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2 Haryana ministers killed in copter crash

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 31

Om Prakash Jindal (Haryana Minister for Power, Printing and Stationery, noted industrialist and father of Navin Jindal, MP) and Surender Singh (Minister for Agriculture and Revenue, and son of senior Congress leader Bansi Lal) were killed and at least three others injured in a helicopter crash in the Gangoh area of the Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh today.

Official sources here said the crash occurred this afternoon. The helicopter owned by the the Jindal Group of Companies of O. P. Jindal was flying from Chandigarh to New Delhi when it crashed. Senior administration and police officials have rushed to the site of the accident.

A noted industrialist, O. P. Jindal was father of Kurukshetra MP Navin Jindal and had been elected to the Haryana Assembly for the third time. He had also been MP from Kurukshetra in 1996; chairman, Maharaja Agarsain Medical College, Agroha; chairman, N. C. Jindal Charitable Trust; and Patron Trustee of Agroha Vikas Trust. A book, Man of Steel, had been published on his life. Reports say that he will be creamated in Hisar tomorrow

Surender Singh was husband of Kiran Chaudhry, a prominent Congress leader in Delhi, and son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal. Surendea Singh's brother Ranbir Singh Mahendra is president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Surender Singh had returned to the Haryana Assembly after 22 years. He remained a member of the Assembly from 1977 to 1986, serving as Minister for Agriculture and Wildlife Preservation from 1982 to 1983. In 1986, he had entered the Rajya Sabha as member and, in 1996, he had been elected to the Lok Sabha.

Jindal, chairman of the Jindal Group of Companies, and Surender Singh were key players in Haryana's ruling Congress party.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Meerut Range) Rajkumar Vishwakarma said the helicopter had been carrying the pilot and four passengers. Two bodyguards of Jindal and Surender Singh, who were in the chopper, were in critical condition.

Haryana MLA Ved Goyal was also in the same chopper. The helicopter was piloted by Colonel P. S. Chauhan. No reliable information on their state of health is yet available, though reports say they were severely injured in the crash.

UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav asked state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan to visit the accident site.

In Mauritius, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed his condolences over the helicopter crash, and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has also expressed shock at the deaths.
(Inputs from agencies)