DNA tests confirms human remains of missing Coast Guard air crew

The DNA tests carried on the human remains recovered from the sea bed have been proved to belong to the three crew members of the Indian Coast Guard's Dornier aircraft that plunged into the sea June 8, an official statement said on Sunday.

According to a defence statement issued here,it has been confirmed by the Tamil Nadu Forensic Lab that the human remains recovered from the sea bed belong to the missing crew members - Deputy Commandant Subhash Suresh, Deputy Commandant Vidyasagar and M.K.Soni.

Their families have been intimated about the confirmation obtained after the DNA tests, the statement said.

The Dornier aircraft with Vidyasagar (pilot), Suresh (co-pilot) and navigator/observer Soni went missing on the night of June 8 while returning to its base at Chennai airport after a surveillance sortie along the Tamil Nadu coast and Palk Bay.

After more than a month of search, human remains and wrist watches of the crew were recovered from the seabed.

The remains were sent for DNA analysis for identification purposes, with blood samples taken from their family members.