Judge hearing Salman Khan's bail plea transferred

Jodhpur, Apr 7: A district and sessions judge, who was supposed to pronounce order on Salman Khan's application for bail and suspension of sentence in 1998 black buck poaching case, has been transferred as part of a reshuffle.

In a late night development, which may add to the vows of the Bollywood actor, serving a jail sentence in Jodhpur for killing two black bucks, Sessions Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi, has been transferred to Sirohi, as per an order of the Rajasthan High Court.

Chandra Kumar Songara will be replacing him in Jodhpur's sessions court.

Joshi is among 134 judges transferred by the Registrar General of the High Court.

The actor, who was on Thursday convicted by a trial court and sentenced to five years in prison in the blackbuck poaching case, has spent two nights in the Jodhpur Central Jail so far.

The sessions court yesterday reserved its decision on Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's bail plea for tomorrow and had called for the records of the case from the trial court.

The district and sessions court heard arguments on the suspension of sentence and bail application before deferring the matter till today. The

But now, the chances are feeble of the departing judge proceeding further in the matter, one of the prosecution counsels Mahipal Bishnoi said.

But according to legal experts, the sitting judge has a time of seven days to get himself relieved and if he does so, the judge can proceed with the decision on Khan's application today itself.

"If he refuses to decide the application today, the defence could seek refuge of the link court which is the ADJ court, Bishnoi said.

In another development, Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri, who had sentenced Khan to five years in jail, has also been replaced by another magistrate. Khatri has been put on awaiting posting orders.

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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.

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