Shimla, Sep 11 (Inditop.com) The Punjab government Friday asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct a probe into the security breach that occurred on board Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s chartered helicopter when the pilot’s girlfriend travelled unauthorised as the co-pilot.
“It’s a serious breach of security of the VVIP. We have asked the DGCA to conduct a probe into the security breach by the private airline for unauthorisedly sending the co-pilot in the helicopter hired for Badal. She does not even hold a commercial helicopter pilot licence,” Harcharan Bains, media adviser to the chief minister, told reporters here.
Bains was here to attend the ‘Vichar Baithak’ (brainstorming session) of Punjab’s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal that began Friday.
The state government’s probe revealed that the chartered helicopter, which made an emergency landing in Ferozepur district Aug 30 with Sukhbir Singh Badal on board, had the pilot’s ‘girlfriend’ travelling as the co-pilot.
“We have also asked the DGCA to take action against the airline operator, if it is a case of breach of security of the VVIP. We will not even hesitate to take action against the pilot and the co-pilot if it’s under our (government’s) purview,” he added.
The Punjab government would also take up the issue with the civil aviation ministry as to how the DGCA gave permission to pilot Col Vishnu Rawal over telephone to fly back to Delhi within a few hours of the emergency landing, Bains said.
“We want to know whether it’s a technical snag or human failure (for emergency landing),” he said.
According to the Punjab government probe, the chopper had made an emergency landing in the fields after hitting a tree in Ferozepur district.
