Mangalore Air Crash: Air India settles 89 cases, Rs 66.92 cr disbursed

[email protected] (Stanley Pinto for Times of India )
December 15, 2011

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Mangalore, December 15: Nineteen months after the horrific crash of Air India Boeing IX 812, which resulted in the death of 158 passengers, the legal counsel for Air India - Mulla & Mulla - Mumbai, has settled 89 cases, seven of them partially, as on date.

Kapil Aseri, chief finance officer, Air India, said a total of 82 cases have been settled on full and final basis and seven in part for an overall amount of Rs 66.92 crore, including the survivors. In the last three days, 11 claims were settled.

Advocate and solicitor Hoshang D Nanavati from Mulla & Mulla, told TOI the compensation claim process will commence after the Supreme Court proceedings in the first week of January next year. Abdul Salaam, father Mohammed Rafi (24) who perished in the crash, has approached the Apex court after a division bench of the Kerala High Court in August this year, allowed Air India's appeal and the set aside the order of the single judge holding that a minimum of one lakh Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) would be payable in respect of the death of each passenger.

Regarding the status of victims' families who have engaged the services of Swedish law firm, Nanavati said: ``It is not professional to deal with the cases until and unless they (foreign law firm) cease to act in the matter. It is for the claimant to decide. When we are satisfied (with proof) that they have withdrawn, we will commence claim settlement process. A mere affidavit from claimant will not do.''

Barring the families who have approached the foreign firm, there are about 25 families who are awaiting the Apex Court's verdict on this matter. Salaam's contention is that one lakh SDR (roughly about Rs 75 lakh at present exchange value) is the minimum. Air India Express observer R P Shahi, the former joint director general of Civil Aviation, said that the feedback from the families was they were satisfied with the process.


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News Network
September 17,2024

Kalaburagi: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that alleged role of "outsiders" belonging to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in the violence at Nagamangala will be examined and action taken based on the probe report.

Clashes broke out between two groups during a Ganesh idol procession in the town in Mandya district following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension on September 11 night.

"Everything will be examined, investigation will be done, on getting the report we will decide. We will not protect anyone, and unnecessarily no one will be punished. We will look into the facts based on the inquiry report and take action accordingly," Parameshwara told reporters here.

He noted that two officials -- Deputy Superintendent of Police and Inspector -- have already been suspended, and added that further action will be taken based on the report.

The Minister said the government has taken the Nagamangala violence seriously and there is no question of taking such incidents lightly. "BJP makes such allegations, but we too have responsibility, we don't take anything lightly."

On allegations that "outsiders" were involved in the violence, Parameshwara said if inquiry reveals complicity of such elements, it would be examined and action taken accordingly.

Regarding claims that those belonging to the banned PFI were involved, he said: "It will be known from the probe."

On demand for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into Nagamangala violence by BJP which alleged "failure" of state's home department, Parameshwara said: "they keep saying such things, we will not listen to all that."

According to police, an argument had broken out between two groups, when the procession by devotees from Badri Koppalu village reached a place of worship on September 11, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation.

Following the clashes between the two groups, a few shops were vandalised and goods torched and vehicles set on fire, they added.

To allegations from some BJP leaders that the party MLA Munirathna was arrested "hurriedly", Parameshwara said, police acted after the complaint was given, "what's wrong in that?"

Munirathna, who represents Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment here, was picked up from Nangli village in Kolar’s Mulbagal on Saturday evening on charges of harassing a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor for bribe, casteist slurs on a former corporator, and also cheating, criminal intimidation and insulting a woman’s modesty.

Asked about "illegal items" seized from the prison here recently by officials, he said an investigation has begun on this.

When a photo of actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who was lodged in Parappana Agrahara Prison here, hanging out with other inmates surfaced recently, action was taken based on the probe report and eleven officials were suspended.

"I will look into recent seizures made too and action will be taken; also probe is on at other prisons in the state and action will follow if anything wrong is found," the Minister added.

Police raided the high-security wing of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison here on Saturday and seized smartphones and other illegal goods.

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News Network
September 17,2024

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Mangaluru: In an act of extraordinary selflessness, a young lecturer and mother, Archana Kamath, tragically passed away just days after donating a portion of her liver to a relative. She was 33.

Archana, who had devoted her career to shaping young minds as a lecturer at Canara College and most recently at Manel Srinivasa Nayak MBA College, was a loving mother to a four-year-old boy. Her sudden passing has left her family, students, and colleagues reeling in shock and grief.

The story of her untimely demise began when a relative of her husband, CA Chethan Kumar, required a life-saving liver transplant. 

With no other matching donors in sight, Archana stepped forward, her heart full of compassion. Her blood type matched, and without hesitation, she made the brave decision to donate a part of her liver—an act that would ultimately cost her life.

The surgery, performed 12 days ago in Bengaluru, seemed successful. Archana appeared to recover well and was discharged, bringing hope and relief to her loved ones. 

But just days after returning home, she suddenly fell ill and passed away on September 15 in a Mangaluru hospital. The cause of her sudden decline remains a mystery, compounding the sorrow of those who knew and loved her.

Her final act of love saved a life—the relative who received her liver is said to be recovering well. But Archana’s loss is felt deeply by her husband and their young son, who are now left to navigate a world without her warmth and strength.

As family and friends grapple with this tragic turn of events, Archana’s memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew her as a caring educator, devoted mother, and a woman whose ultimate sacrifice was made out of love.

The full story of her passing is still unfolding, and her untimely death has left an irreplaceable void in the lives of all who knew her.
 

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September 16,2024

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In a heart-breaking incident, 19-year-old Shaun D'Souza, a native of Vittalwadi in Udupi's Kundapur taluk, tragically lost his life in the UAE due to heat stroke.

Shaun, the beloved son of Elias Cyril D'Souza and Pramila D'Souza, originally from Hosabettu, Moodbidri, had been pursuing his college education in the UAE.

He was admitted to a hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, approximately 115 km from Dubai, after collapsing from heatstroke. Despite receiving immediate medical attention, Shaun breathed his last on Sunday, September 15. 

He is deeply mourned by his parents and two siblings. The family, who had been residing near St. Mary's Church in the UAE, are grappling with the profound loss. Shaun’s father, Elias, works as a manager for a private company, while his mother, Pramila, is an accountant.

The local community has come together to offer their support and condolences in this time of sorrow.

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