Air India on Wednesday filed a petition in the Delhi high court against its 67 agitating pilots and their representative body, saying they were disobeying the court’s earlier orders which had restrained them from going on strike.
The high court issued contempt notices to the 67 pilots and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), their representative front, for carrying out their agitation despite the court’s earlier orders calling it illegal.
The Air India management has sought initiation of civil contempt proceedings against the pilots and IPG for “flagrantly violating” the court’s single judge order which had asked them to resume their duties and a subsequent division bench order which had upheld the previous order restraining the pilots from carrying out the agitation.
Counsel for the Air India told Justice Reva Khetarpal that the pilots and IPG can be tried for civil contempt of court under the Civil Procedure Code as two court orders had specifically told them that their strike was illegal and had directed them to resume work.
He said despite the court’s restraint order, several opportunities were given to the striking pilots to resolve their issues but they failed to settle the matter.
“The IPG have held a press conference to categorically state that the pilots are still on strike. It manifests that they are still in defiance of the judicial order,” the counsel said.
Expressing concern over the ongoing agitation, Justice Khetarpal said, “Nobody is concerned about the plight of passengers as somebody might have to see a person on a death bed. Some must have missed an important meeting or an important interview… I still feel that better sense will prevail on the pilots.” The matter has been listed for July 13 for further hearing.
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Maoists make u-turn, refuse to surrender
RAJIB CHOWDHURI
Kolkata, May 23
In a complete U-turn, two of the nine Maoists who were to lay down their arms turned hostile and refused to surrender on Wednesday, leaving the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and West Bengal police officials stumped at a programme in West Midnapore in Jangalmahal. Baishistya Mahato, alias Bullet and Lakshmikanta Baskey, alias Jamai, both security guards of slain Maoist commander Kishenji, stayed away from the surrender programme which was organised on the occasion of the Raising Day of CRPF’s 184 battalion at Jhargram. The two rebels were apparently not satisfied with the government’s compensation package and wanted more, sources indicated.This was also the first time when such an incident had happened. IG (western zone) Gangeshwar Singh said, “Surrender is a process which cannot be forced. We tried but the two Maoists were not ready.”