NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday censured Air India’s former director of operations Arvind Kathpalia, who is accused of violation of aircraft rules, saying his actions cannot be called a mistake as they put at risk the lives of many and people like him are not worth being permitted to operate flights. Justice Mukta Gupta made the remarks while issuing notice to the Delhi Police on an anticipatory bail plea filed by the pilot apprehending arrest in the case lodged against him on the direction of a lower court.
Kathpalia is also accused of tampering with evidence, criminal conspiracy and intimidating a doctor working with the airline. He was removed as director of operations of Air India in November this year after failure to clear pre-flight alcohol test, with the government citing “serious nature of the transgression and (his) failure to course correct”.
“These people are not worth being permitted to operate flights. You (Kathpalia’s counsel) must get this person acknowledge the fact that he is not worth operating flights. It is to make him understand that he is not above law,” the judge observed on Thursday.
According to the police, Kathpalia operated a flight from New Delhi to Bengaluru without undergoing the mandatory pre-flight breath analyser test on January 19, 2017. Further, even at Bengaluru, he refused to undergo a similar test. The Delhi Police opposed his anticipatory bail plea. Police had alleged that Kathpalia has also issued threats and intimidated Dr Nitin Seth with a view to coerce him to retract his statement given in inquiry.
(With agency inputs)