Andhra to ask CBI to probe sabotage angle in YSR copter crash

The Andhra Pradesh government today said it would ask CBI to probe the sabotage angle in the death of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a chopper crash in the wake of conspiracy theories surfacing over the incident.

The Andhra Pradesh government today said it would ask CBI to probe the sabotage angle in the death of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a chopper crash in the wake of conspiracy theories surfacing over the incident.

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"We have decided to ask the CBI to probe the conspiracy angle in view of the doubts raised over the incident," Home Minister P Sabita Reddy said in Hyderabad on Friday.

The last month's chopper crash that led to the death of the Congress leader is being probed by the CBI, Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and a two-member committee of experts formed by the state government.

The conspiracy theories came into circulation following reports in a section of the media. The reports questioned the air-worthiness of the 11-year-old Bell-430 helicopter that flew Reddy and four others.

It was also pointed out why the advanced Agasta-Westland chopper was not used and why the helicopter carrying the chief minister deviated from its original route.

Meanwhile, Opposition TDP said Rajasekhara Reddy's close friend KVP Ramachandra Rao should quit as head of the panel on public safety.