Molestation case: AI gives clean chit to pilots

An Air India probe panel on Friday gave a clean chit to two pilots who were charged with sexual harassment by an airhostess, in the wake of a mid-air scuffle between them, during a flight from Sharjah earlier in October.

A senior Air India official said the five-member enquiry committee, which probed her complaint about the incident on board a Sharjah-Lucknow-Delhi flight IC-884 on October 3, has concluded that whatever complaint airhostess Komal Singh has made regarding sexual harassment 'is an after-thought'.

The committee was set up on October 6 to investigate the mid-air scuffle between co-pilot Aditya Chopra and flight purser Amit Khanna, during which Komal Singh was reportedly pushed by Commander Ranbir Arora and Chopra. Air India had then suspended Khanna and Chopra, pending enquiry.

Komal and the Commander of the flight, Captain Ranbir Arora, were taken off duty to assist in the probe. The enquiry committee chargesheeted Komal for allegedly violating conduct rules, not complying with the company policy, speaking to the media, insubordination and disobeying seniors.

Komal has leveled molestation charges against two pilots of the airlines.

"They (pilots) have definitely pushed the flight purser and cabin crew out from the cockpit because they told them to go out in view of flight safety. But when they did not do so, they pushed them, but in no way is it sexual harassment," Air India General Manager (Personnel) Deepa Mahaja said.

Komal has lodged an FIR with the police and also taken her case to the National Women's Commission, which has sought a report from the national carrier.