SIMI encounter: MP govt puts on hold cash reward for cops

November 5, 2016

Bhopal, Nov 5: The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to put on hold the cash rewards it had earlier announced for the police personnel who had participated in the alleged encounter killing of eight SIMI activists.

Talking to news agency today, a highly-placed official said, "After the announcement of judicial probe into the incident, the government cannot give cash rewards to anyone till the completion of the inquiry."

"The cash rewards were announced prior to the announcement of the judicial probe and therefore, it is logical that it can't be given till the inquiry gets over," the official added.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh each for those policemen involved in the shootout. He had made the announcement on the occasion of the state's Foundation Day on November 1, a day after the alleged encounter of the SIMI men.

However, rights activists had demanded withholding the cash reward. "The government should at least wait till completion of several enquiries it has instituted to probe the encounter to justify the reward," Abdul Jabbar, a social activist associated with Bhopal gas leak tragedy victims, had said.

"Government is known for its credibility and if that is compromised then there is no point of having it (reward)," he said.

Jabbar said on the one hand the government has instituted several enquiries to probe the encounter and on the other it is rewarding those involved in it. "It (the reward) can't be justified till the probe is complete and all questions raised on the issue are properly addressed," he said.

Transparency International's Ajay Dube had also questioned the "rationale" behind announcing the reward at a time when the state is under the scanner over the veracity of the encounter.

"The government should have waited for the outcome of the judicial enquiry it has instituted into the encounter. Announcing (rewards for policemen) before it (conclusion of inquiry) amounts to giving them a clean chit and to influence those involved in it (the probe)," he said.

Eight activists of the banned outfit were killed in an alleged encounter on the outskirts of the city hours after they killed a head constable and pulled off an audacious escape from the high-security central jail in the wee hours of October 31.

The state government has ordered a judicial probe into the sensational jail-break and the alleged encounter. The probe will be conducted by retired High Court Judge Justice S K Pandey.

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IndiGo offers full waiver on cancellations, reschedule requests for bookings between Dec 5 and 15

News Network

December 6,2025

With IndiGo flight disruptions impacting thousands of passengers, the airline on Saturday said that it will offer full waiver on all cancellations/reschedule requests for travel bookings between December 5, 2025 and December 15, 2025.

Earlier in the day, the civil aviation ministry had directed the airline to complete the ticket refund process for the cancelled flights by Sunday evening, as well as ensure baggage separated from the travellers are delivered in the next two days.

In a post on X, titled 'No questions asked', IndiGo wrote, "In response to recent events, all refunds for your cancellations will be processed automatically to your original mode of payment."

"We are deeply sorry for the hardships caused," it further added.

Several passengers, however, complained of not getting full refund as promised by the airline.

Netizens have shared screenchots of getting charged for airline cancellation fee and convenience fee.

"Please tell me why u have did this airline cancellation charges when u say full amount will be refunded (sic)," a user wrote sharing a screenshot of the refund page.

"Well, but you have still debited the convenience charges," wrote another.

Passengers have also raised concerns about the "cancel" option being disabled on the IndiGo app. "First enable the 'Cancel' button on your App & offer full refund on tickets cancelled by customers between the said dates," wrote a user.

A day after the country's largest airline, IndiGo, cancelled more than 1,000 flights and caused disruptions for the fifth day on Saturday, the ministry said that any delay or non-compliance in refund processing will invite immediate regulatory action.

The refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be completed by 8 pm on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.

"Airlines have also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations," it said.

On Saturday, more than 400 flights were cancelled at various airports.

IndiGo has also been instructed to set up dedicated passenger support and refund facilitation cells.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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