Andhra CM's chopper not airworthy

Hyderabad/New Delhi, Sep.2 (ANI): A controversial twist was introduced into the case of missing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajshekhar Reddy on Wednesday, when a private television channel revealed that the seven-seater Bell chopper that was carrying him to Chitoor, was not airworthy.

According to a Times Now report, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) certifcate shows that the chopper was last inspected two years ago. The certificate also describes the owner and operator of the chopper as being the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

The revelation comes as the Andhra Pradesh Government set up 14 teams, each consisting of eight members (112 personnel), to search for Reddy and the chopper in which he was traveling.

Local villagers have also been provided with torches and other equipment to help in the search of an area that is dominated by Naxals.

The State Government has also asked the Central Government to provide it with an unmanned aircraft and all-weather Fokker aircraft for the search operation in the Nanamalla and Seer Sailam forest ranges, where the chopper is believed to have made an emergency landing due to bad weather. At least seven choppers, including four from the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been pressed into the rescue operation.

The State Government has also said that it will be giving a fresh update on the situation at 7 p.m. (ANI)