E-Paper
Two Haryana ministers killed in chopper crash
Haryana Agriculture Minister and Bansi Lal's son Surender Singh, industrialist OP Jindal and the pilot were killed in the crash near Saharanpur in UP.
Haryana Agriculture Minister and Bansi Lal's son Surender Singh and noted industrialist and Power Minister OP Jindal were killed on the spot when the helicopter they were travelling crashed in a village, about 40 km from Saharanpur, in which the pilot also died.
Two persons - Ved Goyal, a relative of Jindal, and head constable Vinod Kumar - who were also on board the helicopter belonging to the Rs 10,000 crore Jindal conglomerate, were injured in the crash that occurred at around 12:30 pm in Menghi village.
The pilot, TS Chauhan, died on way to hospital. Goyal and Kumar have been admitted to a private hospital here.
The bodies of Surender Singh, 59, and Jindal, 75, were taken to the civil hospital here.
Jindal is survived by his wife, four sons and five daughters while Surender Singh is survived by his wife and former Deputy Speaker of Delhi Kiran Choudhry and a daughter.
Soon after hearing the news, Jindal's son and Lok Sabha MP Naveen Jindal rushed here. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda along with AICC general secretaries Janardhnan Dwivedi and Ashok Gehlot also flew in here.
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| File photos of Haryana ministers’ OP Jindal (left) and Surinder Singh who were killed in a helicopter crash near Saharanpur on Thursday. |
Senior Superintendent of Police SA Rizvi said the exact cause of the crash was not known, but it appeared that the engine of the helicopter stopped functioning.
Quoting villagers, Rizvi said they noticed fire in the helicopter just before it crashed.
Official sources in Chandigarh said the victims were going to Delhi from Chandigarh in a helicopter.
The cremation of Jindal and Surender Singh would take place on Friday in Hissar and Bhiwani.
UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav condoled the deaths and a two-minute silence was observed at the state Samajwadi Party Convention at Lucknow.
Both Surender Singh and Jindal were inducted into the Hooda Cabinet after the Congress returned to power in Haryana after nine years.
