CBI summons Venkataramanan on July 3
MUMBAI: Airasia India’s non-executive director Ramachandran Venkataramanan has been summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 3 for questioning on allegations concerning the lobbying of the government for overseas flight permits and violations of rules that prevent foreign airlines from controlling Indian operators.
“We have summoned Venkataramanan for questioning on July 3,” said a CBI official who did not wish to be named.
The official did not comment on whether the agency also plans to summon Tony Fernandes, group chief executive officer of Airasia Berhad, the company’s Malaysian parent, for questioning.“we are deliberating on the next course of action,” the official said.
Venkataramanan had earlier in June said he has been wrongly named as an accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation on operational matters regarding Airasia India where he had little role to play. Venkataramanan’s office was not available for comment immediately.
CBI had in May raided the offices of Airasia India and filed a complaint against Fernandes for allegedly lobbying the government for overseas flight permits and for violating rules that prevent foreign airlines from controlling Indian operators.
The Central Bureau of Investigation’s first information report (FIR) in May said the violations occurred from 2013 to 2016, before the government eased restrictions on Indian airlines starting overseas flights in June 2016. The rule that bars giving management control to foreigners remains.