A helicopter hired by Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal landed in a parking lot in Pune's Purandar area, a kilometre away from the assigned helipad, sparking panic among locals.
The incident comes just three months after the death of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, and has raised concerns about safety and systemic failures in the aviation sector.
Bhujbal, who was attending a programme to mark the 200th birth anniversary of social activist Jyotiba Phule, said the pilot had landed wrongly in the parking lot, but all on board were safe.
The pilot and crew have been summoned for questioning, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation will investigate the incident.
The Pune district police had prepared a helipad for the minister's arrival, but the crew ignored it and landed in the parking lot, causing a huge cloud of dust to rise.
