Mumbai, October 14, 2026: A sessions court in Dindoshi has refused to direct the police to investigate several former government and aviation officials, including former Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Raju and then Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani, in connection with a 2017 flight safety violation case, following a complaint by a former employee.
Former Air India Employee Files Plea
The sessions judge at Dindoshi was hearing a petition filed by a former Air India employee and crew member, K V Jagannatharao, seeking a direction to the police to register a case and investigate Air India Captain A Kathpalia. He had approached the sessions court after his plea was turned down by the magistrate's court.
Alleged Breach Of Flight Safety Rules
It was alleged that Kathpalia operated Air India flight AI-174 from Delhi to Bengaluru on January 19, 2017, without undergoing the mandatory pre-flight breath analyser test.
Despite being informed about the missed test after landing in Bengaluru, the captain allegedly remained in the sterile area of the airport and operated the return flight, AI-173, to New Delhi the same night.
The complainant further alleged that Kathpalia skipped the post-flight breath analyser test and later made a fraudulent entry in the pre-flight examination register in the absence of the medical officer.
Court Declines Direction To Investigate
The plea was opposed by all the respondents, who claimed that the Delhi High Court had, in August 2018, directed disciplinary action against Captain A Kathpalia.
It was also contended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Air India could not hold each other solely accountable for intervention and investigation into violations of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), as both were required to independently examine any irregularities in compliance with the CAR directions.
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The court said that the inquiry was still not concluded. Hence, a separate case could not be lodged.
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