HUBBALLI: Hubballi Police Commissioner M N Nagaraj on Friday said the police investigation into the rough landing of the plane carrying Rahul Gandhi from New Delhi to Hubballi, will commence only after DGCA officials give their opinion. The police summoned the pilot and crew for inquiry but were not able to gather enough information as their answers were too technical. “We have requested DGCA to give an expert opinion and they may visit the airport at any time,” he said. DCP Renuka Sukumar told The New Indian Express that they have registered case against pilot Jagatsingh Yadav under Section 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 336( endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC and section 11 of Aircraft Act. One of the police officers told that they have summoned pilot and the crew to the station too and tried to gather details on the incident.
On Thursday, the Gokul Road police received a complaint in connection with alleged malfunctioning of special flight which was carrying AICC president Rahul Gandhi from New Delhi to Hubballi on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. KPCC general secretary Shakir Sanadi, son of former MP I G Sanadi is the complainant in this case. Shakir informed the police that he received an email from Koushal Vidhyarthi, a close aid of Gandhi that the aircraft system was tampered and he and other passengers including Rahul Gandhi experienced that the plane suddenly tilted heavily on the left side and the altitude dipped steeply with violent shuddering of the aircraft body at 10.45 am and he was advised to register a case in this regard. Sanadi demanded investigation into the matter.
“The plane suddenly tilted heavily on the left side and the altitude dipped steeply with violent shuddering of the aircraft body at 10.45 am, the weather was normal and not windy according to the passengers,” said the complaint. Sanadi told that the journey was not normal and the flight landed at airport in the third attempt.
Dip in the altitude is normal course of action
One of the police officers said the pilot has experience of 26 years in flying airplanes. He has clarified that flights sometimes take a dip in the altitude and it is a normal thing. There were a total of five passengers in the aircraft, including Rahul Gandhi, Kaushal Vidyarthi, Rahul Ravi, Rampreet, and Special Protection Group officer Rahul Gautam.