Family demands Rs 5 crore compensation after doctor’s death in air ambulance crash; Urges impartial investigation into the incident

Ranchi: Over a month after an air ambulance crashed in Chatra district on Feb 23, killing all seven onboard including a doctor of Ranchi Sadar hospital, his family members on Sunday demanded a proper and impartial probe into the accident.

Dr Vikas Gupta’s father, Bajrangi Prasad, on Sunday demanded compensation of at least Rs 5 crore to look after his family, alleging the state govt has not assisted the family so far.

Gupta, 41, was attending to the patient, Sanjay Kumar, who was airlifted from Ranchi to Delhi for better treatment. The nearly 40-year-old aircraft, a Beechcraft C90 operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, crashed in the jungle near Simaria soon after take-off.

“After his death, the govt assured of providing compensation and standing by his family side in times of need. But over a month has passed since his death, no action has been taken. Vikas was the sole earning member of his family. It is difficult for his family to sustain themselves after his death. I request the govt to provide Rs 5 crore compensation and take responsibility for his eight-year-old son Mohul’s education,” Prasad said.

“As a farmer, I spent my entire life savings for Vikas’s education. Now, I don’t have the capacity to run the family by myself. I appeal to the govt to extend help as soon as possible,” he said.

Gupta, a native of Bihar’s Aurangabad district, completed his early education in the neighbouring state. After finishing his MBBS from SCB Medical College in Cuttack, he was appointed as a govt doctor in Jharkhand in 2013. For the past six years, Gupta was employed in Ranchi.

His elder brother, Subhash Kumar Gupta, appealed to the govt to expedite investigation into the accident and ensure strict punishment for the guilty.

“We are not yet sure what caused the accident. Everyone is presuming the accident occurred due to bad weather. But why was the aircraft allowed to fly in the first place? Families of the victims need answers to their questions,” Subhash said.