Delhi AAP MLA arrested in Gujarat, Kejriwal hits out at BJP

October 17, 2016

New Delhi, Oct 17: AAP MLA and party's Gujarat affairs in-charge Gulab Singh surrendered on Sunday before Surat police and was arrested by Delhi police after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him in connection with an extortion case.

Singh's arrest has come hours ahead of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal's public rally in Surat. He is the 14th AAP leader to be arrested by Delhi police.

"Delhi police had come with a non-bailable warrant against Gulab Singh. He learnt about it before hand and came to Urma police station where we handed him over to Delhi police," Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma said.

The Delhi police will take Yadav to a court to secure a transit remand.

Before leaving for Umra police station to surrender, Yadav told reporters at the circuit house, "I have learnt that Delhi police have come to Surat to arrest me. So I am going to Umra police station to court arrest and ask Delhi police to pick me from there."

"I am in Gujarat since 6 September and I was here when the FIR was filed on 13 September. Police raided my office and got nothing incriminating. The Centre is directing arrest of AAP MLAs but we are not going to bow and are ready for any consequences," he alleged.

The extortion case

In September, two property dealers, Deepak Sharma and Rinku Diwan, had alleged that Satish and Devinder, who work in Yadav's office, and an associate Jagdish, were extorting money from them by threatening to demolish the building from where they were operating.

A case under Section 384 (punishment for extortion) IPC was registered at Bindapur police station on 13 September.

Confirming the MLA's arrest, Joint Commissioner of Police, South West Delhi, Deependra Pathak said, "He will be brought back to Delhi on Sunday to join the probe in the FIR of extortion in which he has also been named."

The non-bailable warrant was issued against Singh, who is MLA from Delhi's Matiala, on 14 October for allegedly not joining probe in the case. Singh's alleged associates Satish, Devinder and Jagdish were also arrested and a probe was taken up in the matter which revealed that the "organised extortion racket" had been operating with the knowledge of the MLA, police claimed.

Following the investigation, Singh was named in the FIR and issued notices to join the investigation but he did not turn up for questioning, the police said.

Kejriwal hits out at BJP

Meanwhile, Kejriwal, who is on a four-day visit to Gujarat, alleged while talking to reporters in Vadodara before leaving for Surat that BJP president Amit Shah was trying to affect the rally.

"I have learnt that Amit Shah is trying various methods to scuttle the rally," he told the media, "He is sending his people to different places (where I go) to stage protests," Kejriwal added.

"I appeal to Amit Shah that Sunday's rally is not my rally. It is a rally of the Gujarat people and I request him not to put any impediments."

The Delhi Chief minister also alleged that 13 AAP MLAs have been arrested by Delhi Police on the direction from the BJP, Agency reported.

Kejriwal, who is due to address an AAP rally in Surat along with party leader Kumar Vishwas said that the arrest of Singh shows that the BJP was scared of AAP.

Delhi minister Kapil Mishra, who is attending the AAP rally in Surat, said Singh's arrest was a turning point in Gujarat politics. "Gulab singh arrested hours before historical rally in Surat," he tweeted.

"This was done to prevent Gulab Singh from reaching the rally. The politics of Gujrat will change for ever from today," he said in a note posted on Twitter.

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.

PM Modi, King Abdullah II share 8-point vision to deepen India-Jordan ties

News Network

December 16,2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman, during which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with the Prime Minister outlining an eight-point vision covering key areas of cooperation.

Describing the meeting as “productive”, PM Modi said he shared a roadmap focused on trade and economy, fertilisers and agriculture, information technology, healthcare, infrastructure, critical and strategic minerals, civil nuclear cooperation, and people-to-people ties.

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister praised King Abdullah II’s personal commitment to advancing India–Jordan relations, particularly as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

“Held productive discussions with His Majesty King Abdullah II in Amman. His personal commitment towards vibrant India-Jordan relations is noteworthy. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our bilateral diplomatic relations,” PM Modi said.

The meeting took place at the Al Husseiniya Palace, where the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation, fertilisers and agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, and heritage.

The MEA said both leaders reaffirmed their united stand against terrorism.

PM Modi arrived in Amman earlier on Monday and was received by Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, who accorded him a formal welcome. Following the talks, King Abdullah II hosted a banquet dinner in honour of the Prime Minister, reflecting the warmth of bilateral ties.

Jordan is the first leg of PM Modi’s three-nation tour. From Amman, the Prime Minister will travel to Ethiopia at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, marking his first official visit to the African nation. The tour will conclude with a visit to Oman.

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.

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.

Comments