Arunachal Pradesh Helicopter Crash: RPG “Brought Down” Army Helicopter? Militant Outfit Claims Responsibility

The Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), an illegal underground group, has taken credit for the crash of the Indian Army helicopter in Arunachal Pradesh on October 21.

In a statement, the RPF said that members of the Manipur Naga People’s Front and the RPF’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), used RPGs and mortars to “destroy” an Indian Army helicopter in Arunachal Pradesh.

“Two days ago, our cadres found the route of the Indian-made Rudra Advanced Light Helicopter, which was ambushed by the MNPF and the PLA at 10 a.m. As soon as the helicopter reached the target, our cadres fired RPGs and mortars and destroyed the war helicopter, killing the top officers,” the RPF said in a statement.

In its statement, the RPF also asked the union government to pull Indian armed forces out of the states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir.

The underground militant group has also warned that it will keep attacking Indian military troops if the government doesn’t pull them back.

This statement from the RPF is getting a lot of attention on social media right now.

Earlier, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) also took credit for the ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy in Manipur, which killed five Assam Rifles soldiers, including the 46 Assam Rifles commanding officer, his wife, and their 8-year-old son.

25/10/22 Defence Aviation Post

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After Smoke In Spicejet Cabin, Centre To "Strengthen" Aviation Watchdog

Mumbai: The civil aviation ministry will create a "substantial" number of posts at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to enhance its safety oversight function, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said.

Responding to a recent communication by Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, the civil aviation minister also said the DGCA has completed as many as 202 surveillance inspections in this fiscal so far.

Chaturvedi, in a letter to Mr Scindia, had on October 14 highlighted an incident of smoke inside the cabin of a SpiceJet's Goa-Hyderabad flight and sought necessary action to ensure airlines maintain the highest level of safety standards.

On October 12, SpiceJet's Bombardier Q400 aircraft operating its flight to Hyderabad from Goa had an emergency landing in Hyderabad after smoke filled up its cabin.

"...I have had the matter examined. Based on the preliminary investigation, evidence of engine oil was found in the engine bleed-off valve, which had led to oil entering the aircraft air-conditioning system resulting in smoke in the cabin," Mr Scindia said in his response to Chaturvedi on October 21.

The observations made by DGCA were communicated immediately to SpiceJet for rectification, the minister said, adding, "DGCA is keeping a close watch on the situation and shall take all appropriate action to avert any untoward incident." The ministry and DGCA place "highest importance on the safety of air operations" and have taken several proactive measures to enhance the safety of air operations and minimise air occurrences, Mr Scindia said in the communication.

He said that in addition to various steps, DGCA has further conducted 59 spot checks on SpiceJet aircraft, among others.

23/10/22 PTI/NDTV

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Indian Army chopper crash: Search operation launched to locate Black Box of ALH crashed helicopter

The ALH, carrying five Army personnel including two pilots, was on regular sorties when it crashed at 10:43 am on Friday (October 21). The bodies of four personnel were recovered on Friday evening from the crash site in a densely wooded mountainous area, while the fifth body was found the next day. Now, the Army has launched a search operation to find the Black Box of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) that crashed in Arunachal Pradesh. The Black Box is an instrument that records all flight information which could help ascertain the reason for the crash. Personnel of 21 Para (Special Force) from Jorhat in Assam, were airdropped at the crash site near Migging, around 35 kilometers from the border with China, on Saturday to recover the Black Box.

“The area is thickly wooded which is creating hindrances in searching for the Black Box,” an official said on Sunday. Prior to the crash, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) had received a mayday call from the pilots of the ALH suggesting a technical or mechanical failure, defense spokesperson Lt Col A S Walia said. 'Mayday' is the word used across the world to make a distress call over radio communication in case of emergency, usually on a ship or aircraft.

The Army headquarters ordered a Court of Inquiry to investigate the cause of the crash. According to officials, the weather was good for flying operations on Friday and the two pilots had a combined experience of flying for more than 1,800 hours. The Army helicopter, also known as HAL Rudra, had taken off from Likabali in the Lower Siang district.

23/10/22 PTI/ZeeNews

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Army Flags Clear Weather, SOS In Arunachal Chopper Crash That Killed 5

Guwahati: All Army personnel in the helicopter that crashed in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district on Friday are dead, sources confirmed after the fifth body was reportedly located today.

