Two custom-made B777 aircraft, which will be used to fly Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top Indian dignitaries, are likely to be delivered by Boeing to Air India by September, senior officials said on Monday. In October last year, government officials had said that the delivery of these two planes, which are earmarked for VVIP travel only, would be done by July.
The National Security Guard, which protects some of the most 'vulnerable' VVIPs of the country, is set to shed its load in this theater and transfer some of these protectees to other paramilitary forces after an "in principle" nod by the union home ministry.
The allocated amount is substantially lower than the Rs 1,803.01 crore earmarked in 2023-24.
NSG commandos, who guard some of the most high-risk VVIPs in the country, are set to sharpen their skills in this domain with the elite force asking the Special Protection Group to audit its performance and share expertise in better securing its protectees.
Former President Pervez Musharraf will be given security cover of a VVIP as he faces serious threat, a government spokesman said today.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has sent invitations to 7,000 people, including 3,000 VVIPs, for the consecration.
Rediff.com's Rajesh Karkera captures the faces from Ayodhya.
Others named in the chargesheet include alleged European middlemen in the deal, Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke.
Ratan was extremely ethical in his dealings, which he brought to bear on the business house which he helmed, remembers Sailesh Kottary.
The dust has not yet settled on the public inconvenience and outcry over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country's premier health centre All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi for a routine check-up on August 24. But medical superintendent Dr DK Sharma insists "there was minimal inconvenience of a few minutes" in an interview to Rediff.com's Upasna Pandey.
The Central Bureau of Investigation will soon approach United Arab Emirates authorities seeking extradition of British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel James in connection with its probe in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat has been extended top category 'Z+' security cover with the commandos of CISF having been tasked with the job.
Pune police on Sunday confiscated a luxury car used by controversial probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Pooja Khedkar by allegedly installing a red beacon light on it illegally, an official said.
Gujarati popular dish kela methi nu shaak, mouth-watering chicken chettinad from Tamil Nadu, Punjab's dal makhani and Bengali dish Potol Dorma will be served at a private dinner hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee for visiting foreign dignitaries on Monday.
Hafeez Saeed claimed the presidency, prime minister's house, governor's house and chief minister's house in all provinces and ministers' enclaves should be declared a violation of the Islamic principle of social and economic justice
'Whoever is doing it (threats to airlines), they are actually carrying out a recce.' 'This is the manner in which terrorists strike.'
In an unprecedented move, defence ministry issues detailed chronology of action on both the background to the decision to buy and what action it took since the first reports of alleged corruption appeared in the media. Ajay Shukla reports
A highly sensitive book, which contains intricate details about the security details of VVIPs and vital installations, has disappeared.
The Ministry of Defence has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the allegations that kickbacks were paid to Indian middlemen in the Rs 3,700-crore deal to buy 12 high-security VVIP helicopters from Anglo-Italian company, AgustaWestland.
India on Wednesday cancelled its Rs 3,600 crore deal with Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland for the supply of 12 VVIP choppers to the Air Force in view of charges that kickbacks to the tune of Rs 360 crore had been paid in it.
The bribery scandal involving AgustaWestland's VVIP helicopter deal threatens to corner the Congress party and cast a shadow on India's latest $10 billion defence deal with Dassault for 126 Rafale fighter aircraft. Vicky Nanjappa reports
Nitin Gokhale, national security expert and founder BharatShakti.in, tells us what the controversy is all about.
Sixty-one per cent of the Mumbai's 46,000-strong police force has been assigned the job of protecting VIPs and VVIPs in the metropolis that has a population of over 1.25 crore, a whopping 1,184 per cent jump in deployment since 2007. In 2010, nearly 13,010 cops were assigned for VIPs and VVIPs protection duty while the number rose by 48 per cent to 19,349 the next year.
Swiss authorities have arrested Guido Ralph Haschke, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal, on charges of bribery, Italian media reported.
To be bought at a cost of over Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion), these jets will replace the two ageing Boeing 737-200 aircraft purchased in 1983 for VVIP travel, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Michel was arrested in the United Arab Emirates and extradited to India on December 4.
'You can see both being used in our textbooks already and that will continue in new textbooks'
After India scrapped a contract for procuring VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland, American firm Textron on Friday said it is ready to offer its unique V-22 Osprey helicopter to India for ferrying its dignitaries.
Two teams of the 11th Special Rangers Group, stand withdrawn from VVIP security duties and have been tasked to undertake counter-terror operations.
Along with Tyagi, his cousin Sanjiv alias Julie Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan were also arrested.
Former Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi was questioned by an Italian magistrate on Wednesday in connection with allegations that kickbacks to the tune of Rs 362 crore were paid in India to bag VVIP helicopter deal.
The documents related to the procurement of the AW-101 helicopters have revealed that the increase in number of seats for VVIPs from two to four and inclusion of the medical evacuation system for the choppers increased the cost of the project by around Rs 300 crore more, IAF sources said in New Delhi.
After an Italian court partially lifted the freeze and allowed India to encash bank guarantees worth Rs 1,818 crore deposited by AgustaWestland in the VVIP chopper deal, the defence ministry on Saturday said it will take "immediate steps" to fully recover the amount.
The central government is pursuing the allegations of bribery in a deal to procure VVIP helicopters from Augusta Westland, but no formal inquiry has been ordered into the case due to lack of "specific information" so far, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Monday.
From the grounds of the Ram Janmabhoomi, the Rampath, Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com captures scenes from the celebrations.
The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.
Air India's turnaround plan staggered over a period of 9 years.
Rediff.com takes you through the high profile guests at the New Delhi's Tihar Jail
Rediff.com takes you through the high profile guests at the New Delhi's Tihar Jail
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