'Stolen' helicopter in Meerut sparks political controversy: Akhilesh Yadav hits out at Yogi Adityanath government

'Stolen' helicopter in Meerut sparks political controversy
13 Sep 2024

A police complaint about an alleged helicopter theft in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut has ignited a political firestorm.

The complaint was filed by Ravindra Singh, a pilot with SAR Aviation Service Private Limited, who claimed that his company's helicopter was disassembled and transported away by truck in May.

This incident quickly gained attention on social media, leading to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticizing the state's law and order situation.

Yadav criticizes law and order situation in UP
Political backlash

In a post on X, Yadav said, "Till now, criminals in Uttar Pradesh were only dismantling the BJP's law and order through killings, robberies, dacoity and rape but now, there is news of a helicopter being dismantled and taken away in a truck in Meerut."

"This is also a question of airport security. What has happened to the security there?" the former chief minister said in a post in Hindi.

Police clarify 'helicopter theft' as misunderstanding
Investigation results

The police quickly responded to the situation, stating that Singh's complaint was based on a misunderstanding.

Circle Officer Antariksh Jain clarified, "It was found that the helicopter in question was sold by Singh's company to another firm."

He added that the new owners transported the helicopter by truck on the day of the alleged theft and their actions were "within legal boundaries."

Allegations of assault and verbal abuse unproven
Unsubstantiated claims

Singh's allegations of assault and verbal abuse were also not substantiated during the investigation, according to Jain.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Meerut), Vipin Tanda, had earlier suggested that the incident was not a theft but a dispute between two partners of the aviation company.

When contacted for comment, Captain GC Pandey, director of SAR Aviation Service Private Limited, expressed confusion over the situation and stated that Singh is no longer with their company.