The Air Traffic Control (ATC) had received a 'may day' call right before the crash, suggesting a technical or mechanical failure, the Army said, adding that the weather was clear, and the pilots were experienced. However, the terrain is "extremely challenging" in terms of hills with steep gradients and thick jungle, the army said in a statement.

'May Day' call refers to a distress signal conveyed to an aircraft crew to the ATC or ground staff.

"The pilots had more than 600 combined flying hours on ALH-WSI and over 1800 service flying hours between them. The aircraft was inducted into service in June 2015," it said.

A court of enquiry has been set up to probe the crash.

An Indian Army Aviation Advance Light Helicopter (Weapon Systems Integrated) - ALH WSI based at Likabai in Assam had crashed near Migging village on Friday morning. Four bodies were recovered yesterday, and the Army has said it is trying to recover the fifth.

An Indian Army Aviation Advance Light Helicopter (Weapon Systems Integrated) - ALH WSI based at Likabali (Assam) crashed at general area Migging (South of Tuting in Arunachal Pradesh) at 1043 hours on 21 October 2022.

The site of the crash is not connected by any road, but aerial rescue teams were sent to the location.

Visuals showed part of the wreckage in flames.

The helicopter, carrying army personnel, was on a regular sortie after taking off from Likabali on Friday morning. The crash took place at 10.43 am. 

As there are no motorable roads leading to the village, except a hanging bridge, three joint teams of both army and the air force were engaged in the rescue op with one Mi-17 and two Dhruv helicopters. Local villagers were also said to be involved in the rescue work.

22/10/22 Ratnadip Choudhury/NDTV

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Tamil Nadu: Vegetable truck crashes into Trichy airport compound wall

Tiruchirappalli: A lorry loaded with vegetables collided with and broke the compound wall of the Trichy International Airport on Saturday.

The incident occured at the Trichy-Pudukottai highway when the lorry which was enroute from Hosur to Aranthangi, while attempting to overtake a truck in front of it lost control and rammed into the airport compound wall.

The incident took place at around 3.45 am today.

The police has identified the driver of the truck as Senthilkumar from Pudukottai.

The Central Industrial Security Personnel who were on security duty immediately informed Police and a crane was called to remove the lorry.

The Southern Traffic Investigation Police is investigating the matter.

Airport authorities put up a temporary enclosure at the damaged portion of the wall.

22/10/22 ANI/Print

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Mumbai-based pilot of helicopter that crashed in Uttarakhand cremated in Delhi

Mumbai: The Mumbai-based pilot of the helicopter, who was killed along with six pilgrims when his chopper crashed into a hill in Uttarakhand, was cremated in Delhi on Wednesday, his family member said.

Singh (57) was living in a posh housing society in the Andheri suburb of the metropolis and is survived by his wife Shireen Anandita and daughter Firoza Singh.

The ill-fated six-seater chopper - Bell 407 (VT-RPN) operated by the city-based Aryan Aviation - was ferrying pilgrims from Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi when it crashed into a hill due to poor visibility, bursting into flames on Tuesday

20/10/22 PTI

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Anand Mahindra responds after Twitter user tells him to watch 'Runway 34', says 'not my well-wisher'

New Delhi: Anand Mahindra, an industrialist, regularly updates his 9.8 million followers with motivational quotes and witty replies. Netizens eagerly await the gems from his wonder box and Mahindra did not disappoint this Thursday. The Chairman of the Mahindra Group wrote a hilarious reply to the user who asked him to watch 'Runway 34'.

Taking to Twitter, Mahindra was replying to a tweet of a media website that was representing a survey. "66% of pilots doze off in cockpit, reveals survey" reads the tweet. Mahindra took to Twitter and said "Great. Just what I needed to read before taking a flight"  However, a user responded to the tweet and wrote, "Sir you need to watch Runway 34 on the flight now". Using his wit and humour, Mahindra gave a hilarious reply and said, "Clearly you’re not my well-wisher"

Ajay Devgn's third directorial, Runway 34 enjoys an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Rakul Preet Singh, Boman Irani and Carry Minati. Runway 34, according to reports has not done great at the box office.

