Hyderabad: Though it is two months since the Rs 63 crore VIP chopper AgustaWestland was reduced to rubble at a major fire mishap at the Begumpet airport, Crime Investigation Department (CID) officials continue to drag their feet on the chief minister-ordered inquiry.
The state government-owned AgustaWestland, which hardly logged 1,000 hours, and six Cessna aircraft were gutted in the fire at a poorly maintained Nizam-era hangar of the AP Aviation Academy (APAA).
It is learnt that the delay in submitting the report could have some link to the state government's plan to claim insurance for the chopper. Already, the CID, in its investigation, came to a conclusion that "the fire is because of negligence of both the AP Aviation Academy and the AP Aviation Corporation (APAC), which owned the helicopter and used it to fly VIPs, including the chief minister".
18/02/13 Srinath Vudali/Times of India
