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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

AI’s Maharaja smiles joyfully

All 30 grounded aircrafts now fly Mumbai : Air India’s Maharaja is all pleased as punch at 80. After years of huge costs and efforts, the last of the grounded 30 aircraft – inherited by the Tata Group during the privatization in Jan. 2022 – is now resurrected fully and took to the skies gracefully on Monday.   The aircraft is the gleaming VT-ALL, a Boeing 777-300ER, that was gathering grime since February 2020, and becomes the final among the two-and-half dozen aircraft that have been revved...

AI’s Maharaja smiles joyfully

All 30 grounded aircrafts now fly Mumbai : Air India’s Maharaja is all pleased as punch at 80. After years of huge costs and efforts, the last of the grounded 30 aircraft – inherited by the Tata Group during the privatization in Jan. 2022 – is now resurrected fully and took to the skies gracefully on Monday.   The aircraft is the gleaming VT-ALL, a Boeing 777-300ER, that was gathering grime since February 2020, and becomes the final among the two-and-half dozen aircraft that have been revved up and revived in the past few years, AI official sources said.   It marked a symbolic milestone for Air India itself - founded in 1932 by the legendary Bharat Ratna J. R. R. Tata - which once ruled the roost and was India’s pride in the global skies.   Once renowned for its royal service with the iconic Maharaja welcoming fliers on board, in 1953 it was taken over by the government of India. After years of piling losses, ageing aircraft, decline in operations and standards – almost like a Maharaja turning a pauper - it returned to the Tata Group four years ago.   This time it was not just the aircraft, the brand and the deflated Maharaja coming into the large-hearted Tata Group stables, but a formidable challenge to ensure that the airline could regain its old glory and glitter. Of the total around 190 aircraft in its fleet were 30 – or 15 pc – that had been grounded and neglected for years.   At that time, the late Ratan N. Tata had directed that all these valuable aircraft must be revived as far as possible and join the fleet. Accordingly, the VT-ALL, languishing at Nagpur for nearly five years, was ‘hospitalized’ at the Air India Engineering Service Ltd., its MRO facility in May 2025.   New Avatar Then started a thorough, painstaking nose-to-tail restoration of an unprecedented scale, in which over 3000 critical components were replaced, over 4,000 maintenance tasks executed, besides key structural upgrades like the longeron modification, engines, auxiliary power units, avionics, hydraulics, landing gears and almost every vital system was rebuilt or replaced.   After the repairs, the old aircraft was reborn, under the gaze of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and technical assistance from Boeing, and the new ‘avatar’ jetliner emerged with the highest global safety standards.   The aircraft cleared all the rigorous checks, a successful test flight, earned the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate and then made its maiden commercial flight from Monday, March 16 – after a wait of six years.   Sturdy Fliers Created in 1946 to become an instant global icon, the Air India’s mascot Maharaja now sports a youthful and chic look, a welcome with folded hands, closed eyes, featuring a bejewelled turban, stylish jootis, and a textured kurta in Air India’s new colours. He is prominently visible at various touch-points in a flyer’s journey, such as First Class, exclusive lounges, and luxury products.   Today, he commands a mix fleet of around 190 narrow and wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft like : A319, A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo, A350-900 and B787-8, B787-9, B7770200LR, B-777-300ER. With the merger of Vistara and agreements signed for 10 A350 and 90 A320 aircraft, the Maharaja’s fleet is slated to soar to some 570 in the near future.

Who is 17-year-old Nikita Casap charged with murdering his parents to fund plot to assassinate Trump?



Nikita Casap, a 17-year-old from Wisconsin, has been accused of killing his parents to get money for a plan to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump and overthrow the government, according to an unsealed federal warrant.


Last month, Casap was formally charged in Waukesha County with first-degree murder, theft, and other crimes related to the deaths of his mother, Tatiana Casap, and his stepfather, Donald Mayer, The Associated Press reported.


Police discovered the bodies of Tatiana (35) and Mayer (51) on February 28, after family members requested a welfare check. Mayer had missed work, and Nikita had been absent from school for nearly two weeks. Authorities believe the murders actually happened on February 11. Due to advanced decomposition, the victims were identified using dental records.


Casap is currently being held at the Waukesha County Jail on a $1 million bond and is expected to enter a plea in court next month. The federal allegations stem from an FBI warrant unsealed on Friday.


Who is Nikita Casap?

Nikita Casap, a high school student, faces nine felony charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of hiding a corpse, according to online court records.


Authorities claim Casap shot his parents at their home near Milwaukee and lived with their decaying bodies for weeks. He later fled with $14,000 in cash, passports, jewelry, and the family dog. Police arrested him in Kansas during a traffic stop and found a .357 Magnum revolver, $14,000 in $100 bills, more than $14,000 in jewelry, and the dog in his vehicle, CNN reported.


Federal investigators said Casap had bought a drone and explosives and shared his violent plans with others, including a Russian-speaking contact. His intentions were reportedly detailed in a three-page antisemitic manifesto where he praised Adolf Hitler.


The FBI’s federal warrant also included messages from TikTok and Telegram. According to the document:

“Casap appears to have written a manifest calling for the assassination of the President of the United States. He was in touch with other parties about his plan to kill the President and overthrow the government of the United States.”

It also stated:

“The killing of his parents appeared to be an effort to obtain the financial means and autonomy necessary to carrying out his plan.”

Federal charges against Casap include attempting to assassinate the president, conspiracy, and the use of weapons of mass destruction. Authorities also believe he planned to flee to Ukraine and shared this plan with the Russian speaker.


Extremist Beliefs

Casap’s phone reportedly contained materials linked to “The Order of Nine Angles,” a group described as holding neo-Nazi and racially motivated extremist views. Investigators also found images and messages about building bombs, terrorist attacks, and killing the president.


The manifesto included violent anti-government statements and admiration for Hitler. One part, according to the affidavit, said:

“As to why, specifically Trump, I think it’s pretty obvious. By getting rid of the president and perhaps the vice president, that is guaranteed to bring in some chaos.”

The document also featured slogans like:

“HAIL HITLER HAIL THE WHITE RACE HAIL VICTORY.”

Legal Defense

Casap’s public defender, Nicole Ostrowski, has asked the court to dismiss some of the charges, including theft, arguing that the prosecution has not fully laid out its case. “He is still in high school,” she said in court on March 12.

CNN also reported that a classmate told authorities Casap had discussed wanting to kill his parents but initially didn’t have a gun. He later said he would befriend someone with a weapon and steal it.


Nikita Casap is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on May 7.

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