Ranchi, Feb. 24 -- In the rain shadow forests of Chatra, the charred remains of a Beechcraft King Air C90 tell the story of a desperate race against time that ended in a total family wipeout. What began as a hopeful mission to save 41-year-old hotelier Sanjay Kumar from severe burn injuries became a funeral pyre for seven people on Monday night.

As the morning light broke over sadar hospital in Chatra, the silence of the morgue was shattered by the wails of the victims' kin.

For the family of Sanjay Kumar, the tragedy is a mathematical cruelty. To afford the Rs.8 lakh charter flight, the family had pooled every resource they owned. On board with Sanjay were his wife, Archana Devi, and their relative, Dhuru Kumar. None survived.

"Our ho...