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Suspended airport officials return, never mind probe
The civil Aviation Ministry says the investigation into the near-collision between an air force helicopter and an Air India aircraft at the airport is still on, reports Soubhik Mitra.
The civil Aviation Ministry says the investigation into the near-collision between an air force helicopter and an Air India aircraft at the airport is still on.
Yet, two air traffic controllers who were taken off duty by investigators after the incident that occurred on February 9 are believed to have resumed work this week.
Airport sources, requesting anonymity because they lacked authorisation to talk to the media, said suspended radar controller Mandeep Singh and tower controller G Murli resumed duty on Tuesday.
The sources said the two were back barely five days after the ministry formed a joint investigation committee for a new inquiry, as it was not satisfied with the report of the first.
“We are glad that the two air traffic controllers came out of the inquiry without a blemish,” a senior air traffic controllers’ guild member said.
Air India pilot S.S. Kohli was given a clean chit a day after the near-miss with the helicopter, which was a part of the President’s convoy.
It leaves only the air force pilot in suspicion’s shadow, but the air force refused to say anything at this stage.
“No comment,” an air force spokesperson said. “The inquiry is not over yet. The next sitting of the committee is on March 3.”
Civil Aviation Ministry spokeswoman Maushumi Chakravarthy also refused to talk. “We have not received the joint committee report yet,” she said.
Chakravarthy did not explain how Singh and Murli were let off if the report was still awaited.
