A pilgrimage to Badrinath turned into a tragedy for five friends from Karnataka when their helicopter crashed in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday, killing all six people on board, including Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) inspector Arun Salunke.
Salunke, 44, who hailed from Artal village in Athani taluk of Belagavi district, was travelling with four friends on a Char Dham pilgrimage when the helicopter went down in the Hathi Parvat area near Joshimath.
The other Karnataka victims were identified as H S Nataraj, 51, from Tumakuru; Prathapa Bachihally Ningaraju, 41, from Hassan; and Bengaluru-based advocates Sudheer K and V B Shankargowda. The pilot, Captain Himanshu Sabharwal, 48, was from Delhi.
The five friends had left Bengaluru around three days earlier. They were returning from Badrinath to the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun when the accident occurred.
Five friends shared a close bond and travelled together
The five Karnataka victims were part of a close-knit group that regularly travelled together, according to friends.
Mahesh, a cooperative society secretary in Tumakuru, said he had also been invited to join the pilgrimage but could not travel because of work commitments.
He said the group had left three days earlier and that he had spoken to Shankargowda on Thursday. The friends regularly shared photographs and updates during their trips, but had not posted any such updates during this journey.
Nataraj’s family was based in Huliyurdurga in Tumakuru district. He was associated with a poultry business, while his family also ran a community hall in the village. He is survived by two children.
Prathapa Bachihally Ningaraju hailed from Bachehalli village in Hassan district. After completing an ITI course, he moved to Bengaluru, worked with a contractor and later ventured into real estate. He was also associated with the Congress in Hassan.
Friends described him as someone who regularly helped people with marriage arrangements and medical needs.
Helicopter lost contact minutes after take-off
The helicopter, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation and bearing registration number VT-HCX, took off from Badrinath at approximately 1.14 p.m. on Friday, according to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority.
It lost communication while flying over the Joshimath valley, and its tracking system also stopped transmitting location signals.
An Army Signal Centre team spotted smoke rising from the Hathi Parvat area and observed the helicopter rapidly losing altitude.
The wreckage was subsequently located near Chai village in Chamoli district. Rescue teams recovered the remains of all six occupants.
Adverse weather, difficult terrain and the remote location complicated rescue operations.
The Uttarakhand government ordered an investigation into the crash, while the entire helicopter fleet operated by Trans Bharat Aviation was grounded as a precautionary measure.
The Karnataka government said the Chief Minister’s Office and the Relief Commissioner were coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities to facilitate the transportation of the victims’ mortal remains to the state.
The tragedy has also renewed concerns about helicopter safety during the Char Dham pilgrimage season, when aircraft are extensively used to transport pilgrims to high-altitude shrines in the Himalayan region.