Bird-hit grounds flight to Mumbai

Indore (PTI): Passengers of a Mumbai-bound Indian Airlines flight had a narrow escape on Saturday after the aircraft hit a bird at the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar airport here.

All the 38 passengers and crew of Flight 7133, which would have touched down in Bhopal before reaching Mumbai, are safe, said airport director J.W. Natal.

The aircraft hit an eagle when it was about to take off. The pilot applied emergency brakes, which resulted in bursting of a tyre, he said.

There was no damage to the engine of the aircraft, which was grounded.

The passengers resumed their journey in another Indian Airlines aircraft.

Jobs for kin of firing victims

Jaipur (PTI): The Rajasthan government has announced jobs for dependants of five persons who died in Monday’s police firing in a village near here.

The government, under pressure from Opposition parties, held a meeting to review the situation. Later, chief minister Vasundhara Raje said employment would be provided to a member of each of the five families, an official spokesperson said on Saturday.

The government had earlier announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh for the next of kin of those killed and Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 for the injured, depending on the nature of the injury.

Twenty-two persons were injured when police opened fire on agitating farmers demanding water.

Faced with an acute drinking water crisis, families from Sohella village had staged a sit-in on the Jaipur-Kota National Highway demanding more water from the Bishalpur dam to meet their daily needs.

But matters soon got out of hand as the protesters started stoning the police who had come to control the agitation.

Scribe shot by revellers

Muzaffarnagar (PTI): Revellers at a wedding party, who were firing in the air to celebrate, allegedly shot dead a journalist after he objected.

Police said M. Sagar, 28, a correspondent of the daily Shah Times, was working in his office late on Friday night when the party was going on downstairs. Irked by the objection, Devesh Sharma and Raj Bihari opened fire on him. Devesh, brother of Samajwadi Party leader Rakesh Sharma, is absconding while Raj has been arrested.

Rapist father

Muzaffarnagar (PTI): A man was arrested in Budhana town of the district on the charge of raping his daughter. He was arrested after the 13-year-old girl filed a complaint that she had been raped by her father, police said.

Jogi son notice

New Delhi (PTI): The CBI has served a notice on Amit Jogi, son of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi, to appear before it in connection with the murder of a state Nationalist Congress Party leader, Ram Avtar Jaggi. When Amit’s secretary refused to accept the notice, the CBI decided to paste it outside his house. But Ajit Jogi gave in writing that Amit, away for a wedding, would appear before the CBI on Monday.

Orissa schools

Bhubaneswar (PTI): The Orissa government has ordered another extension of summer holidays in all government and private schools because of heat waves. The schools will now reopen on June 27.

Baby crocodile

Madurai (PTI): A two-foot baby crocodile, which went missing from a forest department exhibition a few days ago, was found on Friday. It was hiding in the heap of tin sheets and logs stacked near the venue.

Cops suspended

Varanasi (PTI): Two constables of Uttar Pradesh police were suspended for not reporting for duty. Ramashankar Yadav and Vir Bahadur Singh had failed to turn up during chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s visit to Naugarh.

Dilli Haat, a two-day exposition showcasing the rich art and cultural tradition of India, began in London on Saturday. Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit inaugurated the show.