Association demands govt. to appoint special judge for compensation case

September 18, 2011

Mangalore, September 18: The members of Mangalore Air India crash victims' Families Association have demanded the government to appoint a special judge to hear the compensation case between Air India and the legal heirs of victims of last year's aviation disaster.

A meeting organised by the Association here on Sunday to discuss its next course of action, concluded with a resolution to go ahead with the legal battle for a 'just compensation'.

The meeting comes in the wake of recent judgement of a divisional bench of the Kerala High Court, which overturned a single judge's verdict holding that Air India was bound to pay a minimum compensation of one-lakh Special Drawing Right (SDR), roughly Rs.75 lakh, each to the legal heirs of the victims.

The single judge's verdict had come on a writ petition filed by Kasargod based Abdul Salam, whose 24 year old son B Mohammed Rafi was killed in the crash.

Abdul Salam's lawyer Kodoth Sreedharan, who was present at the meeting, said that the former has already filed a petition before Kerala High Court seeking to review its recent judgment upholding Air India's appeal.

“The judgment on review petition is expected soon, following which we will decide on our next course of action after” Mr Sreedharan said, adding that if the judgment remained unchanged, the door of apex court is always open.

He pointed out that the divisional bench's judgment ignored the convention, statutes and principles of no fault liability. “It (judgment) defies basic common sense,'' he added.

Soon after the divisional bench's judgment on review petition, the Association would convene another meeting to take a final decision, said Mohammad Beary, president of the Association.

“In Sunday's meeting, the Association has taken few important decisions including demanding the government to appoint a special judge to hear this case”, he said.

Stating that Abdul Salam's case is crucial for the Association, he said all the legal heirs of crash victims would move the apex court, if it was necessary, as it would be difficult for a single person to take the legal battle against mighty Air India to the highest level.

The Association has urged all the legal heirs of the crash victims to come forward to share the expenses required to continue the legal battle.

Till date, the AI counsel has settled 62 cases and partially settled six claims at Rs 50.96 crore. Of the 62 cases, 22 have been settled for more than one lakh SDR. In the rest of the cases below one lakh SDR there are children also.

An Air India Express flight from Dubai overshot the Mangalore table-top runway and fell off a cliff while landing on May 22, 2010, killing 158 people. The flight's cockpit voice recorder data showed that the instrument had picked up snoring sounds indicating that the Serbian pilot Captain Zlatko Glusica had slept off for about 90 minutes and failed to pull up the plane after it lost control. He also ignored advice of his co-pilot.


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November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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