Air crash payout judgment a big boost to our fight'

[email protected] (CD Network)
July 21, 2011

Mangalore, July 21: The Kerala High Court judgment ruling that the families of the victims of the Air India Express crash in Mangalore Mangalore last year are entitled to a minimum individual compensation of Rs 75 lakh has evoked a sense of relief among the the relatives of those who died in one of the worst air disasters in India's aviation history.


Welcoming the decision, Mohammed Beary, president, Mangalore Air Crash Victims' Families Association, said, the counsel of Air India and senior advocate H.D. Nanavati had been staunchly opposing our claim for awarding compensation as per the provisions of the Montreal convention.


“Nanavati had also ridiculed the then aviation minister Praful Patel by saying that he did not have legal knowledge. The Kerala High Court judgment will be a boost for our fight against the discriminatory payout policy pursued by the Air India and their agencies,” Mr Beary said.


However, Mr. Beary was quick to add that“A person's life can't be equated with money.”


“We have also approached the Swedish lawyers seeking compensation on par with international standards. We have given all our document s to the reputed legal firm. One should also bear in mind that the when we filed a writ petition in the High Court through, it was yet not confirmed that the tragedy was a result of pilot error,” he noted.


When asked about the possibility of Air India filing an appeal in the High Court, Mr Beary, said we are prepared to fight against such an appeal also.


“Our lawyers —Urban Olson and Stephen Erikson - both from Stockholm in Sweden, will hold negotiations with a London insurance company with regard to the compensation of 60 crash victim families. The meeting will take place on July 28. This will be followed by two more rounds of negotiations. We are hopeful of securing justice,” Mr. Beary said.


Meanwhile, Mangalore Air Crash Victims' Families Association (formed to help the victims' kin) Legal Advisor Varadaraj K termed the verdict as landmark and said the decision would not only help the family members of May 22, 2010, crash victims, but would also serve as a future reference.

Recalling the “callous attitude” of the advocates of Mulla & Mulla (the legal counsels for Air India), who offered only Rs 35 lakh compensation to the kin of Mohammed Rafi of Kasargod, a victim of the air crash, Varadaraj said the Air India counsels had in fact forced Rafi's father Abdul Salam to approach the High Court that ruled in favour of Rafi, thereby helping all the victims.

Counsels for Air India had fixed Rs 30 lakh for women, Rs 25 lakh for children and Rs 35 lakh for men killed in the crash.

Prof John D'Silva, Principal, St Aloysius PU College, who also refused to accept the meagre compensation offered by Air India for his 29-year-old relative Ullas Joseph D'Silva's death, said: “They (Air India counsels) can't bargain or fix a price for a human being based on his present salary, when there is every chance of him getting a promotion in his career.” Ullas was employed as an accountant in a five-star hotel in West Asia.

Air India reaction

Meanwhile Air India has clarified that the airlines was not connected with the issue of compensation and the issue was being handled by the insurance companies.


When contacted, Chellam Prasad, Air India (Mangalore)?Station Manager, said the national carrier was awaiting a copy of the Kerala court judgment. He said the authorities would decide the future course of action after obtaining the verdict copy.

Victim's father slams AI

“I had no other option but to approach the court when the advocates (appointed by Air India) cared a pin for our pleas and fixed a price for my son's life,” Abdul Salam said.

“Your son was earning Rs 25,000 in Sharjah. So, we will give Rs 25 lakh as compensation,” Salam cited Mulla &?Mulla chief H?D?Nanavathi as telling him when he approached the Air India counsels for more compensation.

“I told them I would give the legal counsels Rs 50 lakh if they gave me back my son,” Salam said.

So far, the Air India has settled only 55 cases (52 dead and 3 survivors) while 68 persons (47 in Mangalore and 21 in Dubai) have approached the foreign law firm.

mangalore-air-crash-victims

Petitioner Abdul Salam (extreme right), his son Abdul Nasir with a photo of Mohammad Rafi, who was killed in Mangalore air crash

ARV

ARV2

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News Network
May 6,2024

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Several women, believed to be victims of Prajwal Revanna, have left their homes in Karnataka's Hassan district over the last ten days, according to media reports.

