Air Marshal inspects chopper crash site, police register case

Coonoor (TN): Air Marshal Manavendra Singh inspected the site of chopper crash on Thursday, starting investigation into the mishap that killed Chief of Defence Staff, Bipin Rawat and 12 others while the police registered a case and Tamil Nadu DGP, C Sylendra Babu held a review meeting here on the matter. Air Marshal Singh, inspected the site of crash near here along with officials and began a probe. The Nilgiris district police registered the FIR under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and ADSP Muthumanikam was appointed as the investigation officer, official sources said adding a probe is underway.

Explaining, state police sources in Chennai said the inquiry under CrPC (Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure) by police and revenue authorities in the Nilgiris district is in compliance of legalities for preparation of a summary report on the accident, casualties and damage if any.

Section 174 of CrPC relates to inquiry by police and revenue authorities on suicide, accident and so on. Police were using drone camera near the crash site as part of the investigation.

Director General of Police, C Sylendra Babu presided over a meeting here on the mishap and probe related to it.

Senior police and forensic officials participated in the high level meeting and so far 26 witnesses have been enquired, a police release said. Two minor accidents were reported when the bodies of the crash victims were being transported to Coimbatore, from where they would be flown to New Delhi.

In one of the incidents in Karamadai, on the outskirts of Coimbatore, an ambulance carrying the body of one of the deceased hit another moving in the front. As a result, the vehicle got stuck and the mortal remains were shifted to another ambulance to be taken to the Sulur Air base in the city for the onward journey to the national capital, officials said.

Earlier, a police vehicle, escorting the ambulances carrying the bodies, was involved in an accident near Barliar. A few policemen sustained minor injuries, they said. Meanwhile, shops, commercial establishments and hotels in Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris decided to down shutters on Friday, to pay homage and as a mark of respect to the crash victims.