Deccan Cannot Be Blamed For Security Lapse - Gopinath

Shimla: Air Deccan has disowned any lapse on their part for the Prime Minister’s security breech, that occurred when one of their helicopters on election call with the congress party in Himachal landed close to the Air Force helicopters at Bilaspur, yesterday, at a time when the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was on board one of them.
“The pilot was asked by one of the congress leaders to land in Bilaspur and take him to Shimla at 1 p.m. The pilot filed the flight plan and obtained clearance from both ATC and Defence Ministry and landed at 1 p.m. He was not aware that the PM’s helicopter was still in Bilaspur and is not at fault,’ said Capt GR Gopinath, managing director Air Deccan.
Meanwhile the two pilots of the Air Deccan helicopter who were arrested for the security breech have been bailed out and the impounded helicopter has been released.
Bilaspur District police Chief Balbir Thakur said, “The pilots were released on a Rs 50,000 bail bond and an equal amount as surety bond. The helicopter was released on a Rs 2 crore security bond.”
18/12/07 Ravinder Makhaik/myHimachal

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Categories: Safety Dec 2007, Simplifly Deccan Dec 2007