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FIR filed against Continental
Airlines in Kalam frisking incident New
Delhi: A First Information Report was filed here on Tuesday against the Continental
Airlines' concerned staff for frisking former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam at
the Indira Gandhi International airport in April for breach of protocol. The case
has been registered after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) approached
the police against the staff of the American airliner for carrying out pre-embarkation
body check of Kalam, which it maintains, is in gross violation of a BCAS circular
which exempts specified VVIPs/VIPs from security checks. "The BCAS has registered
an FIR with the SHO, IGI airport police station, against all the concerned staff
of the Continental Airlines under Section 11A of Aircraft Act, 1934 for willful
violation of the directions issued by BCAS," an official statement said. Earlier,
in the day, the civil aviation ministry directed the BCAS to conduct an inquiry
into reports about Kalam being frisked by the airline staff on April 21 before
he was to board a flight. "As per the FIR, on April 21, Kalam was traveling by
Continental Airlines Flight No.CO-083 from IGI Airport to New York. As he proceeded
towards the aircraft, the staff of the Continental Airlines carried out frisking
of Kalam in contravention of the BCAS rule even as CISF personnel pointed out
that he was exempt from such checks," the statement stated. However, the Continental
Airlines on Tuesday had clarified that it didn't insult the former President of
India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, by frisking rather it was done following its policy
to frisk everyone including VIPs and VVIPs. "We believe Dr. Kalam was not insulted.
It's our policy to frisk everybody including VIPs. There are no special rules
for VIPs or VVIPs," Continental Airlines stated. Besides, the Government of India
has slapped a show cause notice to the US-based Continental Airlines for violating
guidelines, in the wake of airliner's "unpardonable" act of frisking of former
President A P J Abdul Kalam at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New
Delhi. "Not only the preliminary inquiry has been ordered but we also have a preliminary
report on the basis of which the Continental Airlines has been issued a show cause
notice why action for willful violation should not be taken," Civil Aviation Minister
Praful Patel said the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
-July
21, 2009
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