Shimla: Pilot and a co-pilot of an Air Deccan helicopter that landed unannounced in Luhnu ground at Bilaspur where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had just addressed an election rally were today arrested for breech of security.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after having addressed the election gathering had boarded his helicopter and was ready to fly to Palampur where he was to address another gathering when the Air Deccan helicopter flew into the security zone and landed in the ground.
The Prime Ministers security along with the district police swung into action and impounded the intruding helicopter.
Pilot MS Seghal and co-pilot K Mehta were immediately arrested said Balbir Thakur the district police chief over phone. On questioning the duo said that they had come up to pick up a VIP from Bilaspur, he added.
The helicopter had not attained any permission from the district administration to land in Bilaspur, said Thakur. About the possibility of Air Traffic Controller (ATC) having allowed the chopper to fly in the zone, he said, the district administration does not have any such information.
The police has evoked section 11 of the 1934 Aircraft Act and section 336 of Indian Penal Code to proceed against the intruding helicopter, said Thakur.
Sources disclosed that the helicopter had come to pick up RK Dhawan, the congress campaign incharge for Himachal when the security breech occurred.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
