US envoy shuns govt chopper, reaches Shamshabad

Hyderabad: The Kiran MK-II plane’s crash into a residential complex at Bowenpally here yesterday appears to have disrurbed US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer as he was one among those who witnessed it from close quarters _ from the Begumpet airbase.
The crash left Roemer and his team of security officials from the US so `worried’ that they chose not to board the helicopter arranged for them by the State Government, from the Begumpet airbase to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad! Sources present at the Begumpet airbase told Express that moments after the crash, a visibly shaken Roemer and his security officials, who were supposed to fly to the Shamshabad airport in a helicopter from the Begumpet airbase, had a quick discussion on what could have led to the Kiran MK-II crash.
Minutes later, the top officials of the US Consulate were informed that Roemer ``will not’’ fly in the helicopter and instead will travel by road.
The decision sent the police officials into a tizzy who began making hectic arrangements for vehicles for the US diplomat.
The US Ambassador, however, chose a bullet-proof Pajero belonging to the US Consulate to travel till Shamshabad while the local police arranged three more vehicles including a police escort to `covered’ the Pajero which crisscrossed the city till Shamshabad.
05/03/10 Vikram Sharma/ExpressBuzz

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Categories: Foreign Mar 2010, Safety Mar 2010