Expired Licence Grounds Mamata Banerjee's Helicopter Before Bongaon Rally

Overview

• The assigned aircraft had not been used by the chief minister for nearly six months and passed a mandatory trial flight on Monday.
• Senior administrators issued a show-cause notice to the private operator over the regulatory failure.
• The Chief Minister’s Office sought a full explanation for why the licence expiry was neither detected nor communicated in advance.
• Banerjee traveled by road after being told at 10 a.m. the helicopter would not fly, arriving around 2 p.m. to address the rally.
• She alleged sabotage by the BJP, a claim not supported by independent evidence as the investigation proceeds.