Leh

The Indian Army has ordered a formal investigation into a helicopter crash in the high-altitude Ladakh sector that injured a senior Army commander and two pilots earlier this week.

An Army Cheetah light helicopter crashed on May 20 while carrying Division Commander Major General Sachin Mehta and two pilots during a routine sortie in the strategically sensitive region.

All three occupants sustained injuries in the accident, officials said.

The Cheetah helicopter, widely used by the armed forces for logistics and reconnaissance operations in mountainous terrain, has long been under technical scrutiny because of the ageing fleet.

The Army has now instituted a Court of Inquiry to examine the technical, mechanical and environmental factors that may have led to the crash.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army on Friday dismissed as “fake and misleading” a viral press conference video circulating on social media, alleging that it was part of a propaganda campaign aimed at tarnishing the force’s image.

In a post on X, the Army said the individuals featured in the video — Chandu Chavan, Harendra Yadav and P Narender — had earlier been dismissed from service for indiscipline and unsoldierly conduct.

It added that another individual, Shankar Singh Gujjar, is a deserter and faces disciplinary proceedings in both military and civil courts.

“These individuals are deliberately spreading fake, malicious and misleading narratives on social media to divert attention from their own misconduct and dismissal from service,” the Army said, urging citizens to remain cautious about misinformation.

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The clarification came in response to a viral clip linked to a press conference addressed by Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party and Manoj Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal.