Mid-air scuffle: AI clean chit to pilot, says air hostess habitual complainant

New Delhi: Showing surprising alacrity, Air India on Friday dismissed the complaint filed by air hostess Komal Singh that she was molested by a commander in the course of a spat on board IC 884 on October 3 while flying from Sharjah to Delhi.
The mid-air scuffle involved commander Ranbir Arora, co-pilot Aditya Chopra on the one hand and Singh and her friend, flight purser Amit Khanna. What appears to have helped a five-member panel to make up its mind on the complaint is an alleged history of indiscipline and habitual levelling of charges against colleagues by Singh, Khanna and their friend Chhavi Agarwal, also an airhostess.
The panel had senior women executives and a member of an NGO as members.
The airline, however, clarified that only the charge of molestation was found baseless and that the cockpit fight is being dealt with as a serious safety issue n which action would be taken against the guilty.
While 24-year-old Komal said she was "shocked" by this verdict and has pinned her hope for justice on the ongoing police and national commission for women probes, the probe panel claims to have found some past instances of alleged indiscipline by Komal, Amit and a third airhostess, Chhavi Aggarwal, who was on IC 884 that may have helped AI arrive at the conclusion within a month.
``From April 16 to 19, 2009, these three did as many flights on Calicut-Doha-Bahrain, return sector and Calicut-Delhi routes. The cabin crew supervisor on these flights filed a complaint against Komal's 'indiscipline and careless attitude'. A month later, these three filed a joint complaint against her," said airline sources.
Komal, on her part, questioned why did the airline not take action if these issues were considered to be so serious. "Yes, Amit, Chhavi and I are friends. If we three while on duty together are a problem, why did AI not separate us? When we go on a flight together, we need company to pass time and so play badminton, chess and have dinners to keep ourselves busy. .." she said. Konal, who hails from Nainital, added that she will continue to work in the airline.
31/10/09 Times of India

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Categories: Air India Domestic Oct 2009, Foreign Oct 2009, NACIL Oct 2009, Safety Oct 2009