 Runway 34 is an engrossing film based on the true story of Jet Airways flight 9W 555 from Doha to Kochi. Because of the bad weather and low visibility, the pilot, in this case Vikrant, was forced to attempt a landing that could go either way. Ajay Devgn, Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, Rakul Preet Singh, Angira Dhar, and Aakanksha Singh star in the film. On April 29, it was released in theatres.

20/10/22 DNA

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India: Six people, including two pilots die in a helicopter crash in Kedarnath

In an unfortunate incident, six people, including two pilots were killed in a helicopter crash in North India's Uttarakhand on Tuesday. The helicopter was carrying pilgrims from the holy Hindu site of Kedarnath to Guptkashi.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the regulatory body for civil aviation in India said the accident might have occurred due to bad weather.

“A Bell 407 helicopter VT-RPN belonging to a Delhi based NSOP holder M/s Aryan Aviation has crashed on way from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, possibly due to bad weather. Total number of passengers six and one Pilot were on board," said DGCA, based on preliminary info. 

Prime Minister's Office released a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi where he paid his condolences.

"Anguished by the helicopter crash in Uttarakhand. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families: PM @narendramodi"

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M. Scindia took to Twitter to state the centre was in touch with the Uttarakhand government regarding the crash. 

"The helicopter crash in Kedarnath is extremely unfortunate. We are in touch with the State government to ascertain the magnitude of the loss and are constantly monitoring the situation," tweeted Scindia. 

18/10/22 WION

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SpiceJet passenger shares video of plane filled with smoke, alleges oxygen masks didn't deploy:

The video of SpiceJet's flight cabin filled with smoke has surfaced on the internet. The video allegedly shows the passengers sitting in a smoke-filled cabin of a Goa-Hyderabad flight that made an emergency landing in Hyderabad on October 14, 2022. The incident occurred with the airline's Q400 aircraft, and the passengers safely deboarded the flight using the plane's emergency exit. The aviation watchdog authority Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had ordered a probe into the incident. Earlier, there were allegations of airline staff not taking any action, which the new video seems to be confirming.

Finally, a video has emerged of the @flyspicejet flight where smoke filled the cabin.

And "airline staff forced us to delete videos and photos of the incident. They snatched my phone when I refused."

Via passenger @VivekVi97433075 @DGCAIndia @MoCA_GoI @FAANews @icao pic.twitter.com/f9hnVop5Zo

— Tarun Shukla (@shukla_tarun) October 16, 2022

A passenger shared the video on Twitter going by the name Vivek Vishal with the caption saying."SpiceJet risks people’s life, we were choking for 25 mins, and even oxygen masks didn’t deploy. Strict action should be taken against such a negligent airline." The passenger also tagged the Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditay Scindia and DGCA in his tweet.

The video shows the cabin of the SpiceJet flight filled with smoke while the alarms blare in the background can be heard. One of the crew members can be heard shouting at the top of her lungs though it is unclear what she is saying. Meanwhile, the passengers in the plane can be seen sitting with their heads down in the cabin filled with smoke. Along with the videos, the post also had two blurry pictures. 

Earlier, one of the passengers named Srikanth Mulupala, said on Twitter, "We were returning to Hyderabad from Goa.. suddenly there was smoke all around inside the plane starting from Nagpur to Hyderabad...It took 20 minutes from there, and all the passengers suffered and blacked out with fear. Luckily we landed alive and safely... But what if something happens, and who would be responsible, this happened clearly due to the negligence of the crew and respective department."

17/10/22 ZeeNews

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Indian airline denies crew asked passengers to ‘pray to god’ as cabin filled with smoke

An Indian airline has shot down claims that its crew had asked passengers to “pray to god” after smoke had filled the cabin and cockpit mid air in a “mortifying” experience.

Low-cost carried SpiceJet dubbed the claims to be “unfounded” after its flight from Goa to Hyderabad made a “full scale emergency landing”, diverting as many as 11 planes at the airport on Wednesday after smoke filled the cabin and cockpit.

A probe has been ordered by India’s federal aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), into flight SG 373, which had 86 passengers onboard.

“The plane landed safely and passengers disembarked through the emergency exit. One passenger sustained minor scratches on the feet while disembarking from the aircraft,” said a DGCA official.

SpiceJet told The Independent in a statement that “smoke was observed in the cabin during descent” but added that the incident was “misreported and sensationalised”.

