HYDERABAD: Refusing to pass interim order without hearing the respondents in TDP MP JC Diwakar Reddy's flying ban case, the Hyderabad High Court on Monday issued notices to Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, Director General of Civil Aviation and the authorities of Air India, Jet Airways, Vistara Airlines (IndiGo), GO Air, Spice Jet, Turbo Megha Airways and Air Asia to respond to a plea filed by the Anantapur legislator, seeking court order to declare the ban decision as illegal.
Reminding that the petitioner runs a bus travel agency (Diwakar Travels), the court said even the travels do not agree for unsafe travel by allowing passengers into their buses against the guidelines. “What is the safety of other passengers, if the airlines do not follow the guidelines?,” the court asked.
Justice SV Bhatt posed this question while dealing with a writ filed by Diwakar Reddy, seeking directions to the airlines to lift the flying ban on him in view of commencement of Parliament session.
On June 16, the MP allegedly misbehaved with IndiGo staffers at Vizag airport. Terming it as a 'trivial incident which was given wrong colour', the MP had blamed the airlines staffers for not issuing him boarding pass even though he had come well within the time to the airport.
When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, senior counsel DV Seetharama Murthy, appearing for the petitioner, urged the court to grant permission to the MP to travel by air to take part in the upcoming Parliament session.“In fact, the impugned orders of the airlines were issued as against the procedure. The incident at Vizag was unfortunate,” he added.