BY : Statesman

An IAF aircraft making sorties at a low altitude last night and the subsequent recovery of a parachute carrying a radio transmitter beside DVC’s Randiha barrage about five km from the Panagarh Air Force base created a panic in the area this morning.
Frightened at the two incidents, locals contacted district administration immediately and sought intervention apprehending a repetition of the Purulia arms dropping case which took place a few
years ago.
The police said early this morning local farmers informed them that a parachute carrying certain electronic devices had landed near the barrage on Damodar.
Earlier, the villagers had spotted an aircraft flying at a low altitude over 20 villages in Panagarh and Ausgram-2 block areas.
The IAF aircraft (No- K3078 W) which left Kalaikunda Air Force base made a forced landing at the Panagarh base at about 6.30 pm yesterday after its’ digital circuit went out of order. The aircraft was scheduled to fly to Mumbai, an official with the Air Base said. The aircraft left for its destination after necessary repairs at 11.22 am today, the police said.
The police said light blue transmitter bearing a label VAISULA Radiosonde (RS 80) was attached to a 75 feet long parachute. The parachute and the transmitter were seized by the police and were taken to the Budbud police station .
The district police contacted the meteorology department and superintendent of police, Burdwan, Mr Piyush Pandey said: “The meteorology department experts are expected to reach Budbud to help in proper identification of the transmitter and the parachute.” He added: “Such parachutes attached with digital devices is released by the department to help study of the atmospheric condition from time to time,” he said.
The Purulia arms drop case was an infamous incident in which unauthorised arms were dropped from an Antonov An-26 aircraft on 17 December, 1995. A Latvian aircraft dropped a large consignment of arms in Jhalda, Ghatanga, Belamu, Maramu villages of Purulia district on the night of 17 December. Several days later, when the plane re-entered Indian airspace, it was intercepted by the Indian Air Force MiG-21 and forced to land in Mumbai. The true motive of the operation remains shrouded in mystery and conjecture.