A passenger on the flight, flying for the very first time, had told The Times of India, that they were asked to pray to god for their families and panicking passengers were screaming.

“They [the crew members] told us to pray to God... pray for our families... It was mortifying. Many of my co-passengers panicked and started shrieking,” said Srikanth M, who works at an IT company in Hyderabad.

But soon after the report was published, a SpiceJet spokesperson dismissed the claims in a statement to The Independent and said the crew had followed the complete standard of procedure (SoP) and stayed calm throughout the process.

“At no point in time did the crew make any announcement asking passengers to ‘pray to God’ and the recording of the CVR (CVR) proves the same,” the statement said.

“Unfounded remarks have been attributed to our crew, which is extremely unfortunate. The emphasis of the crew in such a situation is to guide passengers to safety and that is what they did,” the statement said.

Pictures and videos shared on social media showed passengers sitting in the smoke-filled cabin of the aircraft and clapping when the plane made a safe landing.

Mr Srikanth, who shared the videos on Twitter, said: “This should not be ignored... Must be taken necessary action.”

“It took 20 minutes from there and we all the passengers suffered and blacked out with fear. Luckily we landed alive and safely... But what if something happens and who would be responsible, this happened clearly due to the neglence of the crew and respective department,” the tweet added.

Mr Srikanth also alleged that the airline staff forced them to delete the photos and videos of the incident and tried to take his phone when he refused.

The airline spokesperson said they “advised the passengers against using their mobiles” as it is their duty during emergency evacuations.

16/10/22 Shweta Sharma/Independent

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Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air plane suffers bird strike, safely returns to Mumbai airport

For the first time, a Boeing aircraft of India's newest airline Akasa Air suffered a bird strike on its way to Bengaluru airport, forcing the plane to return to its origin airport. The plane landed at Mumbai Airport on Saturday, keeping the passengers safe. The incident occurred while the plane was completing its flight QP1103. Based on reports, the problem was noticed after a burning smell originated from the engine was noticed in the cabin of the plane. Taking note of the situation, the pilot took prompt action returning the passengers and the plane safely to Mumbai Airport.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is looking into the incident, the official said. The number of passengers on board the flight could not be immediately known. "The aircraft VT-YAE, operating Akasa Air flight from Mumbai for Bengaluru, was involved in air turnback due to the burning smell felt in the cabin. The smell increased as the thrust was increased," said the official. 

Akasa Air has issued a statement on the situation saying, "The aircraft was positioned for a detailed inspection and has now returned to service. Our customer service team assisted passengers and arrangements were made to accommodate their journeys. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused."

The DGCA official said, however, no other abnormality, including in engine parameters was observed. "After landing during the inspection, bird remains were found on engine number 1 of the aircraft," he said and added that "the burning smell was due to bird strike," he stated. Akasa Air started its operations on August 7 this year.

15/10/22 ZeeNews

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Aeroflot Boeing 777 flight from Moscow evacuated in Delhi after bomb threat

An Aeroflot Boeing 777 passenger plane carrying 400 people on board made an emergency landing at a Delhi airport following a suspected bomb threat, according to reports by Indian media.  

The incident took place late on October 13, 2022, when the 7.5-year-old Aeroflot Boeing 777-300ER [extended range, ed.-], registered RA-73144, was performing flight SU232 between Moscow, Russia, and Delhi, India. According to flight history found on Flightradar24.com, the plane took off from Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) at around 7.03 p.m. (UTC). There were 386 passengers and 14 crew members on board the flight.  

According to The Hindu BusinessLine, at 11 p.m. local time, the Central Industrial Security Force of India (CISF) received a warning letter claiming that “bombs [were] planted on board [the] Russian flight”.  

In response to the potential bomb threat, the aircraft’s flight crew performed an emergency landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). The plane touched down at the destination at 3.20 a.m. local time, more than five hours after take-off.  

Once the RA-73144 landed, passengers and crew members were immediately evacuated, a senior officer at the CISF confirmed to the media.  

The local authorities performed a detailed plane inspection, but fortunately the bomb threat appeared to be false.  

