It was amid intense public scrutiny that Yakub Memon’s remains were flown back to Mumbai yesterday on an Indigo flight. However, if aviation sources are to be believed, the government had initially planned to bring the body back by private charter and had, in fact, already kept a plane waiting at Nagpur airport, only to change the plans at the last minute.
Top officials at the Nagpur airport claimed that the private charter had been booked by the government with the intent of flying back with a body. “The charter was supposed to fly back with a body. Before it took off from Mumbai, five of its seats were removed to clear space for the stretcher,” an official added.
Sources also claimed that that the government would pay the operator, Deccan Aviation, for the flying charges (approximately R3.5 lakh), even though the plane came back empty. A pilot close to the development told mid-day, “The nine-seater had not only been sent to fly Yakub’s body back, but it was funded by the state government.” Mumbai Airport sources said the VT-DAV aircraft took off for Nagpur at 5.30 am last morning, half an hour after the Supreme Court confirmed that Yakub would be hanged that day. Once at the Nagpur airport, however, the charter was held back till 10.45 am and was finally told to fly back with no body. “The charter was first supposed to depart at 8.30 am, but was then asked to wait till 9.30 am. It was only at 10.45 am that officials asked the flight operator to fly back to Mumbai empty,” said a senior official from Nagpur airport. Incidentally, the Indigo flight 6E 544 that carried Yakub’s body to Mumbai, took off from Nagpur airport around the same time, at 10.50 am.
31/07/15 Neha LM Tripathi/Nimesh Dave/Mid Day
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
Top officials at the Nagpur airport claimed that the private charter had been booked by the government with the intent of flying back with a body. “The charter was supposed to fly back with a body. Before it took off from Mumbai, five of its seats were removed to clear space for the stretcher,” an official added.
Sources also claimed that that the government would pay the operator, Deccan Aviation, for the flying charges (approximately R3.5 lakh), even though the plane came back empty. A pilot close to the development told mid-day, “The nine-seater had not only been sent to fly Yakub’s body back, but it was funded by the state government.” Mumbai Airport sources said the VT-DAV aircraft took off for Nagpur at 5.30 am last morning, half an hour after the Supreme Court confirmed that Yakub would be hanged that day. Once at the Nagpur airport, however, the charter was held back till 10.45 am and was finally told to fly back with no body. “The charter was first supposed to depart at 8.30 am, but was then asked to wait till 9.30 am. It was only at 10.45 am that officials asked the flight operator to fly back to Mumbai empty,” said a senior official from Nagpur airport. Incidentally, the Indigo flight 6E 544 that carried Yakub’s body to Mumbai, took off from Nagpur airport around the same time, at 10.50 am.
31/07/15 Neha LM Tripathi/Nimesh Dave/Mid Day
