing around `13 lakh. To fund his passion, James sold a large portion of his land, and constantly does odd jobs like repair works for TVs, etc. However, it's a tough life that James is looking to turn around. His efforts so far got him on TV (James was featured on HRX Super Heroes, a TV show anchored by actor Hrithik Roshan last year), and even a letter of praise from a former defence research and development officer.

“When I was 14, I was inspired by a pilot who came to spray pesticide... near my house. Moved by my enthusiasm he gave me a free ride. This really fuelled my imagination,” he wrote on his website.

The late former president APJ Abdul Kalam also become an inspiration. James is hoping his innovation catches a major investor's eye so he can spend quality time and money on improving his crafts.

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shrikanth
 - 
Friday, 15 Apr 2016

can be used as ambulance service.,

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December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

•    Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

•    State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

•    Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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