CM’s flight incident: Bidhannagar Commisionerate starts case

Bidhannagar Commissionerate started a suo motu case to investigate the reasons of why Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s flight was behaving dubiously in mid sky while returning from Patna to Kolkata recently.

Amid allegations that its aircraft carrying Mamata Banerjee was made to hover over Kolkata airport putting at the risk of passengers’ safety, IndiGo on Thursday shrugged off its responsibility saying that the plane was delayed due to congestion before making a normal landing and had adequate fuel.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha assured in Parliament that the DGCA will probe into how this flight to Kolkata where Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on was board, allegedly had low fuel. The minister’s statement came after the Trinamool Congress and other Opposition parties raised the issue in the House and alleged it was a conspiracy on part of Centre.

The state government instructed the Bidhannagar Commissionerate to start investigation without relying on DGCA’s probe. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA) police station, which looks after the cases inside the airport falls under the jurisdiction of Bidhannagar Commissionerate.

“We have started a suo moto case against IndiGo and authorities of NSCBI Airport, especially their Air Traffic Control,” said a senior Bidhannagar Commissionerate officer. “Since IndiGo and ATC were blaming each other, we prefer to attach both in the case,” the officer further added. “The details of the investigation cannot be shared at this stage,” he further said.

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy earlier alleged that an IndiGo flight from Patna to Kolkata, which he was travelling with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee onboard on Wednesday evening, was short on fuel as it circled over Kolkata airport for nearly half an hour. Roy alleged IndiGo flight 6E 0342, on landing at 8:45 pm in Kolkata, was surrounded by fire engines and ambulances.

On landing, the sight of airport ambulances and fire engines was worrying. Roy said. “While I was told that this was because the aircraft was low on fuel, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) is denying that the pilot had informed them about being low on fuel,” he added.

He also said the Patna-Kolkata flight took off from Bihar’s capital after an hour’s delay.

“Near Kolkata, the pilot announced that due to congestion, the flight will have to circle the airport and is eighth in queue for sequential landing. I was told on landing that the pilot had informed the ATC around 8:13 pm that the aircraft was low on fuel. Still the flight landed at 8.45 pm. Which means a flight with the Bengal Chief Minister on board was in air despite being low on fuel,” he said.

Meanwhile, a team of investigators reached NSCBIA police station on Saturday evening to check relevant documents.