
Extortion gang busted, 3 arrested
New Delhi:
Delhi Police
's Crime Branch arrested three members of a notorious gang involved in extorting money from transporters and animal traders in the city's markets. The accused, identified as Ravinder Sharma (47), Pawan Kumar (56), and Mustaq Ali (50), were apprehended on June 11 after a thorough investigation.
Sharma was the first to be arrested, and based on his information, the other two accused were arrested. TNN
Follow more information on
Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here
. Get
real-time live updates
on rescue operations and check
full list of passengers onboard AI 171
.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
DNA tests identify 247 victims of Ahmedabad plane crash
A total of 247 victims of the horrific June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash have been identified through DNA tests so far and 232 bodies have been handed over to kin, officials said on Saturday. The Gatwick-bound Air India AI171 aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel complex in Ahmedabad's Meghani Nagar on June 12.(Bloomberg) The London-bound aircraft crashed into a hostel complex in Meghaninagar moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39 pm that day, killing 270 persons, including 241 on board. One passenger survived. Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition as the aircraft burst into flames or damaged on impact. "Till Saturday evening, 247 DNA samples have matched. Relatives of these deceased were contacted. So far, mortal remains of 232 victims have been handed over to families. The process is continuing," Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi said. The 247 victims who have been identified comprise 187 Indians, 52 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian, said Joshi. Of the 187 Indians, a total of 175 were on board the ill-fated aircraft, he said, adding they belong to areas in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Diu and Nagaland. The state government had earlier stated that samples of 250 victims, including persons on board the ill-fated flight as well as those killed on the ground, were collected for identification.


Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Indian Express
Wanted for over a decade, mastermind of multicrore real-estate fraud arrested from Maharashtra: Police
Wanted for over a decade, the alleged mastermind of a multicrore real estate fraud, who duped thousands of unsuspecting investors from Delhi with false promises of land ownership and high returns, was arrested on Wednesday, said police. In a week-long effort, a team of police officers resorted to disguises, carried out field-level verification, and coordinated with local informers to nab the accused, identified as Dattatray Ganpati Mohite, from Maharashtra's Raigad, said officers. A resident of Karjat in Maharashtra, Mohite has multiple cases of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy filed against him. He was declared a proclaimed offender (PO) in four major FIRs registered with the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and one at the Amar Colony police station in South Delhi. A cash reward of Rs 50,000 had also been announced on his arrest. 'The team worked tirelessly for over a week, disguising themselves as local contractors such as carpenters to gather actionable intelligence through multiple sources, supported by technical surveillance. Field-level verification and coordination with local informers revealed the presence of the top wanted criminal in Raigad district in Maharashtra, where he had been hiding to evade arrest for cheating and forgery cases,' said Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjay Sain. 'On June 18, after confirming the authenticity of the intelligence, a well-coordinated raid was conducted by the Cyber Cell team in Karjat. The team swiftly moved in and successfully apprehended the accused under Section 35(1)(D) of the BNSS,' he added. The investigation revealed that Mohite was the alleged mastermind behind a multi-crore real estate scam centering on a bogus housing scheme called Pragati Valley Project in the Karjat area of Navi Mumbai. With his firm, Pragati Land & Housing Corporation, and using over 70 fake estate agencies, he allegedly lured thousands of unsuspecting investors from Delhi with false promises of land ownership and high returns, said police. Using forged site plans, allotment letters, and misleading brochures, Mohite collected over Rs 20 crore from prospective buyers via cash and cheques. However, the project never existed, and the company abruptly ceased operations around 2010, with Mohite vanishing along with other directors. According to the police, none of the promised land parcels were ever owned or approved, and no regulatory permissions were secured. The so-called estate firms served only as booking fronts to facilitate the scam. All documents presented to investors were later found to be fake. After his arrest, Mohite was produced before the court in Raigad, where a transit remand was obtained. He will now be brought to Delhi for further legal proceedings related to cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, and conspiracy. Further investigation is underway to trace his co-accused, recover assets, and dismantle the wider network that supported his long run from the law, said police.
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
6 hours ago
- Business Standard
DGCA suspends 3 crew rostering heads, warns A-I of licence revocation
In its most serious action yet against Air India following the 12 June crash of flight AI171, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended three senior executives responsible for flight crew rostering and warned that the airline's licence to operate could be revoked if similar violations are detected in future audits or inspections. The regulator issued two documents — an order and a show cause notice — to the airline on Friday (20 June). The order sought the removal of key rostering officials after the DGCA found 'repeated and serious violations voluntarily disclosed by Air India concerning flight crew being scheduled and operated despite lapses in licensing, rest, and recency requirements'. Recency norms require that a pilot must have performed at least three take-offs and landings in the preceding 90 days to remain eligible to fly. The show cause notice was issued to Air India's Accountable Manager, who personally operated two international flights that exceeded the permitted flight duty time limit (FDTL) under existing regulations. FDTL are caps placed on how long a pilot or cabin crew member can be on active duty — including flying and pre/post-flight activities — in a single stretch. They are meant to prevent fatigue, which is a known contributor to human error in aviation. According to the first document issued (order), the violations by key crew rostering officials were discovered during a post-transition review after the airline shifted from the ARMS system to the CAE flight and crew management and rostering system. The DGCA said: 'The voluntary disclosures, while noted, point to systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability.' 'Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible for these operational lapses,' it added. The three officials named in the order — Choorah Singh (Divisional Vice-President), Pinky Mittal (Chief Manager — DOPS, Crew Scheduling), and Payal Arora (Crew Scheduling — Planning) — were found to have been 'involved in serious and repeated lapses including but not limited to unauthorised and non-compliant crew pairings, violation of mandatory licensing and recency norms, systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversight'. The DGCA directed Air India to remove the three from 'all roles and responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering' and place them in non-operational roles pending reforms. The airline must also initiate internal disciplinary proceedings and report the outcome 'within 10 days from the date of issue of this letter'. The regulator further warned: 'Any future violation of crew scheduling norms, licensing, or flight time limitations detected in any post-audit or inspection will attract strict enforcement action, including but not limited to penalties, licence suspension, or withdrawal of operator permissions as applicable.' Responding to the DGCA's notices, an Air India spokesperson told Business Standard: 'We acknowledge the regulator's directive and have implemented the order. In the interim, the company's Chief Operations Officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC). Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices.' In the second document issued (show cause notice), the DGCA said that during a spot check it was observed that the Accountable Manager operated two flights from Bengaluru to London — on 16 and 17 May — both of which 'exceeded the stipulated flight time limit of 10 hours', in violation of a specific rule issued by DGCA in 2019. The 2019 rule limits a pilot's flight duty period on long-haul international sectors to 10 hours to ensure adequate alertness and prevent over-fatigue. Flying beyond this limit without special authorisation or crew augmentation is considered a safety violation. The DGCA notice also cited a second violation, which specified the duties of the Accountable Manager, who is personally responsible for maintaining operational control and ensuring that the airline's internal systems are in full compliance with civil aviation regulations. In essence, the regulator held the executive accountable not just for the flight time breach but also for allowing a lapse in command responsibility over regulatory adherence. The DGCA has asked the Accountable Manager to explain within seven days why action should not be taken against him under aviation rules for the violations listed in the notice. It added that if no response is received in time, the matter will be decided unilaterally based on the available evidence. The enforcement action comes amid heightened scrutiny of Air India's internal systems after the crash of AI171 in Ahmedabad. The aircraft had 230 passengers and 12 flight crew members on board. All but one passenger perished in the crash. Moreover, 34 people on the ground also died as a result of the crash.