Former Biju Janata Dal MP Baijayant Panda, who was accused of flying a helicopter at low height over the ecologically sensitive Chilika Lake, has been given a clean chit by the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation.
The DGCA found no violation of its rules and regulation. The Odisha police had requested the DGCA to conduct a technical probe into the case.
“The DGCA had investigated the complaint of dangerous flying by helicopter over the Chilika Lake. On investigation it was found that one helicopter belonging to Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Limited (IMFA) had flown non-stop cross-country from Bhubaneswar airport overflying Rajhans, Puri, Konark and finally landed at Garadpur. No other helicopter had flown over Rajhans on September 15 last,” says the report received by the Director of the Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar.
Report sent to police
The report has also been sent to the Odisha police. “Helicopter was airworthy and flight crew licences were current and have a reasonable experience on the type. No significant deviation in the flight plan timing and actual timing has been observed,” noted the report
“Based on the fact and evidence, it could not be established that a helicopter had flown dangerously below the assigned altitude or had landed at the Chilika Lake. There was no violation of DGCA rules and regulations observed,” it added.
Soon after the DGCA probe report, Mr. Panda took to Twitter, saying “total clean chit by DGCA on Odisha government’s cooked up case against me and my helicopter flying, and sealing a hangar at Biju Patnaik airport, Bhubaneswar, for the past 1.5 months, immobilising 3 choppers (including two against which there were no allegations whatsoever)!”
The former MP, who had been suspended from BJD, was facing a police investigation for flying at low height over the Chilika which allegedly disturbed aquatic fauna. The Puri district police had also seized his hangar at the Biju Patnaik airport where three helicopters belonging IMFA, his family-controlled company, were kept.