Delhi High Court Restrains WhatsApp & Telegram From Illegally Circulating Copies Of Times Of India, Navbharat Times E-Newspapers

Delhi High Court Restrains WhatsApp & Telegram From Illegally Circulating Copies Of Times Of India, Navbharat Times E-Newspapers: In an interim order passed last week, the Delhi High Court hasrest

Madurai mid-air wedding: SpiceJet initiates action against passengers for flouting COVID norms; DGCA off-rosters crew

Madurai mid-air wedding: SpiceJet initiates action against passengers for flouting COVID norms; DGCA off-rosters crew

India's aviation watchdog, DGCA has already initiated an investigation over reports of mid-air marriage ceremony and has ordered taking the crew off duty.

Published: 24th May 2021 04:34 PM 

A picture that went viral on social media, of the couple tieing the knot in the chartered aircraft.

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The DGCA has off-rostered the crew of a SpiceJet flight in which a mid-air wedding took place in Madurai in Tamil Nadu amid many guests and relatives in alleged violation of COVID-19 norms on Sunday, with the district administration launching a probe into the matter.

The chartered flight left the Madurai airport and remained airborne for approximately two hours yesterday morning before returning there, sources said on Monday.

A senior official of aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the flight crew has been off-rostered for not enforcing the social distancing norms onboard.

Madurai Collector Dr Aneesh Sekhar said a preliminary enquiry has been initiated into the matter based on the video footage being circulated in the social media.

"Appropriate action would be taken if there was any COVID-19 violation," Sekhar told PTI.

Meanwhile, the DGCA official said SpiceJet has been directed to lodge a complaint with the relevant authorities against those people who did not follow the COVID-19 norms inside the flight.

He also said that the DGCA "will take strict action" after it completes its probe into this matter.

Images and videos of the mid-air wedding were circulated on social media on Monday, purportedly showing people standing extremely close to each other as the couple tied the knot.

Responding to the matter, an airline spokesperson said, "A SpiceJet Boeing 737 was chartered by a travel agent in Madurai on May 23, 2021 for a group of passengers for a joy ride post their wedding."

"The client was clearly briefed on Covid guidelines to be followed and denied permission for any activity to be performed on board. The approval for this flight was taken as a joy ride for the wedding group," he said.

The spokesperson added the agent and guest passengers were briefed in detail, both in writing as well as verbally, on social distancing and safety norms to be followed according to the Covid guidelines, both at the airport and onboard the aircraft throughout the journey.

"The group was repeatedly briefed on the safety norms to be followed by the operating cabin crew and advised to follow the protocols laid down by the DGCA, including restrictions on photography and videography."

"Despite repeated requests and reminders, the passengers did not follow the guidelines and the airline is taking appropriate action as per rules," he said.

Meanwhile, the Madurai Collector also warned of action if any violations were found.

"At present we are sourcing evidence to ascertain if violations had occurred. Appropriate action would be taken depending upon the confirmation," Sekhar said.

Asked if there was any specific complaint of violation, he said the administration was acting based on the marriage video.

India has been badly hit by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic during the last few weeks.

On Monday, the country reported 2,22,315 new covid cases, the lowest in 38 days, pushing the total positives to 2,67,52,447.

As many as 3,03,720 persons have succumbed to the virus so far, including 4,454 today.

On Sunday, Tamil Nadu, one of the high prevalent states, added 35,483 new infections, with the state's active covid cases being 2,94,143.

Madurai reported 1,139 patients on May 23 while its active cases stood at 13,091.

Complete lockdown bitter medicine but people have to take it, says TN CM

Complete lockdown bitter medicine but people have to take it, says TN CM

"Please adhere to the guidelines issued for preventing Corona. I make this appeal not only as a Chief Minister but also as your brother," Stalin said in a video message.

Published: 24th May 2021 06:47 PM 

Police check for the e-pass due to the complete lockdown in Coimbatore City on Monday. (Photo | U Rakesh Kumar, EPS)

By T Muruganandham

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday renewed his appeal to the people to adhere to government guidelines to help contain the spread of Covid on a day when the weeklong intensive lockdown began in Tamil Nadu from 4 am on Monday.

"People's unnecessary movement is the only reason for the present situation. Due to the complete lockdown with concessions, the infection had come down a little bit but did not come under control. So, lockdown without concessions can alone contain this infection completely.

"This is the only way for everyone in the state and the people should understand this. Please don't come out except for medical needs. The complete lockdown is a bitter medicine but people have to take it. Please adhere to the guidelines issued for preventing Corona. I make this appeal not only as a Chief Minister but also as your brother," Stalin said in a video message.

The CM pointed out that the intensified lockdown is only being enforced to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission since many had loitered around using the concessions granted earlier for getting essential requirements.

"Corona is not spreading on its own but through humans. So, all of you have to take a vow not to spread this infection or to infect others," he added.

Elaborating further, the Chief Minister said the number of people being affected by this infection has reached alarming proportions. The daily new cases have exceeded 35000 at a time when states smaller than Tamil Nadu that had touched 50000 new cases per day are now seeing a fall, he noted.

The Chief Minister said within two weeks of assuming office, the DMK government had begun implementing numerous welfare schemes for the people of the State - Rs 4000 each for rice cardholders, free bus travel for women, reduction of Aavin milk price by Rs 3, payment of compensation for the families of those killed in the police firing against anti-Sterlite protestors, implementation of the scheme for resolving public grievances within 100 days of assuming office and above all, numerous Corona prevention measures being implemented on a war-footing.

