A photo of Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Gurmeet Singh flying in an AW-139 helicopter to jail in Rohtak on Friday has become a topic of heated discussions on social media these days.
Critics slammed the state government for according a rape convict and self-proclaimed baba a VVIP treatment when his supporters burned Haryana, that killed 36 people.
Much later, another photo of PM Modi using the same helicopter surfaced online, where people said that the industrialist Gautam Adani was allegedly the common factor here.
In the photo, Modi is seen stepping out of the same AW-139 helicopter while his security personnel stood nearby. However, some social media users suspected this to be a photoshopped image to malign the PM.
A little research confirmed that PM Modi had indeed used the same helicopter in the past.
The aircraft, AW-139, is a VVIP configured 15-seater multi-engine helicopter, often used by A-list celebrities. While in Modi’s case, he may not have had to pay Adani, the average hourly cost of renting this helicopter varies between Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 lakh, say industry experts.
Still, it remains unclear whether the helicopter used by Gurmeet Singh was his own or he was simply using the one owned by Adani because of his close proximity to top BJP leaders, including PM Modi.
Singh has been convicted of raping two of his women followers, while his sentencing will take place on Monday.
