A major mishap was averted on Thursday as an IAF helicopter carrying CRPF personnel made an emergency landing at Naxal-infested Baguria in Galudih under Ghatshila sub-division of East Singh district.
The incident spread a sensation among local villagers. The chopper carrying CRPF personnel from Kalaikunda air base to Ranchi had to make the emergency landing as the chopper developed a snag just after the take-off. Baguria is the Naxal infested area where former sitting MP, and senior JMM leader Sunil Mahto was gunned down by Naxals on March 4 , 2007. The chopper landed at a field in Baguria, at about 8.30 am, and within half-an-hour another chopper came from Kalaikunda air-base carrying technical experts to mend the chopper.
As the pilot sensed emergency, he landed the chopper at Baguria and the CRPF personnel got down and soon took position sensing the area being Naxal infested zone which shares border with West Midnapore district. There were about a dozen CRPF jawan on the chopper.
“We were shocked to hear the noise of the helicopter. We all rushed to the spot where the chopper had made landing. We dared not to go close to it as there were armed personnel of the para-military force, CRPF, and also the officials of district police surrounding the venue where the helicopter landed,” said one of the villagers.
Another Baguria resident, Krishna Murmu said that from the very beginning he had been watching the scene.“We sensed the helicopter was making unusual sound like its wings will get dismantled anytime. I saw the chopper was hovering at a low level over Baguria and had made the emergency landing,” said Murmu.
“We were concerned because on Wednesday, the rebels had torched a uranium ore-laden dumper in adjoining Mosabani block. At a time when the rebels movement in Ghatshila is on, forced landing of any helicopter becomes a serious issue,” said the senior police officer. SP (Rural) Shailendra Kumar Srivastava admitted that the rebels are active in Ghatshila region and the administration was at toes when the IAF chopper landed at Baguria.