Conflict
Budgam chopper incident: Senior most officer of Srinagar Airbase removed, could face charges of culpable homicide
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has removed the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Srinagar Air Base, the senior-most officer of the base, for circumstances related to the crash of an Mi-17 helicopter near Srinagar on February 27 after it came under friendly fire, even as a Court-of-Inquiry (CoI) continues to investigate the matter.
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, IAF is considering whether or not it should slap criminal charges against those found lacking.
ALSO READ: What happened in a Budgam village when IAF aircraft crashed
“There will be no tolerance of lapses,” HT quoted a senior defence ministry official. Culpable homicide not amounting to murder is one of the charges that IAF is contemplating pressing against those found guilty by the CoI. “Unprecedented as it might be, IAF leadership is clear that such lapses are not repeated,” the official added.
The initial inquiries have revealed that the helicopter was downed by a surface-to-air missile of IAF which mistook the aircraft to be hostile.
All six airmen on board the helicopter were killed.
ALSO READ: Postscript: The Budgam boy’s crash calamity
The AOC has been removed because the incident happened on his watch.
The Mi-17 helicopter — one of the sturdiest in its category — under the command of squadron leader Siddarth Vashistha took off from Srinagar airbase at about 10 am. The air intrusion alert was sounded almost at the same time as Indian fighters took on Pakistani Air Force fighters over Nowshera. The helicopter crashed around 10.10am over Budgam.
