AI pilot appointment: HC asks Centre, CBI to respond to PIL

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC), on Tuesday, directed the Central government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL), which has sought a first information report (FIR) against some officials of the Air India (AI) for allegedly making money by illegally appointing expatriate pilots.

In his PIL, advocate Yeshwant Shenoy has contended that the AI management was violating the provisions of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, by not making full payment to expatriate pilots.

He cited the example of the pilot of the AI plane, which crashed at Mangalore killing 158 on board, who was from Zlatko Glusica.

The PIL states that when Shenoy visited the pilot’s residence, he came across a vague contract signed by the deceased pilot with Sigmar Aviation.

The papers allegedly revealed that while Air India was paying the pilot $11,000, the pilot was getting only $9170 a month.

The balance amount was being deducted by Sigmar Aviation, and about 20% of it went to some Air India “insiders”, the PIL alleged.

The lawyer said that he had addressed a complaint to the CBI director, but no action was taken.

He said the Supreme Court guidelines state that the police must register an FIR, if a complaint lodged with them discloses cognizable offence.

He substantiated his claims by the August 2013 order of the Superior Court of Justice, Canada, which held a local guilty of trying to bribe senior AI officials for securing contract for supply of facial recognition software.

Shenoy said the CBI had then promised to investigate the alleged rigging of the AI tenders, after the issue came to the fore through a book.

A division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice MS Sonak has posted the PIL for hearing after four weeks.

ADVOCATE YESHWANT SHENOY’S PIL HAS CONTENDED AIR INDIA WAS VIOLATING THE PROVISIONS OF THE CONTRACT LABOUR ACT