Pilots suspend Yatra services after CRPF ‘beating’

Srinagar: Several Amarnath pilgrims including a six-member parliamentary delegation were stranded yesterday (Sunday) as helicopter operators suspended services to protest alleged ‘beating’ of a pilot by an officer of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force near Panjhtarni, meadow at a height of 3657 mtrs (12000 ft), several kilometers from cave.
Official sources said that the tussle started Sunday morning when a deputy commandant rank officer of CRPF alleged behaved badly with a pilot of Himalayanheli one of the two helicopter operators short-listed for pilgrimage of 2010 and 2011. The quarrel started over shifting of corpse of a pilgrim Sugna Devi (wife of Shiva Ram of Banglore), who died of cardiac arrest. The pilot expressed reservation in lifting the body citing rules following which the CRPF officer allegedly beat him. The pilots took reservation of the behavior of the CRPF officer and went on a strike. They said that both the operators Himalayanheli and Pawanhans suspended the service, leaving many pilgrims who availed the services, stranded near Panjtarni the last halt on the Yatra, 14 Km from Sheshnag.
05/07/10 Kashmirwatch.com

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jul 2010