Mumbai: A special trial court has exonerated a former Air India employee, M L Thatte, accused of being involved in a carpet scam that hit the national carrier 18 years ago and caused it a loss of $550,000 (over Rs 3 crore at the current rate). The case, a major scam in the mid 90s, revolved around purchase orders and advance payments made to a US-based company for supply of nearly 48,000 sq m of carpet in 1994-95, which were never received.
Thatte, then posted in New York as regional stores and purchase manager of AI, was accused of changing terms of payment and conspiring with a US-based carpet company to cheat AI by paying in advance for 15,000 sq m of carpet on behalf of the airline and not waiting for delivery. But the court said Thatte was "made a scapegoat" by senior AI officers "who were to be blamed for the scam". CBI special judge M V Kulkarni slammed the investigation agency for "poor" probe and failing to "find the real culprits".
12/11/12 Times of India