He also cited the appeal to the President to release the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case as a significant move.

Centre’s allocation of Covid vaccines is ‘somewhat disappointing’: Madras HC

Centre’s allocation of Covid vaccines is ‘somewhat disappointing’: Madras HC

During the hearing, a section of advocates told the court that the vaccination drive should be extended to other professions, classifying them as frontline workers.

Published: 25th May 2021 04:31 AM 

People waiting for their turn to get vaccinated at a special camp at Triplicane, in Chennai on Monday | R Satish Babu

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Central government on Monday informed the Madras High Court that about 216 crore vaccines will be available by the end of the year for every Indian to get inoculated. However, the court observed in its order that the planned allocation of Covid vaccines by the Central government to the State appears “somewhat disappointing”.

“Though the Centre maintains that the allocation is based on the population of a State, positivity rate prevailing in such State and other objective factors, the allocation to Tamil Nadu, as indicated in the Centre’s affidavit, may require to be revisited,” observed the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy.

Additional Solicitor General R Shankaranarayanan submitted that as per the Centre’s plan, 216 crore doses of the vaccine should be available by the end of the year for every Indian to be fully vaccinated. The bench recorded the submission and said, “There have been cases of mucormycosis in the State and the required drugs are in short supply. The Centre has indicated that measures have been put in place to manufacture the drugs immediately and in bulk upon reducing the quantum of production of other medicines for the moment.”

However, there is hope that vaccines would be available in greater numbers upon the various manufacturing units augmenting their production facilities, the court added. The court was also assured that the possible disruption due to Cyclone Yaas has been taken into consideration by the Centre considering the oxygen supply. During the hearing, a section of advocates told the court that the vaccination drive should be extended to other professions, classifying them as frontline workers.

The court then said, “Suggestions have been made that personnel involved in delivering food, the remaining police personnel, healthcare workers, and even advocates and judges who come in contact with litigants, should be earmarked for prioritised vaccination. It will be open to the State to take a considered decision in such regard.”

Villagers jump into river to evade shots

Villagers jump into river to evade shots

Arshad Afzaal Khan TNN

Ayodhya:25.05.2021

Even as people in many states are scrambling to get vaccinated, residents of a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district fled their homes and jumped into the river Saryu when a team of health officials reached there to carry out a vaccination campaign on Saturday evening .

Residents of Sisauda village later said they jumped into the river as a rumour had spread in the village that it was not a vaccine but a poisonous injection.

Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Rajiv Shukla said, “We reached the village with a medical team to vaccinate villagers. However, as soon as they saw us approaching, many of them ran away. When we tried to stop them, they jumped into the river.”

“We tried to sensitise them about the importance of the vaccine but they did not relent. We tried hard to allay their apprehensions, but only 14 people got themselves inoculated,” he said.

Residents of Sisauda village in Uttar Pradesh said they jumped into the river as a rumour had spread that it was not a vaccine but a poisonous injection. Officials tried to convince the villagers, but only 14 people got inoculated

Horse’s funeral gets K’taka village sealed

Horse’s funeral gets K’taka village sealed

Shreyas HS & Basavaraj Meeshi TNN

Belagavi:25.05.2021 

An entire village in Gokak taluk here has been sealed for 14 days after hundreds of people participated in the funeral of a horse belonging to a mutt and believed to be the local “guardian deity” against Covid-19. The 24-year-old horse died on Sunday, three days after it was let loose to roam the village “to ward off the ongoing second wave of Covid-19” and “future scourges too”.

The district police have registered a case as villagers thronged the funeral in violation of masking and distancing norms, and videos of the procession went viral. Taluk health officer Muttanna Koppad said directives have been issued to conduct 450 tests. So far, 25 villagers have undergone rapid antigen tests and all tested negative. RT-PCR tests will be conducted only on those showing Covidlike symptoms, he added.

On May 19, the horse was brought to Maradi village from the mutt on the request of residents who believe its presence will ward off all evil and plagues, including Covid. During the first wave too, the horse was made to wander in Maradi and villagers said not one person was infected in a population of about 1,200.

The horse was let loose from the mutt on the intervening night of May 19-20 after a puja and it returned around 3pm on Thursday after roaming the village. It was found dead in its shed on Sunday. Mutt authorities said the horse may have died of old age.

As news of the horse’s death spread, villagers began to gather at the mutt. They told police that the death of the “guardian deity” has come as a shock and last rites must be performed as per tradition to pacify the gods. An FIR has been filed under sections of disaster management act and Karnataka Epidemic Act among others, SP Laxman Nimbargi told TOI.

Clarification

Clarification

25.05.2021

New Delhi 

The headline ‘Flu shots to kids before monsoon will curb Covid cases: Maha panel’ carried in some TOI editions on Monday was erroneous. The report does not suggest it. It focused on the Indian Academy of Paediatrics’s recommendation to give seasonal flu shots to children below 5 years and those with co-morbidities so that cases of children getting seriously sick or hospitalised with influenza would reduce. This would, in turn, help decongest hospitals, reduce the demand for RT-PCR tests and free up beds should Covid cases see a rise. Influenza and Covid are caused by different viruses and there is no evidence to suggest that flu vaccine offers direct protection against Covid.