CBI wants Shehla Masood murder case to be tried in Indore

June 12, 2012

New Delhi, June 12: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday opposed the plea of the five accused in RTI activist Shehla Masood murder case to transfer the case to Bhopal under section 177 of CrPC before the special CBI court. Accused Zaheda Parvez, her accomplice Saba Farooqui, history-sheeter Saquib 'Danger,' shooters Irfaan Ali and Tabish Khan were produced before the judge Dr Shubhra Singh.

CBI counsel Hemant Shukla said, CBI special court of Indore has power and jurisdiction to hear the case and that the case should not be transferred to Bhopal. To supplement his argument he gave four instances including one that of 2003 Madhya Pradesh High Court where the cases were heard by the special court away from the place of crime. Shukla argued that section 14 (3) of CrPC 1978 has amended section 177 and empowered the special court to hear cases. In this case, as initial hearing was held in Indore and charge-sheet was also filed here, the trial should also be continued in Indore.

However, the defense counsel of all the accused together argued that under section 177 of CrPc, hearing of the case should be held in the place of crime. "Crime was committed in Bhopal, investigation took place in Bhopal, all the witnesses are from Bhopal so the case should also be shifted to that city as per the law," said defense lawyer Sunil Shirivastav adding that the families of accused are staying in Bhopal and they have to face inconvenience. He stressed that there are certain things beyond law which need to be considered on humanitarian grounds.

Another defense lawyer Y Khan said that several cases are registered against some of the accused in Bhopal and their families too stay in the state capital. Thus, for the convenience of the accused, the court hearing should be shifted to state capital, he reasoned. In his reply, the defense lawyers sought time from the court and will present their argument during the next hearing scheduled for Friday, June 15.

Advocate Memon to appeal for re-investigation

Bagish K Jha

In a new twist to Shehla Masood murder case, the father of slain RTI activist, Sultan Masood, have contested the charge-sheet filed by the CBI. He met famous criminal lawyer advocate Majeed Memon in Mumbai recently with a copy of charge-sheet and alleged that the investigating agency had been protecting BJP MLA Dhruvnarayan Singh and wanted the case to be re-investigated by other officials. The MLA's name came up several times in the course of investigation and had to undergo lie-detector test following allegations against him in the case.

Talking to TOI over phone from Mumbai, advocate Memon said he would appear before the court on behalf of the Masood family and appeal to re-investigate the case. It is not a matter of a family, but is related to the security of common man and the matter of law and order in Madhya Pradesh, he said.

It seems that the CBI has investigated the case with a view to protecting Dhruvnarayan, who was central character in entire episode, but was not even listed as the witness in the charge-sheet.

More than 145 witnesses have been enlisted in the charge-sheet by the CBI. "Beside this, the call details of Shehla were not submitted to the court which could have thrown light on the case," Memon said.

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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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