Indian Authorities Offer a Cash Jackpot in Bid to Find Missing Military Plane
*When an AN‑32 military transport vanished near India’s northeastern border with China, the stakes got higher than you’d expect. On Saturday, the Indian Air Force and the Arunachal Pradesh state government rolled out a 550,000‑rupee (about S$10,000) bounty to coax local village chiefs into leading search teams on the ground.
Why the Big Reward?
- Missing Aircraft: The Soviet‑built plane disappeared from radar the previous Monday, carrying 13 people – eight crew and five military personnel.
- Extensive Search Routed Out: Satellite sweeps, radar checks and signal‑tracing attempts all failed to locate the turboprop.
- Local Talent Sought: The government believes village chiefs and their community know the terrain better than any high‑tech system.
Search Tactics
The team has kicked its efforts into high gear, deploying nine helicopters, fighter jets, and transport aircraft to scour the Mechuka jungle. Ground forces, including police, the army, the Indo‑Tibetan border police and local hunters, converged on the Siang district in a coordinated push.
Weather‑Woes
Rain and fog kept the hunt in stasis for a few days, but on Saturday, the revolution resumed with full force. Even bad weather couldn’t quench the determination—Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh vowed, “We’re sparing no effort in the search.”
The Human Angle
Families of the missing airmen sit in the city of Jorhat, anxiously awaiting any news. Amid the fieldwork and media chatter, Wing Commander Singh pressed, “We stand in support of the families in these difficult times.”
Reward Rarity on the Web
It’s uncommon for military accidents to spark cash incentives. The most notorious example was the $80‑million bounty awarded in 2014 for the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, which still remains elusive.
For the moment, the chase continues. Every drop of rain, every sharpened sonar ping, and every local story might bring the plane home— or at the very least, help its crew survivors feel a little less lonely in the forest of mystery.
