Aska MP writes to Defence Minister to expedite search ops to

Newly elected Lok Sabha member from Aska Pramila Bisoyi has urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to expedite the search operations to trace the aircraft of the Indian Air Force that went missing with 13 people on board.

In a letter to the defence minister on Saturday, the first time MP said, Sunit Mohanty, a 28-year-old flight lieutenant, was among the eight crew members on board the AN-32 transport aircraft.

Mohanty belongs to Baliapalli in Kabisurya Nagara assembly segment under Aska parliamentary constituency.

"Mohanty belongs to my parliamentary constituency. His parents are quite disturbed following the incident. It is very painful to see their plight, she said.

"I appeal to you to expedite the search operations," Bisoyi said.

Meanwhile, newly elected MLA (Aska) Manjula Swain met the relatives of the missing IAF officer at Baliapalli village.

Search operations to trace the aircraft, which went missing on June 3, failed to yield any result so far, despite concerted efforts by various agencies.

The Russian-origin transport aircraft took off from Assam's Jorhat at 12.27 pm on Monday for the Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground in Shi-Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh. Its last contact with the ground control was at 1 pm.

Eight crew members and five passengers were on board the aircraft.