The Hindu : Front Page : Venkaiah Naidu's helicopter makes emergency landing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 30, 2005

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Front Page

Venkaiah Naidu's helicopter makes emergency landing

By Our Special Correspondent

PATNA, JAN. 29. The helicopter in which the former Bharatiya Janata Party chief, M. Venkaiah Naidu, was travelling made an emergency landing today in the remote, naxal-infested Pararia village under the Barachatti police station of Gaya district. The local people ferried him to safety. However, about a couple of hours later, the naxalites attacked the helicopter with petrol bombs and set it on fire. The pilot who stayed back was also rescued.

According to the Director-General of Police (DGP), Narain Mishra, the pilot made an emergency landing at 3 p.m. when he found that he was running short of fuel. Mr. Naidu was on his way from Ranchi to Barachatti to address a public meeting. There were four occupants — two pilots, Mr. Naidu and his personal secretary — in the helicopter.

Soon after landing at Pararia, 15 km away from Barachatti, Mr. Naidu established contact with police officials even as the locals cautioned him about the influence of the naxalites in the region. Mr. Naidu and his co-passengers were shifted out of the village on two-wheelers. The police later escorted them to the Barachatti police station from where he took the road route to Chauparan in Jharkhand.

The BJP general secretary, Arun Jaitley, charged that the police failed to provide security to either Mr. Naidu or the helicopter.

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