Chopper sabotage case: Borge's death not a suicide

Twenty days after his death, a senior police officer said on May 18 that there was no evidence to suggest that the Air Works technician, Bharat Borge, who first spotted pebbles in the helicopter of industrialist Anil Ambani, had committed suicide.

Based on the statements of witnesses in the case, Borge's death is being treated as an accident since the possibilities of murder and suicide have been ruled out, ACP (GRP) Prakash Sawant told PTI.

"However, investigations are still on," he said.

"We are not treating the case as a suicide since we have not found any indication that Borge planned to take his own life. He had even told his sister that he would visit his family in Satara on May 7," he said.

Text: PTI

Having examined the statements made by Borge to the Crime Branch and to other persons, there was no evidence to suggest that the technician planned to commit suicide or had indicated it to anyone, he said.

Borge, whom the Crime Branch had subsequently given a clean chit, was run over by a train near suburban Andheri on April 28 while he was crossing the tracks.

A note was found from his pocket which said that he was innocent and had not put the pebbles in the helicopter and that the crime branch probe in the case was heading in the right direction.

"We have studied the note as part of our investigations as well, but there is nothing in it to suggest that he planned to take his life," Sawant said, adding that it also did not mention about a threat to his life from anyone.

The police, however, are still unable to explain why Borge was at the Vile Parle station instead of Santacruz, where he alighted daily on his way to work.

In the note, Borge had mentioned that some 'Reliance' employees had met him during investigations.

Three Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group employees, who were interrogated by the police, were not found to be innocent, he said.

Two Air Works technicians, Uday Warekar and Palraj Thevar, were arrested by the crime branch of the city police for allegedly putting pebbles and soil in the helicopter.

The duo was alleged to have put the pebbles due to a dispute with the management of the aviation works company.