Thursday, December 24, 2015

AAI OFFICIAL SUSPENDED FOR APPEARING BEFORE HC

A senior official from Airports Authority of India (AAI), who was suspended and transferred for appearing before the Bombay High Court 'without authorisation' during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) regarding alleged safety violations by AAI, has sought relief from being forced out of his post at Juhu airport, citing threats by another AAI official to his wife and child.

AAI had on December 17 suspended KSL Narsimhan, joint general manager (air traffic control), for not seeking approval from its headquarters in Delhi before making an appearance in court. The order has raised eyebrows as the suspended official's wife, also an AAI official, happens to be the whistle blower whose investigations led to the filing of the petition in which AAI is one of the respondents. The PIL was filed after Narsimhan's wife Mangala Narasimhan, AAI deputy general manager (aviation safety), exposed violations in building height clearances granted by AAI to high rises that came up along the flight paths for Juhu and Mumbai airports.

Officials in the know told Mumbai Mirror that the suspension order was passed without a preliminary enquiry. It also includes an order to transfer Narasimhan from Mumbai to Kolkata. As per the suspension order, Narasimhan has been accused of "alleged misconduct on his part in connection with making appearance before the Honourable High Court of Bombay on September 30, without any authorisation from AAI." The order, signed by AAI chairman R K Srivastava, states that during the suspension period, Narsimhan, who lives in Mumbai with his wife and daughter, will be moved to the Kolkata AAI office and he "shall not leave the (Kolkata) headquarter without obtaining prior permission."
24/12/15 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror
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