14/10/22 Gabriele Petrauskaite/Aerotime Hub

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Baby pilot? Shocking video from Surat airport shows child in pilot's seat of moving plane

Surat: A shocking video has emerged from the Surat airport in which a boy was seen sitting in the pilot's seat of a moving aircraft. The boy, not older than eight years, donned an aviation headset and had his hands on the steering wheel as the plane moved along the runway.

A little boy in Surat was seen sitting in the pilot's seat of a moving aircraft. He is seen wearing the aviation headset and holding the steering wheel. Aviation officials however were not happy with this video. Watch the video for more#dgca #aviation #surat pic.twitter.com/tUQ5jOfuvX

— Mirror Now (@MirrorNow) October 14, 2022

The Surat airport was identified as the location of the video after the terminal building of the airport located in the Gujarat city became visible in it as it panned out.

The wings of the plane also become visible for a short while. This confirmed that the child was inside the cockpit of a single-engine aircraft usually used for private journeys.

The boy in a white shirt and blue jeans was instructed what to do by the other pilot in the cabin while the video was shot by a third person from behind.

After the video went viral, aviation enthusiasts raised concerns about the security of aircraft at the airport. They claimed the incident to be a violation of aviation laws and demanded an investigation into the matter. A complaint has also been filed with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) demanding an inquiry into the incident.

14/10/22 Bechu S/Mirror Now

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Indian Navy's MiG 29K fighter jet crashes in Goa during sortie, pilot ejects safely

A MiG 29K on a routine sortie over the sea off Goa developed a technical malfunction while returning to base and crashed over the sea. The pilot ejected safely and has been recovered in a swift Search and Rescue Operation. A Board of Inquiry (BoI) has been ordered to investigate the cause of the incident. The pilot has recovered and is stable. "The twin-engine MiG-29K crashed over the sea after it developed a technical malfunction while returning to base. The pilot ejected safely and has been recovered in a swift search & rescue operation. He is reported to be in stable condition," Indian Navy stated

A MiG 29K on a routine sortie over sea off Goa developed a technical malfunction while returning to base. The pilot ejected safely & has been recovered in a swift SAR ops.

Pilot reported to be in stable condition.

13/10/22 Zee News

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Hyderabad-bound Spicejet flight makes emergency landing; smoke detected in cockpit

A SpiceJet flight from Goa to Hyderabad had to make an emergency landing at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. The SG 3735 flight's pilot observed smoke and informed the air traffic controller (ATC), who then informed the ground crew. The landing was successful on Wednesday night. The pilot discovered the smoke in the cockpit shortly before the flight's scheduled 11.30 p.m. landing in Hyderabad. The flight had departed from Goa at 9.55 p.m. Additionally, all 86 people on board the flight, which made an emergency landing, are safe. 

"There were 86 passengers on the flight. All are safe," a source at the airport told IANS. The incident reportedly sent panic among passengers and a female passenger was taken ill due to smoke. The emergency landing led to diversion of nine flights to other cities. Six domestic flights, two international flight and one cargo flight were diverted.

The airline has been under the radar of the Indian aviation watchdog authority DGCA for the malfunctions in its aircraft causing emergency landings. Earlier, Directorate General of Civil Aviation announced the extension of the restrictions on SpiceJet, and now the airline will continue to operate 50 percent of its departure until 29 October 2022.

13/10/22 ZeeNews

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Malfunction in Air India flight from Bhopal to Mumbai

Bhopal: An Air India flight from Bhopal to Mumbai crashed on Wednesday morning. Passengers landed due to engine failure before take off! After about 2 hours the flight fault was rectified.

Air India flight number AI 634 experienced a technical fault at Raja Bhoj Airport. According to information, the flight reached Bhopal at 8:00 am from Mumbai. After some time The Hai Udan was scheduled to return to Mumbai. The engine of the plane started making noise before taking off from Mumbai. For safety reasons, the crew stopped the aircraft on the apron. The company’s engineers asked passengers to remain in the security hold area until the plane’s fault was rectified. Passengers had to sit here until the fault was rectified. According to Air India’s local airport office, the plane’s fault has been fixed and passengers are being sent to Mumbai! According to the information received, 115 passengers were going to Mumbai from Bhopal in this flight.

