Missing Malaysian plane: India clears its passengers

Indian intelligence officials have cleared the five Indians on board the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, police here said today. The plane carrying 239 people, including five Indians, vanished from radar screens last Saturday one hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.

As new information emerged that the communication system in the missing aircraft was deliberately disabled and its transponder switched off before the plane veered from its path, police focused their probe on the crew, passengers and the ground staff and sought background checks of all people on board. "We are still awaiting reply from all agencies, especially intelligence reports from many countries. So far, Indian and Chinese authorities have cleared the list," police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said.

Khalid said they were awaiting for an acknowledgement from several countries contacted. He said the investigation will be conducted for hijacking and terrorist acts.

Prime Minister Najib Razak had said yesterday that investigators will refocus on the crew and passengers of the plane. Khalid said they will also probe the ground staff also. The list of passengers on board includes 154 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, 7 Indonesians, 6 Australians, 5 Indians, 4 Americans and 2 Canadians.

Indians, including three from one family, were identified as Chetna Kolekar, 55, Swanand Kolekar, 23, Vinod Kolekar, 59, Chandrika Sharma, 51, and Kranti Shirsatha, 44.