‘Helicopter’ worth $54,000 ‘stolen’ from India’s Uttar Pradesh? Defence ministry clarifies

A section of Indian media earlier reported that a dummy model of the Chinook helicopter prepared by the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the purpose of displaying it at the 2020 Defence Expo had now been reported stolen.

The exhibition was reportedly held in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state. News reports said the replica became a popular spot during the expo as people flocked to take selfies of the life-sized structure. After the exhibition concluded, the replica was left there and the local municipal corporation was entrusted with the task of maintaining it, as per reports.

Media reports claimed that the replica mysteriously vanished last year and It was still not clear who took away the replica and when. 

But now, Indian defence ministry has clarified that no such replica was installed at the defence expo by the DRDO and the news articles claiming otherwise are misleading.

“News circulating about a DRDO-installed Chinook Helicopter Model  at Lucknow during DefExpo 2020 missing, is misleading. Chinook is made by Boeing and DRDO has never installed any Helicopter Model at Lucknow anytime,” the defence ministry said in a statement on X.

Earlier it was reported that the municipal corporation had raised concerns about the structural integrity of the helicopter and decided to get rid of it. Later, Lucknow Municipal Corporation claimed the replica had been sent for repairs to their “Rubbish and Removable” workshop in Gomti Nagar.

But, the helicopter couldn’t be recovered from the workshop either, as per reports.

It was claimed that the replica was made from scrap materials and was worth INR 45 lakh.

(With inputs from agencies)