The pilot and co-pilot of a helicopter belonging to Deccan Aviation were arrested on Monday for alleged breach of the Prime Minister's security when they landed the chopper at a helipad at Bilaspur when the Prime Minister was about to take off.
Police took the pilot Colonel K Mehta and co-pilot Colonel S M Sehgal into custody when they landed the helicopter for picking up Congress leader R K Dhawan even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was about to take off for Palampur to address an election rally, Additional Superintendent of Police Bimal Bupta said.
Singh had just completed an address to an election rally in Bilaspur.
The make-shift helipad already had three helicopters lined for the VVIP take off, sources said, adding that the Deccan Aviation crew virtually force-landed despite warnings from the ground staff.
The police said the helicopter was also seized after the crew allegedly misbehaved with security personnel. A case of breaching the prime minister's security has been lodged, they said.
Meanwhile, Deccan Aviation defended its pilot and claimed he had taken necessary clearance from authorities and was not told of Singh's movement at that time.
A spokesperson of the aviation company said the helicopter impounded by the police was cleared by the Air Traffic Control and Air Defence authorities at 1300 hours.
"The necessary clearance by ATC and the Air Defence had been taken," the spokesperson said.
However, on approaching Bilaspur, the helicopter landed "close to some IAF helicopter". "On landing, the pilot was told by the local police and Special Protection Group people that this helicopter had flown the Prime Minister to Bilaspur," the spokesperson said.
