The CBI has registered a case against a former official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and several aviation-related companies for alleged abuse of official position, extending undue favours to select flying training organisations and suspicious aircraft transactions, officials said.
No immediate response was available from the former DGCA official or the companies named in the FIR.
The FIR alleged that the probe brought to light a “systematic network of corporate entities” controlled and managed by the immediate and extended family members of Captain Anil Gill, then director of flying training at the DGCA.
According to the FIR, Bluethroat Aero Global Pvt Ltd was incorporated in 2016 with Gill's mother and maternal aunt as directors, while his cousin and sister-in-law joined the company later.
Two other companies, Sabres Corporate Solutions Pvt Ltd and Sandhills Aviation IFSC Pvt Ltd, were also allegedly incorporated with Gill's relatives as directors, the FIR said.
The case was registered on Friday against Gill, Bluethroat Aero Global, Redbird Aviation Academy Pvt Ltd, Sabres Corporate Solutions and Sandhills Aviation IFSC, besides unidentified public servants and private persons, the FIR said.
It said the case followed a complaint received by the CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch in Delhi on August 17.
The complaint was based on a preliminary inquiry registered on April 7, 2025, on a complaint lodged by Captain J S Dhillon, managing director at Global Avianautics Ltd, against Gill, after obtaining requisite approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The FIR alleged that Gill, as director of flying training, “abused his official position” in collusion with directors and shareholders of Bluethroat Aero Global, Redbird Aviation Academy, Sabres Corporate Solutions and Sandhills Aviation IFSC and allegedly extended undue official favours to select flying training organisations, causing detriment and pecuniary loss to other similarly situated operators.
It also alleged that Gill facilitated procurement of training aircraft at nominal prices through "benami/shell entities managed by his close relatives" and subsequently arranged to lease them back to favoured flying training organisations at exorbitant rates, generating "massive kickbacks, illicit pecuniary advantage" and allegedly amounting to gross official misconduct.
The FIR also alleged suspicious aircraft acquisitions by Bluethroat Aero Global.
The company acquired a Cessna aircraft in 2020 for Rs 10 lakh and another in 2021 for Rs 37.5 lakh. Despite being in fully operational condition with only 123 engine hours, the latter was allegedly acquired at a price significantly lower than its estimated market valuation of Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
Both aircraft were subsequently leased to Redbird Aviation Academy under approvals granted by Gill in his official regulatory capacity.
Between 2021 and October 2023, Bluethroat Aero Global generated more than Rs 2.16 crore in lease rentals from Redbird alone, reflecting "disproportionately high returns on minimal capital investment", the FIR alleged.
It also alleged regulatory favouritism and procedural irregularities, saying the initial approval for Redbird Aviation Academy was granted within one month and three days, excluding the time taken to rectify compliance shortfalls, whereas approvals for competing entities such as Skynex Aero and Jet Serve Aviation took four to six months.
It also alleged that Gill approved Redbird’s training and procedure manual before its official date of acceptance, while an application submitted by competitor GATI for aircraft induction was allegedly kept pending without reasons being recorded on file.
According to the FIR, Gill chaired a selection committee in September 2022 that appointed his cousin Vikas Nain as deputy chief flying instructor. Nain was subsequently employed by Redbird Aviation Academy at a monthly salary of approximately Rs 6.5 lakh.
Suspicious financial transactions were also noted in respect of Sabres Corporate Solutions and Sandhills Aviation IFSC, which were involved in financing and mortgaging aircraft rented to flying training organisations under the regulatory purview of the DGCA director of flying training, the FIR alleged.
Bank account statements allegedly revealed multiple financial transactions between Bluethroat Aero Global and Gill's family members.
Gill also allegedly failed to disclose the involvement and employment of his close relatives in aviation activities, in violation of mandatory DoPT conduct rules and DGCA directions.
The FIR said the facts and circumstances "prima facie disclose the commission of cognisable offences" punishable under sections 11 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, and Section 120B of the IPC against Gill, the four companies through their respective directors and other unidentified public servants and private persons.
(With inputs from PTI)
