Two more fake pilots on the run, licences being probed (Roundup)
March 14th, 2011 - 11:06 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) With two pilots who faked their qualification already arrested and two more on the run, authorities believe there is an organised racket to provide fake documents to aspiring pilots.
As the issue found an echo in parliament, Delhi Police said two pilots — Meenakshi Sehgal of IndoGo and Swaran Singh Talwar of MDLR — were absconding.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) meanwhile said it was conducting a thorough check of around 4,000 commercial pilot licences.
But an official told IANS that the problem may not be as serious as was being made out to be.
“I don’t think it is rampant,” a senior DGCA official told IANS. He added that a system was in place to track down offenders.
The scandal came to light when IndiGo pilot Parminer Kaur Gulati, 38, was arrested March 8 for allegedly obtaining the Airline Transport Pilot Licence using forged documents.
On Saturday, Delhi Police arrested Air India pilot J.K. Verma on charges of using a forged mark sheet to acquire a pilot licence.
Verma had been a co-pilot with Air India since 1989. “We have registered a case of forgery and endangering people life at risk,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Chand.
“We have been given more names by DGCA,” Chand told IANS, referring to Sehgal and Talwar.
He said: “They are believed to have paid Rs.10-12 lakh each to touts (to get pilot licences). We are investigating.”
The Crime Branch fears that someone in DGCA may be involved in the racket.
The issue of passenger safety was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Bharatiya Janata Party’s Kalraj Mishra.
“The arrest of an Air India pilot … is a matter of concern, and it shows the aviation department is not taking the issue seriously,” Mishra said.
- Expert committee to look into pilot licence procedures - Mar 15, 2011
- Fake pilot licence issue may be limited to few: official - Mar 14, 2011
- Aviation regulator to screen 4,000 pilots for fake licences - Mar 14, 2011
- Fake pilots: Four more held - Mar 26, 2011
- Lookout notices issued for three fake pilots, instructor - Mar 28, 2011
- Operations safe, asserts Air India; another pilot grounded - Mar 16, 2011
- Two more held in fake pilot scam - Apr 05, 2011
- One more fake pilot arrested (Lead) - Apr 04, 2011
- Fake pilot scam: Govt. directs DGCA to probe all pilot licenses - Mar 15, 2011
- Fake pilot scam: Two DGCA staffers held for forgery (Lead) - Apr 06, 2011
- Pilots' licence issue raised in Rajya Sabha - Mar 14, 2011
- Three more pilots under scanner for fake licence - Apr 12, 2011
- One more held in fake pilot licence scam - Apr 16, 2011
- Fake pilot scam: Files go missing from DGCA - Apr 19, 2011
- One more held in fake pilots' licence scam (Second Lead) - Apr 20, 2011
Tags: air india, airline transport pilot, aviation department, bharatiya janata party, co pilot, commercial pilot, commissioner of police, crime branch, delhi police, dgca, fake documents, indogo, mdlr, passenger safety, pilot licence, pilot licences, rajya sabha, sehgal, swaran singh, talwar