Uttarakhand helicopter crash | 2 from Bijnor family among the dead: ‘It’s sheer negligence’

Vinod Devi’s husband, Dharampal Singh, who was on another chopper, said: “We were scheduled to take the helicopter from Kedarnath yesterday (Saturday), but due to bad weather, the authorities decided not to operate flights. On Sunday morning, the authorities rescheduled our trip, and we were sent from Kedarnath in two shifts. In the first shift, I, along with (grandson) Ishan (15) and (Tripti’s 13-year-old brother) Goransh, was sent. In the second shift, my wife and Trishti were scheduled to go.”

Singh, a lawyer, said the crash could have been triggered by bad weather in the morning and alleged negligence on the part of the authorities.

“I have been informed that similar incidents related to the helicopter service have taken place in the past. I demand a proper inquiry, taking into account similar incidents that have taken place in recent times, as there was clear negligence,” he added.

Early on Sunday morning, after receiving news of the helicopter crash, other family members also rushed to Uttarakhand.

Tejpal Singh, SHO of the Nagina police station in Bijnor, said that when the police reached the victims’ residence on Sunday morning, they were informed that the family had already left for Uttarakhand. He added that Trishti Singh had recently come to her maternal uncle’s house. Trishti’s parents live in another part of Bijnor district. The SHO added that they were collecting more information about the victims and their families.

Dharampal Singh said the family had planned a visit to Kedarnath a few days ago. Trishti Singh, who was pursuing a fashion design course at an institute in Delhi, reached Bijnor, and they left for the tour.

Trishti’s father, Atul Vikram, is also a practising lawyer and resides in Bijnor.