Farmer who discovered missing Navy copter in '91 yet to get reward from govt

Hassan: The death of India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Army officers in an IAF copter crash in Cunoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday brings back the memory of another tragedy of similar kind in 1991, albeit under different circumstances and reasons. Though the 1991 accident is long forgotten, the waiting of a farmer for the government reward for finding the debris of the missing copter is back in focus.

It was in July 1991, a Navy helicopter, carrying four men including a Colonel which had left Mangaluru for Bengaluru, but had not reached the destination.

A team of 45 Navy officers made an extensive search for the debris of the copter. But they failed to find it and gave up the operation. Then Union government announced a reward for those who found the missing chopper.

It was a mystery as to what happened to the copter between Bengaluru, a distance of more than 300 km, after taking off. However, some villagers in Sakaleshapura taluk had not given up hopes and searched for the chopper in Shiradi Ghat forests based on the location of the last conversation of the personnel aboard it.

H R Puttaswamy Gowda, a native of Vanaguru in Sakaleshapura taluk stumbled on the debris in Aramanebetta forest in 1992. The missing helicopter and skeletal remains of the four personnel along with a bag containing Navy records were found by Puttaswamy. Speaking to The Hans India on Sunday, Puttaswamy Gowda said that after an extensive search in the Western Ghat, he found the remains of the chopper and handed over the records to Navy officers. The then Sakaleshapura Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Atul Kumar Tiwari lauded Puttaswamy's efforts and gave him a cash prize of Rs 10,000.

In addition, the district administration promised to provide him a job and four acres of land. But the promise has never been kept by the government. Gowda, now 62 years, said that he was 31 at that time. "I am working as labourer in coffee estate and my son is visually handicapped and my wife keeps an indifferent health. If government gives the promised land before my death it would be much use for my family," the farmer said.

When contacted, Sakaleshapura tahsildar Jayakumar said that the land identified by Puttaswamy Gowda falls in the forest area. "We have sent the file to Hassan deputy commissioners for further action long back."