These departures reportedly come amid fear and stigma after their identities became public due to the circulating video clips showing the women who were allegedly sexually assaulted by Prajwal Revanna.

"The entire district is in H D Revanna’s control. You speak ill about them and chances are high that it will reach them, because the family and the party have a large following," a shopkeeper in Hagare - 20 km from Hassan – was quoted as saying by the news paper. 

Hassan is the bastion of the JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda, and Prajwal, his grandson, is the sitting MP.

The family of the woman whose complaint was the basis of the first FIR against Prajwal has now left their home, the publication reported, citing a neighbour who said, "The woman worked at Revanna’s house as a house help. Some of her videos started to circulate and then, her house was seen locked. We don’t know when she left."

Notably, a former Zilla Panchayat member has also filed a rape case against Prajwal, and in that village many women who worked for the party formerly are now incommunicado, a JD(S) leader told the publication. "We noticed many of the party women deleting their photos with Prajwal on social media. In some instances, men are questioning their wives about their association with the MP. It is shattering the lives of many women in the district," he said.

The local leader added that the former Zilla Panchayat member was there on April 24, but no one had seen the family since the videos came out.

The case is currently being probed by an SIT team and when they reached the Revanna residence, party workers were reportedly heard talking about the women. "I know this woman, she lived close to our residence and was very active in JD(S) activities. Her house is locked… she has small children," one said, as per IE.

Another shopkeeper added, "It was really wrong to reveal the faces of the women. I know some of them, and they have gone into hiding. We don’t know whether they can return."

He noted that it is impossible to survive in Hassan while fighting a case against the Revanna family.

While Prajwal's father, H D Revanna is in SIT custody, a Blue Corner notice has been issued against the sitting MP.

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News Network
May 10,2024

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Madikeri: A 15-year-old was bludgeoned to death and the accused fled with her severed head at Mutlu village in Somwarpet of Kodagu district on Thursday late night, hours after her SSLC examination result was declared.  

The victim has been identified as US Meena, a 10th grade student of Surlabbi High School. She had passed the SSLC examination and her school attained 100% results. 

However, she was brutally murdered by accused Prakash (32), a resident of the village. The police have launched a search operation to find the suspect, said Kodagu SP K Ramarajan 

It is said that the minor girl's engagement with the suspect was thwarted by officials from Women and Child Development department on May 9, and later officials had even convinced her parents of not to marry the minor girl.

However, the suspect barged into her house in the night and allegedly kidnapped her. Later, he took her to an area near the periphery of the forest and murdered her after which he fled with her severed head.

Victim's mother too has suffered injuries and is admitted to a hospital for treatment. The reason for the murder will be known after the probing officials have inquired the victim's mother, said the SP. 

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News Network
May 4,2024

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan MP said that election for the South West Teachers and Graduates constituencies will be held on June 3.

The notification for the same will be issued on May 9. The last date for filing nominations is May 16. The nominations must be submitted to Regional Commissioner in Mysuru and the last date for withdrawal of nomination is May 17.

The counting of votes will be held on June 6.

As of December 30, 2023 there are 6753 voters in DK district in the South West Teachers Constituency out of which 4520 are women. On the other hand, there are 16,869 graduate voters in the district for the South West graduates constituency.

The voters can submit their application for enrollment in electoral list of the South West Teachers and graduates constituency till May 6. The applications can be submitted at Mangaluru City Corporation or all the taluk offices.

Bulk applications can be submitted by Bar Association, Doctors association, Chartered Accountants Association, registered engineers association for the graduates constituency.

Those who are graduates prior to November 11, 2020 can enroll for voters list in the graduates constituency  by submitting Form 18 along with photo copy of marks card, Aadhaar card, voters' identity card and residential address.

For getting oneself enrolled in the teachers constituency voters, an individual should be teaching for minimum three years prior to November 1, 2023 in high school or higher educational institutions.

For the teachers constituency, educational institutions can submit applications in bulk. If wrong details are furnished in these applications, then they will be punishable under Section 31 of Representation of People Act, warned the DC.

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