Jagan chopper issue: Pilot, co-pilot appear before police

Amaravati, April 16 (IANS) The pilot and co-pilot of a helicopter that was allegedly damaged during former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's visit to Sri Sathya Sai district last week appeared before police on Wednesday.

In response to the notices served by the police, Pilot Anil Kumar and co-pilot S. Jain appeared before the Deputy Superintendent of Police and Circle Inspector at C. K. Palli police station.

Elaborate security arrangements were made around the police station during their questioning.

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Jagan Mohan Reddy had reached Papireddypalli village by helicopter on April 8 to console the family of a leader, allegedly murdered by the cadres of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

The YSRCP workers broke through the barricades at the helipad to reach close to the helicopter, and in the commotion, the chopper's windshield was reportedly damaged.

The incident forced Jagan Mohan Reddy to return to Bengaluru by road.

The YSRCP alleged that there was a security lapse during the former chief minister's visit. It slammed the TDP-led coalition government for the "poor" security arrangements. It said Jagan had to return by road as the helicopter was unsafe after the damage to its windshield.

YSRC leaders have condemned the "negligence" of the state government in not ensuring adequate police presence at the helipad, though the former chief minister is a Z plus category protectee.

The police took up an investigation into the allegations and, as part of this, summoned both pilot and co-pilot for questioning. They were asked to explain how they flew back if the helicopter was risky for Jagan.

The pilot and co-pilot had also not informed police about the windshield damage.

The helicopter belongs to a private company based in Karnataka. The police had doubts about the claim that the helicopter's windshield was damaged.

--IANS

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