New Delhi:
The Ministry of Defence has asked the Indian Air Force to explain why it left behind an injured Chhattisgarh police constable and a damaged Mi-17 helicopter in the middle of the South Bastar jungles last Friday.
A Mi-17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was shot at and damaged when trying to evacuate an injured Chhattisgarh policeman. The Mi-17 helicopter was hit by over a dozen bullets. The helicopter maneuvered away and landed at a distance of about four kilometres from the designated pick-up zone. "The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is unhappy and has sought a detailed report from the IAF," a senior ministry official told NDTV.
Meanwhile, reports reaching New Delhi reveal shocking details. Not only did the IAF crew which included two GARUD Commandos leave behind a severely-injured radio operator of the helicopter (he belonged to the Chhattisgarh Police) but they also abandoned two Light Machine Guns (LMG) mounted on the helicopter.
Leaving behind functional weapons is considered to be a cardinal sin amongst any fighting force let alone a professional force like the Indian Air Force.
Weapons left behind run the risk of falling into enemy hands. Maoist guerrillas have armed themselves mostly with stolen or seized weapons from the Government armoury.
The pilot of the aircraft left behind his own service revolver.
The COBRA commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who later rushed in to secure the abandoned helicopter and rescue the injured radio operator recovered the weapons.
The IAF is used in anti-Maoist operations either to evacuate injured soldiers or to ferry supplies and men. The rules of engagement however allow the IAF to fire back in self-defence and all helicopters are therefore armed with medium guns; the crew in these operations carry personal weapons.
The IAF has commissioned a Court of Inquiry into the entire event, but officially, however, it said "Quick response and professional handling of helicopter, flying it away from the fire zone to a safer zone, averted major loss of life and equipment. The complete crew then assessed the threat situation and condition of the injured jawan and decided to seek immediate medical aid."
Sources also told NDTV that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has taken a grim view of the entire incident and is will be taking up the issue with the MoD and the IAF.