When Jayalalithaa government wanted  Poes Garden declared a ‘no flying zone’

Controversial decision: Days aft the incident, the Tamil Nadu authorities sent backmost a tiny contingent of the National Security Guard provided for the idiosyncratic information of Jayalalithaa, who was placed nether the Z class information protocol aft she assumed complaint arsenic the Chief Minister connected June 24, 1991. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives

In the summertime of 1993, the Tamil Nadu authorities came up with a unusual request for declaring Poes Garden, the posh southbound Chennai neighbourhood wherever Chief Minister Jayalalithaa lived, arsenic a “no flying zone”. The State besides sought the Centre’s assistance successful providing aerial information screen to her, including proviso of anti-aircraft instrumentality and manpower.

The authorities had claimed that astir 3 a.m. connected May 4, the men connected sentry work had sighted a low-noise glider-type aircraft, with nary lights, making 2 oregon 3 sorties implicit her ‘Veda Nilayam’ bungalow. The police, according to the government, had earlier been informed of a apt information menace to the Chief Minister from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by onslaught from microlite aircraft. The Sri Lankan Tamil militant outfit was banned successful India aft the assassination of erstwhile Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi astatine Sriperumbudur successful 1991.

Escape astatine Mamandur

Incidentally, the erstwhile month, 3 LTTE prisoners had escaped astatine Mamandur adjacent Chengalapattu portion being escorted from the Madras Central Jail (since demolished) to Pattukkottai. One of them, Kirupan, was the premier accused successful the gunning down of EPRLF person Padmanabha and 13 others successful Chennai successful June 1990. At that time, Jayalalithaa had sensationally alleged that the Central authorities agencies — the Research and Analysis Wing and the Intelligence Bureau — were aiding and abetting the LTTE to destruct her. She claimed to person had capable impervious to backmost her charge.

Following the alleged sighting of the glider-type aircraft, the Chief Secretary hurriedly convened a gathering with the Commander of the Indian Air Force Station astatine Tambaram, the Director-General of Police, and elder constabulary officers to sermon however to fortify the information for Jayalalithaa. The constabulary besides began checking with the civilian aviation authorities connected what could person been the flying object.

Reporting connected the government’s claim, The Hindu wrote: “Enquiries amusement that betwixt 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. connected Monday, determination was nary craft movement. At 4.15 a.m., a Russian cargo craft was cleared for formation and arsenic it took disconnected from the Pallavaram extremity for Bangalore, that craft could not person flown implicit the Poes Garden area. According to Madras airdrome sources, the Flying Club was closed connected Sunday and glider oregon grooming craft are not permitted to alert aft 8 p.m.” Sources successful the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had besides said immoderate craft oregon accepted flying entity implicit Madras could not flight their notice.

The contented echoed successful the Rajya Sabha, with BJP subordinate J.P. Mathur seeking an assurance from the Union authorities that Jayalalithaa would beryllium provided with foolproof security. Contending that the menace cognition could not beryllium taken lightly, helium urged the Centre to see bringing her nether the Special Protection Group (SPG) cover.

Although relations betwixt Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK and the Congress were strained, Congress MP V. Narayanasamy had said the menace to the Chief Minister was existent and the LTTE was equipped with blase machinery. Hence, it was the Centre’s work to concede her petition for further security. Another Congress MP S.S. Ahluwalia felt that it was the government’s motivation work to supply foolproof information to Jayalalithaa “as she was warring the LTTE”.

‘Murasoli’ Maran’s plea

Senior DMK MP ‘Murasoli’ Maran said that if the study connected the sighting of the “mysterious aircraft” was true, it was a superior matter. “However, helium wondered if it was not a governmental stunt and quoted the Director-General of Civil Aviation arsenic having stated that betwixt 2 a.m. and 4. 15 a.m. that time determination was nary craft flying implicit Madras. Mr. Maran wanted the Union Home Minister to marque a connection connected the contented and the authorities to nonstop the Defence authorities to investigate,” reported The Hindu.

According to a PTI study published successful this newspaper, during the treatment successful the Rajya Sabha, determination was immoderate disagreement among the members connected the LTTE’s capableness to motorboat an aerial weaponry attack. “Mr. Maran said blase IAF radars had discounted reports of immoderate flying enactment circular Ms. Jayalalitha’s residence. However, different members said that a microlight aircraft, which could beryllium assembled locally mounting a tiny motor connected an makeshift airframe, flew astatine treetop level and could not beryllium detected by immoderate radar. High-rises formed shadows implicit cities, rendering radars unsighted to detection of immoderate flying objects up to 30 metres,” it said.

NSG contingent sent back

Curiously, a fewer days later, the Tamil Nadu authorities sent backmost a tiny contingent of the National Security Guard (NSG), which was provided for the idiosyncratic information of Jayalalithaa, who was placed nether the Z class information protocol aft she assumed complaint arsenic the Chief Minister connected June 24, 1991. A study successful The Hindu said, “One cannot but nexus the increasing hostility betwixt the Tamil Nadu authorities and the Centre, since the break-up of the AIADMK-Congress alliance, to the determination to battalion disconnected the achromatic cats to Delhi, fixed the earlier ambivalence and prevarication by some the Centre and Tamil Nadu vis-à-vis NSG commandos.”

The notation to the “ambivalence and prevarication” was to an incidental successful July 1991 erstwhile the Union Home Secretary had informed the Chief Secretary that the NSG commandos provided for Jayalalithaa’s information would beryllium withdrawn connected July 15. Responding to this, Jayalalithaa informed the Assembly that she wanted the NSG screen lone till the Tamil Nadu constabulary were capable to bid a Special Security Group to the exacting standards of the achromatic feline commandos.

Published - May 13, 2025 10:21 p.m. IST