Kin of deceased seek probe into paragliding mishap at Bir Billing

Our Correspondent

Palampur, November 24

Om Parkash, uncle of deceased Sandeep Chaudhry who was killed in paragliding mishap at Bir Billing on last Sunday, today demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of his nephew.

Talking to reporters at his residence in Mumta village near Nagrota Bagwan, Om Parkash said Sandeep was only son of his parents, who was serving in a multinational company in New Delhi. He said Sandeep had already flown in the tandem flights eight times in Bir Billing, adding that he died because of negligence of the pilot who was inexperienced. He wondered how the tourism department had granted a licence to untrained pilots. He also expressed doubt over the quality and standard of the paraglider which was being used by the pilot at the time of the mishap.

He said he had already written a letter to the CM with a request that the state should ban paragliding in Bir Billing so that lives of innocent tourists could be saved.

Om Parkash said it was the first incident since paragliding was introduced in Bir Billing in 1990 that safety harness and body belts went loose in air killing a co-flier. He said many mishaps had taken place because of bad weather during solo flights but it never happened that a man lost his life because of loosening of his safety harness and multiple body belts.

Efforts to contact Raj Kumar, father of Sandeep, went in vain as he was under shock and refused to talk.

Questions raised

• Kin of deceased Sandeep Chaudhary questioned how the Tourism Department had granted licence to untrained pilots.
• They questioned the quality of the paraglider being used at the time of mishap.