Two held in Ambani chopper sabotage case

Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch on Sunday night arrested two employees of Air Works, in the Ambani chopper case. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria told a press conference here on Monday, that Uday Manohar Warekar, 32, and Balraj Ganpati Thevar, 38, both helpers at Air Works, were arrested for allegedly putting pebbles and soil in the gearbox of Anil Ambani’s chopper Bell 412.
He said an ongoing dispute between the management of the airline maintenance company and its employees union, Maharashtra General Kamgaar Mahasangh, was the cause behind the misdeed. He ruled out business rivalry between Air Works and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG).
The Ambani chopper case had taken a murky turn after an Air Works technician and key witness Bharat Borge died in a train accident.
Mr. Maria said that he was in no way involved in the tampering act. The Government Railway Police (GRP) are investigating Mr. Borge’s death. They suspect he is likely to have committed suicide.
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch has taken custody of Warekar and Thevar till May 15. Mr. Maria said there was a series of vandalism acts in the Air Works hangars. These included cases of firecracker explosions and an incident of brick throwing at an aircraft. Offences were registered in two such cases against the two helpers.
05/05/09 The Hindu

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Categories: Airports May 2009, Indian Aviation- In General May 2009, Safety May 2009