New Delhi: GVG Yugandhar, director general of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), who is in charge of the probe into the June 12 Ahmedabad Air India crash, has been provided CRPF’s ‘X’ security cover by the Centre. The crash killed over 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that had just taken off for Gatwick in London.
Union minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol had said at an NDTV event in Pune on Saturday that all angles, including sabotage, are being probed.
“It (plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investigation into it… It is being probed from all angles, including any possible sabotage,” the minister had said.
According to officials, Yugandhar’s security requirement was reviewed by intelligence agencies before a decision was taken. The former Indian Air Force (IAF) officer will now be escorted by at least two commandos across the country.
While the government is yet to issue a statement on the nature of the threat, some officials said that it is routine to provide protection during such a probe. This does not indicate that there is a strong possibility of sabotage. The AAIB chief can face threats from other quarters as well, they said.
The crash site has already been inspected by top officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), National Security Guard (NSG) and Gujarat’s Anti-Terror Squad (ATS). Till now, there has been no indication of sabotage, just as experts are at a loss on how both engines of the aircraft could have failed at the same time.
The team under Yugandhar includes an aviation medicine specialist, an ATC officer, and representatives from the US government’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is also likely to join the investigation. ICAO had requested the Indian government for one of its investigators to be present during the probe as an observer. India has granted permission.
