NEW DELHI, Jan 22: A Lufthansa airliner violated a high-security no-fly zone over the Indian prime minister’s official residence two months ago, media reports said on Wednesday.

The violation took place in November, almost a year after India’s security cabinet put in place stringent restrictions on aircraft routes following the Sept 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.

Areas designated “no-fly zones” by India’s cabinet include the presidential palace and the premier’s residence.

The measure was put in place after the security cabinet vetted proposals — some from the armed forces — on what ought to be done to eliminate airborne threats, the Asian Age reported.

It and other newspapers said that on Nov 18 the Special Protection Group tasked with the premier’s security found Lufthansa’s Frankfurt-Delhi flight 760 had strayed about six nautical miles from its designated flight path, violating the no-fly zone.

The Hindustan Times said air traffic control immediately asked the cargo carrier to correct its path, which it did within one minute.

On landing, the German pilot was interrogated for three days, the newspaper said. He claimed the plane had strayed because of a faulty flight control system. The authorities were satisfied with his explanation and released him.

Newspapers highlighted the fact that had the plane been a rogue aircraft, nothing could have been done to prevent an attack on the prime minister’s residence as fighter aircraft would have taken 30 minutes to scramble.

They would also have needed the go-ahead from the country’s most senior leaders.

Unidentified defence ministry officials quoted by the Asian Age said the onus of taking corrective steps in such a situation was not on the armed forces as the “role of the forces” has not been clearly defined.

“Under existing provisions, the Air Force has no role at all concerning commercial aircraft violating the no-fly zone,” one official said.—AFP