By Saeed Khan, From Indo-Asian News Service

Ahmedabad, May 10 (IANS) A vegetable seller in an Uttar Pradesh village has developed a two-seater 'homemade helicopter', which if approved will be made available for just Rs.100,000, claims an association of innovators here.

According to the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), 24-year-old Mustakeem Ali from Ratool village in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, has made the helicopter with help from friends and other vegetable sellers.

The 3.5 metre craft, which weighs 200 kg, was made using parts from a tractor, scooter and auto rickshaw at a cost of Rs.100,000, Anil Gupta, an NIF official, told IANS.

After a hard day's work, Mustakeem would spend the evenings working on his model. He developed it after more than a thousand nights of labour, said Gupta.

However, on May 2 when he was about to test the copter, Mustakeem was arrested by Uttar Pradesh police for not having taken permission.

'He was made to sit in the police station for four hours and allowed to go only after the villagers requested that he be released. Police also wanted to seize his helicopter but the villagers didn't let them do so. They have kept the model safe,' said Gupta.

The Ahmedabad-based NIF learnt about the innovation from local news reports and sent a team to visit Mustakeem. It inspected the helicopter on Sunday.

Mustakeem, after completing his school studies, went to New Delhi and did a short-term Cabin Crew Course and a computer course. He got inspired to make a helicopter when he visited a trade fair in New Delhi's Pragati Maidan a few years ago, said Gupta.

He didn't get a job and began selling vegetables for a living.

NIF plans to approach the National Aerospace Laboratories in Bangalore for expert opinion on whether the helicopter is actually airworthy.

'The helicopter is made with crude technology,' said Gupta.

Mustakeem and his friend Arif cannot fly the helicopter as they don't have a pilot's licence, said Gupta.

The NIF plans to call professional pilots only after the Bangalore-based laboratory verifies the machine. A letter has already been dashed off to the laboratory, said Gupta.

Copyright Indo-Asian News Service