Delhi HC to hear on Feb 27 Kunal Kamra's plea challenging fly ban

Delhi High Court on Tuesday slated for February 27 hearing in a petition filed by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, challenging his suspension from flying with the Indigo Airlines for a period of six months.

Justice Navin Chawla asked the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to clarify its stand in the cases where airlines have allegedly flouted the Civil Aviation Rules (CAR).

The court, while hearing the matter, asked DGCA that once Kamra had made a complaint, could they refuse to look into it.

DGCA told the court that Kamra's petition is not maintainable and it was merely a regulator and not an adjudicator. The court also questioned DGCA for its tweets "endorsing" the ban imposed on Kamra by airlines.

Senior Advocate Vivek Tankha, who is representing Kamra, said that the ban imposed on his client was in violation of the Civil Aviation Rules.

Apart from existing parties in the case -- DGCA and IndiGo, Delhi High Court also impleaded Air India, SpiceJet and GoAir as parties in Kamra's plea.

DGCA counsel sought time to seek instructions and thereafter, the court adjourned the matter for Thursday.

The stand-up comedian had filed a petition seeking directions to DGCA to revoke the flight ban and has challenged the internal inquiry committee set up by Indigo to look into the allegations against him.

Kamra, who was suspended from flying for heckling journalist Arnab Goswami during a flight and making a video of the incident, had earlier issued a legal notice to Indigo Airlines demanding a sum of Rs 25 lakh for the mental pain and losses incurred and an unconditional apology.

After Kamra was barred from flying by Indigo, Air India, Spicejet, and GoAir also imposed a suspension on him.