The Hindu : Vijay Mallya, Sanjay Khan survive copter crash

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 28, 2003

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Vijay Mallya, Sanjay Khan survive copter crash

By Our Staff Correspondent

BIJAPUR JULY 27. The United Breweries group Chairman and MP, Vijay Mallya, actor-director, Sanjay Khan, and three others had a narrow escape when their helicopter crashed near Navanagar, the headquarters of Bagalkot district this afternoon.

The helicopter flew twice over the new township of Navanagar and fell on a slushy field from over 200 feet after a full somersault minutes before its scheduled landing at the helipad. Mr. Mallya, Mr. Khan, Tushita Patel, a journalist with The Asian Age, and pilot escaped with minor injuries. An NDTV cameraman, Jamit Tavlin, suffered fractures in his leg and was admitted to the District Hospital in Navanagar. Mr. Mallya and Mr. Khan were treated as out-patients at Dr. Kerodi Hospital in Bagalkot. Nothing abnormal was found in Mr. Mallya's x-ray, while Mr. Khan had a minor abrasion on the head.

Initially there were two versions about the accident: the helicopter developed a technical snag and that gutsy winds led to the crash. The local authorities have begun an inquiry.

Later the 50-year-old Mr. Mallya, who is the working president of the Janata Party, inaugurated the party's district unit office.

Mr. Mallya later told reporters that "it is a miraculous escape, indeed. Only God saved us".

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