Suspended Air India pilot who evaded BA test gets interim protection from Delhi HC

Air India, pilot, Captain Arvind Kathpalia, Delhi High Court, DGCA, breath analyser, BA test, Indian Commercial Pilots Association.

New Delhi [India], Dec 20 (ANI): Delhi High Court on Thursday provided interim protection to suspended Air India pilot Captain Arvind Kathpalia. Kathpalia is accused of evading mandatory pre-flight breath analyser (BA) test for Bengaluru-Delhi flight in January 2017.

The pilot upon landing too refused to go through the test following which he was suspended for three months by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). He was also removed from the post of Executive Director (Operations) at that time. Later, the Delhi Police registered an FIR against him which prompted Kathpalia to file a bail application.

The Delhi High Court had recently directed Delhi Police to record his statement after the pilot claimed that he has not been asked by the police to join the investigation. The Court had also asked Delhi Police to file its reply on the anticipatory bail plea filed by Kathpalia.

Kathpalia is facing another inquiry in a fresh case after he failed BA test for alcohol consumption before his flight to New Delhi to London on November 11. A departmental inquiry against Kathpalia is going on. Kathpalia is at present under suspension for three years by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and has been relieved from the post of Director (Operations).

Captain Kathpalia is facing prosecution under Sections 201, 204, 465, 471, 506, 202, 217, 279, 280 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Section 11 of the Aircraft Act,1934, after a complaint was filed by the Indian Commercial Pilots Association following the November 11 incident.