Chaos and suspicion reigned at the Pune International Airport when a special aircraft belonging to the Sri Lankan defence forces made an emergency landing late on Wednesday evening citing technical problems.
Its cargo — eight horses from Pakistan and 13 personnel, including eight Sri Lankan soldiers, a Pakistani major and four horse handlers from Pakistan — caused a flutter and had intelligence agencies and the police swinging into action.
A team of personnel from the military intelligence, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the local police raced to the airport to record their statements.
The Colombo-bound Lockheed C-130 Hercules, which took off from Islamabad, made an unscheduled landing after it developed engine snag and oil leakage while passing over the city’s air space.
The horses and their Pakistani handlers have been stationed at the Pune Race Course near the airport while the snag is being rectified while the members of the Sri Lankan Armed forces have been kept at Balewadi.
According to sources, the horses were being sent from Islamabad to Colombo as part of a friendly exchange and are to be used at the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) for equestrian sport. In 2013, the Pakistan Army had gifted six horses to the island nation.
