New Delhi: Former Kendrapara MP Baijayant Jay Panda Monday appeared before the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) here in connection with the case of flying a helicopter over the no-flying zone at Chilika Lake and attempting to land the chopper on the lake water.
Panda reached DGCA office at 3:00 pm in response to summons issued to him by the authorities, who quizzed him for around 30 minutes.
Later talking to the media, Panda refuted the charges labeled against him and called it a conspiracy to stop him from meeting people in the state.
“I was asked to submit documents related to flying timing and other details. I have submitted all the documents to the DGCA. Before me, many people have flown in that area but no action was taken against him. The complaint against me was changed five times and now I’m hoping that the DGCA will do justice to me.”
Notably, a case was registered against him with the Marine Police station in Puri for allegedly attempting to land his chopper on Chilika Lake, which is a no-flying eco-sensitive zone. The case was registered following a complaint by an official of Chilika Development Authority (CDA).
Police have seized his chopper and sealed the hangar where the R-44 helicopter, operated by Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA) Ltd and frequently used by Panda, was kept. September 17.
Panda was riding the chopper along with two passengers on the Bhubaneswar-Rajhans-Puri-Konark-Garadpur-Jagannathpur route, September 15.