ADAG accuses rivals of targeting Anil

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) today alleged that business rivals might be behind an “attempt to murder” the industrialist by trying to sabotage his helicopter, even as the police questioned four employees of an aircraft maintenance company.

“The planned manner in which the pebbles and gravel were put in the filler cap at a height of 10 feet in the gear box and the gear box cap closed thereafter clearly shows that some persons, possible business rivals, are attempting to take the life of Anil Ambani, India’s second richest man with a net worth of $10.1 billion. This is clearly an attempt to murder,” Capt RN Joshi of the ADAG company, Reliance Transport and Travels, said in a complaint to Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and the Mumbai Police Commissioner, Hassan Gafoor. He requested an investigation by the crime branch.

Shortly after, Gafoor ordered the transfer of the case, lodged after a complaint by the aircraft maintenance company, Airworks India Ltd, to the crime branch.

In his complaint, Joshi, a senior pilot, said the entire incident would not have been possible “without active involvement and aid of the persons working for Airworks, without the permission or cooperation of whom no one could have had access to the said helicopter Bell-412,” which Anil was scheduled to fly this morning.

When contacted, Airworks Director Ravi Mennon said the company was aware of the matter and had informed the police and the client (the Anil Ambani group) and “we are fully cooperating with the authorities”.

Mennon, however, declined to comment on the allegations of involvement of Airworks, which maintains about 60 aircraft and choppers belonging to industrial houses, including Reliance Industries, SunTV, Bajaj, DLF and Essar.

The police had registered a case of mischief last night on a complaint by Airworks technician SR Surve under Section 440 of the IPC, which covers mischief committed after preparation and aimed at causing death or injury. The tampering of the helicopter that was parked along with about two dozen other flying machines in Santa Cruz under the supervision of Airworks was detected around 5pm on Thursday.

Anil was to fly along with his eight-nine top executives at 9.30am today to his office at the Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City in Navi Mumbai.

The Mumbai police, in June 2005, had given an elaborate security cover to Anil after intercepting some conversation indicating that his life could be in danger.

Ambani’s sole helicopter is expected to be flight-ready only after four-five days, after the technicians flush out the oil and clean the engine.

Joshi, in his complaint, said that some senior technician, who was preparing the helicopter for its flight today, noticed that the filler cap on the combining gear box at the top of the chopper did not appear to be in the correct position.

“When he opened the filler cap in order to refit correctly, he was shocked to notice that there were pebbles and gravel in the filler neck... This mischief could not have been noticed in a routine check,” he said.

The helicopter has two engines and it was clear that gravel and pebbles were put in a planned manner “with the assistance/guidance of somebody who has knowledge of helicopters because the helicopter could have easily taken off with the above material... But shortly after taking off, the pebbles would have entered into the gear box and would have caused mid-air loss of power,” he added.