Before CM's chopper travel, four cops take trial flight

Personnel of the VIP security, on Thursday, took a trial flight before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah travelled by it. This, to ensure that all is well, in the wake of the smoke scare, on January 10, in the chopper that Siddaramaiah was to board in Bengaluru before his departure for Mysuru.

The security personnel went on a test flight on the Bengaluru-Suttur-Doddaballapur-Bengaluru route, before the chief minister flew in the helicopter to Suttur in Nanjangud taluk of the district for the valedictory of the Suttur jatra.

According to sources, four policemen attached to the VIP security wing that provides protection to the chief minister on the move landed at the temporary helipad behind the Free Residential School at Suttur, from HAL Airport in Bengaluru, at around 9.50 am.

Within minutes, they travelled to Doddaballapur, where the chief minister was scheduled to participate in a programme later in the day. Around 10.50 am, the chief minister accompanied by PWD Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, Co-operation Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad travelled from Bengaluru to Suttur in the same chopper. Mahadevappa told reporters that all was fine on board.

After attending the valedictory of the jatra, Siddaramaiah preferred to travel to Mysuru by road to attend another function. Due to thin attendance at the venue, Siddaramaiah travelled to Kuppegala near his native village Siddaramanahundi. He later travelled to Doddaballapur by the helicopter from Hotel Lalith Mahal Palace helipad in Mysuru.