Date:14/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/14/stories/2008111458750100.htm

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Mystery behind missing chopper ‘solved’

D. Chandra Bhaskar Rao

KHAMMAM: The skeletal remains of the crew members of the missing Bell 430 helicopter of Ran Air were traced reportedly in Pamunur hills, about 230 km from Khammam, on the Andhra Pradesh–Chhattisgarh border.

The chopper, carrying a crew of four, went missing on August 3 after it took off from Hyderabad on its way to Raipur. A tribal youth who claims to have spotted the remains near Karregutta area approached the police with the help of a registered medical practitioner and handed over identity cards of the four crew members on Thursday. He also staked his claim for the reward announced for first information on helicopter. The youth claimed to have spotted the skeletal remains of pilot V.P. Singh, co-pilot R.S. Gaur, engineer Santosh and technician Ashwani. Search parties had been despatched to the spot.