Kedarnath helicopter crash: Two Aryan aviation officials booked for culpable homicide

Dehradun: Two senior officials of Aryan Aviation Private Ltd, Kaushik Pathak and Vikas Tomar, have been booked for alleged negligence leading to a helicopter crash near Kedarnath that killed seven people, including a two-year-old and the pilot.

The incident took place on June 15, when the Bell 407 helicopter crashed in the forests of Gauri Mai Khark between Gaurikund and Triyuginarayan due to bad weather.

A case has been registered against the officials under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Section 10 of the Aircraft Act 1934.

The complaint alleges that the officials showed gross negligence by ignoring standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA).

The complaint states that the helicopter took off well before its allotted time slot of 6 AM to 7 AM despite poor visibility due to cloudy and foggy weather conditions. The crash was reported at around 5.30 am.

The officials allegedly failed to check the weather conditions before the helicopter took off, leading to the crash. The complaint alleges that the company managers knew that ignoring SOPs could cause loss of life and property.

The case is being investigated further, and the authorities will determine the extent of the officials' negligence and responsibility for the crash.

With inputs from PTI