Copter meant for anti-Red operations misused by Raman Singh: DGCA

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Chhattisgarh used the helicopter services, meant for anti-Naxalite operations, to ferry VVIPs including chief minister Raman Singh.

In fact, by doing so, Singh endangered his own life as the pilots flying the helicopter breached the security norms, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found during a recent surprise check, sources said.

The DGCA has suspended the two pilots for violating flying safety norms related to helicopter engine and pre-flight medical tests.

The state government had signed a contract with King Rotors and Air Charter Pvt Ltd to hire a single-engine Bell 407 chopper meant to be used only for police action in Naxal areas.

 

However, in a surprise check by DGCA officials on October 8, it came to the light that the helicopters were used to ferry Singh within the state. The DGCA is yet to ascertain whether Singh had used the helicopter for private or official purposes. The aviation regulator has summoned the head of the state's civil aviation department and the helicopter company for furnishing more details, sources added.

It was also found that two pilots flew Singh in contravention of Ministry of Home Affairs and DGCA guidelines, DGCA sources said. It requires VVIPs, including CMs, to be flown only on twin-engine helicopters for safety reasons with twin engine accompanying two pilots. However, it was found that helicopter ferrying Singh only had a single engine, sources said.

The DGCA also observed that the pilots had forged the signature of the doctor to clear the pre-flight medical examination while operating flights on February 17 and 18. The chopper had flown on Nagpur-Aurangabad-Juhu (Mumbai) route on these days.

"When the doctor was contacted, he stated in writing that he hadn't signed the document and his signature was forged," said another DGCA official.