Calcutta, April 8: The company carrying out the expansion of Mumbai airport moved Calcutta High Court today asking for permission to remove or dispose of the Russian cargo plane used to drop arms in Purulia in December 1995.

The lawyer for Mumbai International Airport Private Ltd said the plane had been there for 13 years, though “Peter Bleach, the British national and main accused in the arms drop, and his Latvian associates” have been allowed to return home. “As the plane was confiscated on the basis of a court order, it could not be removed,” said Milan Mukherjee.

The lawyer said work on the development of the airport was stalled because the aircraft was occupying a lot of space. “A private company has been entrusted with the development of the airport for which money has already been allotted by the civil aviation ministry.”

Graft charges

The government has withdrawn all charges against IPS officer Nazrul Islam against whom it started a vigilance probe in 2006. The enforcement branch IG was accused of owning property disproportionate to his income. “The government has been exposed,” he said.