A 14-year-old Maldivian boy died on Saturday amid allegations that President Mohammed Muizzu denied permission for the use of an Indian Dornier aircraft that could have potentially saved his life, local media reported.

A Dornier aircraft, produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and provided by India, has been used extensively in the island nation for humanitarian purposes.

The teen, battling a combination of a brain tumour and a stroke, saw his family desperately seeking an air ambulance to airlift him from the remote island of Wilmington in Gaaf Alif Villingili to Maldive’s capital Male, where advanced medical care awaited, the report said. 

The tragedy began to unfold on Wednesday night when the child suffered a stroke, prompting his family to request an aerial transfer to the capital. However, their distress calls went unanswered until Thursday morning, when the country’s aviation authorities finally responded. The delay, reportedly lasting 16 crucial hours, sparked protests near the hospital in Gaaf Alif Villingili as the community voiced their anger over the delay.

The grief-stricken father, speaking to local media outlet Adhahu, lamented the lack of a prompt response, stating, “We called Island Aviation to get him to Male immediately after the stroke but they did not answer our calls. They answered the phone at 8:30 am on Thursday. The solution is to have an air ambulance for such cases.”

The subsequent transfer to Male, although accomplished, was overshadowed by the child’s rapidly deteriorating health. Upon arrival, the boy was immediately admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). 

Aasandha Company Limited, the company responsible for medical evacuations, issued a statement indicating that they had initiated the evacuation process promptly upon receiving the request. However, they cited a last-minute “technical glitch”, leading to a delay.

“It is with deep regret that we acknowledge the unfortunate passing of the patient involved in the emergency medical evacuation incident from GA Vilingili on January 18, 2024. The entire management and staff of Aasandha Company extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them, seeking solace in Allah (SWT) for the departed’s eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaus,” the company said in a statement. 

Media Statement: Regarding the Emergency Medical Evacuation Incident from GA Vilingili on January 18, 2024 pic.twitter.com/4weAjLEPPA

— Aasandha Company Ltd (@AasandhaLtd) January 20, 2024

Local Maldivian media reported protests outside the hospital where the child died. 

“People shouldn’t have to pay with their lives to satisfy the President’s animosity towards India,” Maldives MP Meekail Naseem posted on X. 

People shouldn’t have to pay with their lives to satisfy the President’s animosity towards India. https://t.co/PPOOKVXN7v

— Meekail Naseem 🎈 (@MickailNaseem) January 20, 2024

The incident comes against the backdrop of strained diplomatic relations between India and Maldives. 

The diplomatic tension between India and the Maldives has spiked in recent months, particularly after President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office in November last year. The new president has indicated a shift in foreign policy, signaling closer ties with China and a departure from the previous “India first” approach.

Bilateral ties between the two countries took another hit when a tweet by a Maldives minister, accused India of targeting the nation and claimed that India faces challenges in competing with Maldives in beach tourism. 

A manager of a luxury hotel in Goa has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife after she confronted her husband over his alleged extramarital affair.

29-year-old Gaurav Katiyar tried to cover the murder as an accident, claiming his wife drowned in the sea while he was away.

Gaurav Katiyar works as a manager at a luxury hotel operated by Marriott International in South Goa’s Colva.

Gaurav Katiyar, who is from Lucknow, married Diksha Gangwar about a year ago, but their relationship remained strained, officials said.

“Katiyar decided to kill his wife as she knew about his extramarital affair,” said news agency PTI quoting police sources.

Gaurav took his wife to the beach in South Goa for a stroll where he drowned her. “The incident occurred at around 3.45 pm on Friday at Cabo de Rama beach,” a police official said.

When some tourists saw him coming back to the beach alone, they grew suspicious and informed police.

They told police that they saw Gaurav and Diksha venturing into the waters, but when the man returned the woman was nowhere in sight.

Katiyar tried to pass it off as an accident, but a video shot by a tourist exposed his claims.

The video showed him walking back alone to the beach and then returning to the sea apparently to ensure whether his wife was dead.

“The woman’s body had injury marks, suggesting signs of struggle,” officials said.

Police said the man has been arrested and investigation is on.

Ahead of the grand consecration ceremony at Ayodhya, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has given the country the first ‘darshan’ or glimpse of the magnificent Ram Temple as seen from space using our own indigenous satellites.

The 2.7-acre Ram Temple site can be seen and an enlarged view of the same is also provided using the Indian Remote Sensing series of satellites. The under construction temple was captured on December 16 last year, just about a month ago. Since then, dense fog over Ayodhya has made it difficult to get a clear view.

In the satellite images, Dashrath Mahal and Sarayu River are clearly seen. The newly renovated Ayodhya railway station is also visible.

India currently has over 50 satellites in space, and some of them have a resolution of less than a metre. The image has been processed by the National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad, a part of the Indian space agency.

ISRO technologies have also been used at other stages of the temple’s construction. A big challenge in the grand project was to identify the exact location to place the idol of Lord Ram. The trust entrusted with building the temple wanted the idol to be placed in a 3 feet X 6 feet space where Lord Ram is believed to have been born.

Alok Sharma, International working President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, is closely involved with the Ram Temple project. He told NDTV that following the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992, 40 feet of debris covered the spot where Lord Ram is believed to have been born. This debris had to be removed and the location secured so that the new idol is exactly and precisely at that spot.

This was easier said than done because construction of the temple began nearly three decades after the demolition. Then, space technology came to the rescue.

To identify the exact spot, contractors for construction firm Larsen & Toubro used the most sophisticated Differential Global Positioning System (GPS)-based co-ordinates. The co-ordinates, precise to nearly 1-3 centimetres, were drawn up. They formed the basis for the placement of the statue in the temple’s garba griha or sanctum sanctorum.

The precision equipment used in these geographical instruments also incorporates precise location signals from India’s own ‘swadeshi GPS’ — the ISRO-made ‘Navigation with Indian Constellation’ or the NavIC satellite constellation.

ISRO chairman S Somanath told NDTV that five satellites of the NAvIC constellation are working, and the system is currently set for an upgrade.