Armymen 'assault' AAI staff;employees threaten to stop work

Kolkata, Mar 11 (UNI) Some military personnel allegedly assaulted three employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), including a manager, following a dispute over parking of a defence car at the NSCBI airport today.

AAI sources said that trouble erupted when domestic manager Mihir Sarkar sent two of his employees to ask the army personnel to remove their vehicle parked in a 'no parking' zone.

But they refused to comply which led to a heated argument with the two employees during which the armymen were reported to have assaulted the duo. They also barged into the domestic manager's room damaging a wooden door in the process and also beat up Mr Sarkar.

The personnel had come to receive a senior officer.

The incident immediately drew strong protest from the AAI employees who threatened to stop work at the airport within 24 hours if the alleged culprits were not arrested.

The assaulted staff lodged an FIR against the military personnel at the NSCBI police station.

Senior AAI officers, including airport directior M V Monga, the CISF commandant and the SP, rushed to the spot to pacify the agitated staff. The military coordination officer at the airport also arrived and expressed his regret over the incident.

Describing the incident as 'unfortunate', Mr Monga felt that rules of parking ought to be followed by everybody, including the army, in the interest of national security.

Mr Dipankar Ghosh, branch secretary, Airports Authority Employees Union told UNI that they would wait for the authorities to take action against the erring personnel before deciding the next course of action. He also alleged that although the incident took place in front of the CISF jawans on duty there, none intervened to protect the AAI employees from being assaulted.

UNI XC PL VD HS1411