Date:12/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/07/12/stories/2006071204840900.htm

Back Air India tightens norms for VVIP flights' crew

Our Bureau

No security lapse, only pilferage, says Chairman

Grand larceny
Panel probing case submits report 3-4 persons are prime suspects so far `Bar cart lock was opened with the key'

Mumbai , July 11

Air India has initiated measures to tighten screening of its employees who form the on-board crew for any VVIP flights.

This follows the recent incident of pilferage of Scotch bottles from the `bar cart' locked in the flight in which the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, was returning from a foreign visit in April.

"Hereafter, our crew on-board such VVIP flights will not be allowed to carry even their own liquor bottles and, if found otherwise, strict action would be taken. There will also be a tighter screening of their bags at all points in the flight," Mr V. Thulasidas, Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, told newspersons on Tuesday.

Confirming that there had been the incident of pilferage of liquor bottles from the Prime Minister's flight, he said that there had not been any security lapse.

"We have also received confirmation from different security agencies that there had not been any security lapse. There had been no entry of any unauthorised persons in the flight. This, now, is only a matter of pilferage."

He also said that the 35-odd crew on board the flight has been temporarily banned by Air India from being employed in any VVIP flights till the pilferage incident was fully solved and the guilty punished.

Mr Thulasidas said that he has just received the report of the two-member committee appointed by him to go into the pilferage case.

"We are studying the report and we will be initiating action against those found guilty of the pilferage incident within 2-3 days. Nobody found guilty will be shielded."

Recounting the incident, he said: "One of our flight persons discovered that six Scotch bottles were missing from the bar cart, which is kept under lock and key. The lock was not tampered with, which means it was opened with the key and then locked again."

To a question, he said that 3-4 persons on board the flight had access to the bar cart key. He replied in the affirmative when asked whether these persons were the prime suspects so far.

However, he refuted reports that there was delay in identifying the guilty in this case. "This was a VVIP flight and there are many sensitive issues involved. Besides, being a public sector company, we have to follow certain rules and steps to investigate such incidents."