Mid-air Scuffle: Air India Pilots De-rostered


NEW DELHI, Oct 4 (IANS): Air India on Sunday grounded two pilots and crew members involved in a mid-air scuffle, even as Delhi Police registered a case of  molestation against the pilots on a complaint filed by an air hostess.

"The incident of scuffle between the two pilots and cabin crew members of IC 884 (Sharjah-Lucknow-Delhi flight) was reported yesterday morning," an Air India spokesperson said on Sunday. 

"As there have been claims and counter-claims between the parties involved, the management has ordered an enquiry, which is still in progress," the spokesperson added.

Taking a serious view of the incident, the management has de-rostered the pilots and two crew members.

"Further course of action will be decided based on the enquiry report," the spokesperson said.

The incident comes close on the heels of a pilots' strike that grounded the fleet of 155 planes for five days and caused untold inconvenience to passengers.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police registered a case against the pilots - Commander Ranbeer Arora and Capt Aditya Chopra - who, according to a first information report (FIR) filed with the police, tried to molest an air hostess, and when she resisted, pushed her outside the cockpit.

"The air hostess sustained bruises and injuries on her hand," Joint Commissioner of Police (operations) Satyendera Garg said, adding her medical examination had confirmed she had been assaulted.

The co-pilot and a flight purser, Amit Khanna, were allegedly injured in the exchange of blows that occurred around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday when the aircraft was flying over Pakistan.

The incident is understood to have originated in verbal exchanges between the confronting sides during the pre-flight briefing session ahead of takeoff from Sharjah, the police said.

The Airbus A-320 was carrying 106 passengers and seven crew members and had reached Lucknow when the matter was reported.

The case has been registered under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

However, Khanna denied there had been any scuffle during the flight.

"I must speak to the Air India management first. Since we are under great shock, I have not been able to talk to them. But there was no fight between us on the flight," he asserted.

  

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Comment on this article

  • sathish.j.m, bajal,dubai

    Mon, Oct 05 2009

    Dear Aziz, this incident happened over Pakistan!!

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  • Rehman, Dubai

    Mon, Oct 05 2009

    Pilots might have decided not to give any chance to the passengers to molest. Hence they took the task in their hand.

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  • Aadil Khan, Kasaragod/Saudi Arabia

    Mon, Oct 05 2009

    We have read news some indecent passengers misbehave with airhostesses. However, this is the first time to hear a Pilot, high profile professional, was trying to molest his own coworker during the middle of the night. The fight among the crew said to have continued for over 8 minutes out of the cockpit while the aircraft was on auto-pilot. It would have been a disaster, if the cockpit entrance door got locked from inside. God saved the 106 passengers' life. I would suggest, the wrong doer pilot and/or other staff should be punished severely.

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  • SALVADOR VAZ, THOTTAM/JUBAIL/KSA

    Mon, Oct 05 2009

    Why we need loosing crore of rupees Air India ?? better privatize Air India.

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  • Arun CK, Dubai Mangalore

    Mon, Oct 05 2009

    Dear Mr John However I think this molestation is just a reason nowadays for women to file a case for anything. If you just raise your voice against any stranger women then that would be enough to book against the modesty or molestation.

    I dont believe the pilots would be so fools to do such thing while on the flight. Fight deffinitly might have happened and the hostess might have fallen down. Even the poor chaps of July 30th ill fated AIX Mlore-Dubai flight have been booked with outrage/Modesty/ molestation and all such stuff where I was the witness to this incident when nothing such happend except some casual conversations. They didnt even use any foul language also but were enjoying whatever was happening.

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  • Aziz, Dubai/Mangalore

    Sun, Oct 04 2009

    It will happen only in India .. jai ho

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  • John K., Mangalore/UK

    Mon, Oct 05 2009

    Just shut down this airline. They are a shame to India. Let Jet AIrways and Kingfisher get their routes. These striking and rapist babu pilots should never fly again.

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  • Kenneth, Dubai

    Mon, Oct 05 2009

    Air India should be shut down for good and a new entity should be started to represent the national airline. Staff are upset with the issues at hand but the economic crisis affecting the global airline economics is disturbing.Staff should be aware of this and look at the bigger picture. AI has one of the highest aircraft to staff ratio in the world making it a white elephant. I wish I had the hand to turn this airline back to its Maharaja status as this was the pride of our nation.

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