UP PILOT FACES TURBULENCE

While Congress’ Pilot in Rajasthan is facing rough weather, a “VIP pilot” in Uttar Pradesh has been grounded. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s pilot, Captain Pragyesh Mishra, has been removed from VVIP flying duties after the suspension of his licence by the DGCA for six months. The Enforcement Directorate’s (Lucknow unit) Assistant Director, Ashok Kumar Meena, on 19 May 2020 wrote a letter to the UP Secretary saying that the ED was in the receipt of a complaint against UP Civil Aviation Department’s (CAD’S) Operations Manager in Lucknow, pilot Pragyesh Mishra. The Sunday Guardian has accessed the ED letter, which says that “it has also been reported that Capt. Pragyesh Mishra was dismissed from UP government for several cases of disproportionate assets against him in the past, however, he managed to get back to his employment.” “The matter has been examined and this office is of the view that a preliminary inquiry into the matter is imperative on the part of the State Government as the person being a high ranking officer in the UP Government,” the ED letter pointed out.

The ED has forwarded a copy of the complaint against Mishra to the Chief Secretary’s office for necessary inquiries into the allegations against him with a request to intimate the outcome and/or FIR details to the ED office for ascertaining further action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act/foreign Exchange Management

Act (PMLA). The complaint is reported to have mentioned a number of business firms associated with him. It has alleged his nexus with some top state politicians and bureaucrats. Mishra in the past has also faced controversies when enjoying close proximity to successive Chief Ministers, being their pilot. Following complaints against Mishra in the past, the Bahujan Samaj Party CM Mayawati had taken action against him. Her successor, Samajwadi Party CM Akhilesh Yadav had taken Mishra back and the pilot had begun flying his new boss. But Akhilesh had also reportedly received complaints that the pilot was allegedly misusing his proximity to him. On 10 June 2020, the DGCA, in an ongoing investigation against Mishra, suspended his pilot licence for six months after finding violations of safety norms. As per the complaint to the DGCA, Mishra on 25 October 2019 allegedly acted as an instructor on a SKA B200 aircraft without having any ratings of a qualified instructor on fixed wing aircraft. On 30 December 2019, a DGCA team in Lucknow reportedly recorded the statements of three pilots who were on board.

Sources said that Mishra has valid licenses (CPL-1629) to fly helicopters (Rotary Wing) and regular aircraft (Fixed Wing) but was appointed in the UP CAD to fly helicopters only. It has been alleged that Mishra had been flying regular aircraft as well and that this is a serious violation of the UP aviation rules, which are said to make it mandatory for a pilot to confine himself to fly one type of aircraft only— fixed wing or rotary wing. It has been alleged that Mishra did not permit other pilots to fly CM and other VIPS.