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Dammam, April 26: Chaos and frustration gripped King Fahd International Airport, Dammam, after Air India Express Flight IX484, scheduled to depart for Bengaluru at 8:30 PM on 25 April 2025, was delayed indefinitely due to repeated “technical issues,” leaving over 150 passengers stranded.

According to affected passengers, after an overnight delay, airline officials informed them the technical problems had been “temporarily fixed” and instructed them to board at 1:30 PM (KSA time) on 26 April. However, the situation deteriorated further when the aircraft taxied to the runway — only to halt abruptly on the runway itself, with passengers once again left without clear communication or resolution.

Several passengers provided live updates, expressing grave concerns over safety standards, poor crisis management, and a lack of transparency by the airline’s ground staff.

 “This is not just mismanagement; it is sheer negligence. Passenger lives are being put at serious risk,” said one distressed traveler.

Adding to the growing alarm, Dr P.A. Hameed Padubidri, a noted pro-bono lawyer and social worker who has resided in Saudi Arabia for over two decades, commented:

“I have been in continuous contact with the stranded passengers and am coordinating with the concerned authorities to address this alarming pattern of delays and mismanagement by Air India Express. Passenger rights and safety must be treated with utmost seriousness.”

Dr. Hameed further emphasized: “This marks the third major disruption involving Air India Express flights within a month, raising serious questions about the airline’s operational reliability, aircraft maintenance practices, and overall crisis preparedness.”

He added: “If an aircraft continues to suffer ‘technical issues,’ it clearly indicates systemic negligence. Operating such flights puts the lives of passengers at unacceptable risk. It is deeply shocking and unacceptable.”

Frustrated passengers also pointed out that if this incident had involved other Gulf carriers, passengers would have been promptly provided with food, hotel accommodation, and alternative flight arrangements.

“This exposes a glaring gap in passenger care and service standards,” one stranded traveler noted.

The incident has triggered widespread outrage, with urgent calls for immediate investigation and action by India’s aviation authorities. 

Dr Hameed has appealed to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu to take action against these recurring failures by Air India Express.

As of the latest update, passengers remain stranded at Dammam Airport, awaiting further instructions, with no clear communication regarding the revised flight schedule.

New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain petitions filed by the NIA against the bail granted to 17 Popular Front of India members in the 2022 murder case of RSS leader Srinivasan in Kerala's Palakkad district.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and N Kotiswar Singh noted that the Kerala High Court order granting bail to the accused is one-year-old and the HC has the power to cancel bail if the conditions are violated.

"Our attention is invited to observation made in the last part of the impugned order by which high court has reserved liberty to the petitioners to apply to special court for cancellation of bail.

"Therefore, the petitioners can always apply to the special court for cancellation of bail on the grounds which are set out in the affidavits filed in these petitions. In fact the special court will be the more appropriate court," the bench said.

The top court said the agency can satisfy the special court about the breach of terms and conditions of grant of bail by producing materials against the accused.

"Therefore, at this stage we decline to entertain the special leave petitions with liberty to the petitioners to move the special court/high court for cancellation of bail. Needless to say that if the prayer made by petitioner does not succeed before the special court/high court remedies of the petitioners remain open.

"We make it clear that as and when application is made for cancellation of bail the special court or high court should not be influenced by the fact that this court has declined to entertain the present special leave petitions," the bench said.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Raja Thakare, appearing for the NIA, sought cancellation of the bail and submitted that the accused have violated the bail conditions and have contacted the witnesses.

The Kerala High Court on June 25, 2024 granted bail to the 17 accused PFI members, who are also facing trial for allegedly instigating communal violence in the state and other parts of the country.

Granting bail to 17 of the 26 accused, the high court imposed stringent conditions, which include sharing their cellphone numbers and real-time GPS locations with the investigating officer.

Aside from that, the accused were ordered not to leave Kerala, surrender their passports and keep their cellphones charged and active round-the-clock.

It had directed the 17 to "present themselves before the special court which shall enlarge them on bail on such conditions as the special court may deem necessary".

Initially, 51 persons were arraigned as accused in connection with the murder of Srinivasan on April 16, 2022. One among those held died while seven others are absconding.

Chargesheets against the remaining persons were filed in two phases in July and December, 2022.

While police was investigating the murder, the Centre received information that the office bearers and cadres of the Popular Front of India and its affiliates in Kerala had conspired to instigate communal violence and radicalise its cadres to commit terrorist acts in Kerala and other parts of the country, the high court noted in its order.

Therefore, the Centre in September, 2022 directed the National Investigation Agency to take up and probe the case against the accused.

On December 19, 2022, the Centre, referring to Srinivasan's death, opined there was a larger conspiracy hatched by the leaders of the PFI "which has grave national and international ramifications" that needed to be "thoroughly investigated to unearth the wider conspiracy and to identify the other accused".

The Centre directed the NIA to take up the probe in the murder case as well, and the agency filed its consolidated chargesheet in 2023 with two supplementary chargesheets later.

Immediately after the respective NIA chargesheets were filed before the special court, the accused moved for bail.

Riyadh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Saudi Arabia on April 22 marked a significant step in reaffirming the enduring friendship between India and the Kingdom. During his visit, PM Modi engaged with leading Indian-origin business figures, highlighting their pivotal role in Saudi Arabia's economic growth.

Among the distinguished attendees were Mr. Ashif Karnire, Chief Executive Officer of the prestigious Expertise Group, and Mr. Anshif Karnire, Chief Strategy Officer of the group, whose participation underlined the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia.

Joining them were other prominent business leaders, including Mr. Yusuf Ali, Managing Director of LuLu Hypermarket, and Dr. Alisha Moopen, Group CEO of Aster Healthcare. Each of these leaders represents enterprises that have made outstanding contributions across diverse sectors of the Saudi economy.

The discussions centred around the influential role of Indian entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia’s development journey, with PM Modi acknowledging their exceptional contributions.

The robust presence of Indian businesses continues to be a driving force in the Kingdom’s economic diversification efforts. The meeting not only reaffirmed the strong ties between India and Saudi Arabia but also opened new avenues for collaboration, promising mutual growth and prosperity in the years ahead.