Ghatkopar flight crash: Kin of victims seek full compensation
MUMBAI: Six months after a plane that was on a test flight crashed in Ghatkopar, families of three of the people who died in the accident have alleged that they have been told if they did not sign a declaration releasing the companies that employed the deceased of any future claims, the outstanding salaries of the victims would not be released to them.
While officials from UY Aviation Private Limited, to whom the aircraft belonged, refused to comment, Indamer Aviation Private Limited, the firm responsible for the maintenance of the plane, did not reply despite repeated messages and calls. The crash on June 28 claimed five lives, that of two pilots, two aircraft maintenance engineers and a pedestrian. “My husband was not supposed to be on that flight because in his career spanning nine to 10 years, he has never been put on a test flight. It was all illegal. Now, I am been forced to sign a declaration saying if I take the compensation amount from them, they are free from any legal procedure concerned with the crash,” said Sunita Chaturvedi, wife of air technician Manish Panday.
Chaturvedi said despite repeated complaints to the police, no first information report (FIR) was being registered.
Brijesh Kumar, husband of assistant maintenance engineer Surbhi who was also killed in the crash, said they were being offered ₹10 lakh as compensation by Indamer Aviation, an amount that included her provident fund and gratuity. However, he said the actual amount along with Surbhi’s outstanding pay should have been around ₹25 lakh.