Jayalalithaa orders Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia to kin of crashed Dornier crew

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today ordered ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of three Coast Guard personnel who were killed when a Dornier aircraft piloted by them crashed into sea off the state's coast two months ago.

"I have ordered an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to each of the families of the three officers," she said in a release here two days after Coast Guard officially confirmed the death of the three personnel following a DNA test of the human remains recovered last month from the crash site.

During a routine surveillance mission on June 8, the Dornier aircraft went missing with three deputy commandants -- Subhash Suresh, Vidyasagar and MK Soni -- on board off the coast in Cuddalore-Chidambaram region.

Personnel involved in more than a month-long intensive search operations named "Operation Talash" involving multiple State and Central agencies including a Naval Submarine recovered the plane's wreckage and human remains off Chidambaram coast in Cuddalore District last month.

Officially confirming the death of crew members, the Coast Guard had on August 8 said the DNA tests established that the recovered human remains were that of the three officers who went missing. Kin of the deputy commandants were apprised of the results, it had said.

Jayalalithaa said "my heart goes out to the families of the three young officers who lost their lives. I offer my deepest condolences to the families in their moment of grief."

She said "with great grief I learnt of the confirmation of the death of the three brave young officers of the Indian Coast Guard. They were killed while on duty."

The Coast Guard have been the partners of the Government of Tamil Nadu in guarding and protecting the coastal areas of the state, she said.

"Coast Guard personnel have helped in innumerable rescue and relief operations and saved the lives of several fishermen from the State," she said praising their service to the nation.