Jet stir: HC not ready to bury the matter

Though the Jet pilots' agitation is over and both sides have made peace, the Bombay High Court said is not ready to overlook the inconvenience five-day-long stir caused to passengers and violation of the chief justice's order.

The court on Monday made it clear that it would pursue the contempt proceedings initiated by Jet management against striking pilots and issued a show-cause notice to National Aviators' Guild, the airline's pilots' union which had spearheaded the stir.

When the pilots had gone on mass sick leave from September 8, the private airline had moved a division bench led by chief justice Swatanter Kumar, saying the action was illegal.

The bench, in an interim order, had directed the agitating pilots to resume duty. When they did not comply with the order, Jet moved the court of Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud, alleging contempt of court.

On Monday, when the matter came up for hearing, Jet told the court it wanted to withdraw the contempt petition since the issue on which the stir began had been resolved amicably.

But justice Chandrachud said nonetheless the pilots' union had violated the chief justice's order and it had caused a lot of inconvenience to passengers. Therefore, contempt proceedings would go on.

Since the pilots' union has not yet filed its reply, the court issued show-cause notice, seeking response by October 5.