12/10/22 Waali News

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AirAsia India plane's fairing panel found missing; DGCA orders probe

Aviation regulator DGCA is probing an incident where a fairing panel was found missing on the wing of an AirAsia plane that landed at the airport in Mumbai on Monday, according to a senior official. The aircraft, carrying 143 passengers, had landed from Bengaluru.

In aviation parlance, an aircraft fairing is a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline and reduce drag.

"AirAsia India flight i5-612 from Bengaluru to Mumbai reported a section of a fairing panel missing during post-flight inspection," the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.

The panel was not a load-bearing member of the aircraft structure, it added.

A senior DGCA official said the matter is being investigated by the regulator.

The airline also said necessary inspections were carried out. The panel has been replaced and the aircraft has been released for operations, it added.

11/10/22 PTI/Economic Times

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Army wives’ group writes to PM on helicopter crashes

New Delhi: Days after Lt Colonel Saurabh Yadav died in an Army aviation helicopter crash in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang, the Indian Army Wives’ Agitation Group has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, terming the Cheetah and Chetak series of copters “flying coffins”.

Lt Col Yadav was flying a Cheetah when it crashed on October 5. His co-pilot was injured. The Cheetah choppers are based on a 1950s design and several attempts to induct their replacement have failed to fructify over the past 15 years. These copters, weighing over 3.5 tonne, fall in the light utility helicopter (LUH) class. These are the lightest copters in the Army and IAF fleet.

08/10/22 Tribune

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Bird Hit At Ahmedabad Airport: Pigeon Racing, Untamed Problem For Authorities

While pigeons around Ahmedabad Airport can cause serious harm to passengers, it’s flight operations, and million-dollar aircraft, the authorities are still unsure about where to pin responsibility.

Ahmedabad recorded 35 bird-hits from January to September 2021. In 2019, 80 bird-hits were reported.

The issue appears to have been aggravated by pigeon-flying competitions known as ‘kabootarbazi’. Normally it is taking place all over the old city of Ahmedabad but the concentration of Kabootarbaz in reas like Asarwa, Meghaninagar, Sardarnagar, and Kubernagar is more. These areas lie near  Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

A meeting chaired by the state government’s additional chief secretary was called recently to bring down the number of bird hits. It was attended by state government officials, senior officials of the airport, and the AMC. However, no clear outcome emerged after the meeting.

The airport officials underlined that pigeon racing enhances the risk of bird hits. The airport authority maintained that the AMC should take steps to prohibit these competitions. However, the AMC declined to say it does not fall in its jurisdiction. Eventually, AMC officials and airport representatives decided to visit these areas jointly.

This is the first time when pigeon-flying competitions are mentioned as the bird-hit threat.

Many people are engaged in rearing pigeons and hold competitions in the area. The pigeon that flies for the longest time and lands last is declared the winner. These long pigeon flights endanger aircraft during take-off or landing.

08/10/22 Vibes of India

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India recalls Kanishka bombing to decry ‘Khalistan’ activity in Canada

New Delhi: Recalling the bombing of Air India’s Kanishka aircraft, India has expressed concern over the continuing activities of the banned “Sikhs for Justice” which is preparing for a second so-called referendum on Khalistan in Toronto.

A bomb planted in Canada had exploded while Air India’s Flight 182 “Kanishka” was mid- air on June 23, 1985, killing 329 passengers and crew. This included over 280 Canadian citizens, including 29 entire families and 86 children under the age of 12.

“These objectionable referendums... it is very unfortunate that these are being allowed in a friendly country. We have reiterated the same before as well. We have conveyed our concerns to the Canadian government at different levels,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at a media briefing. 

“We hope that these activities stop in future. India has issued an advisory as well that how anti-India activities are on a rise in Canada and how it is posing a risk to Indians. We must not forget Kanishka bombings. There have been links in the past. We have already banned the SFJ outfit,” he reminded.

The group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) is banned in India since 2019.

India had reacted sharply to the so-called referendum in Brampton last month by asking Indian nationals and students in Canada to remain vigilant amid increasing incidents of crimes and anti-India separatist activities in the country.

The statement had also complained that the perpetrators of these crimes have not been brought to justice so far in Canada. “In view of the increasing incidences of crimes as described above, Indian nationals and students from India in Canada and those proceeding to Canada for travel/education are advised to exercise due caution and remain vigilant,” the advisory had said.  

07/10/22 Tribune

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