4,000 pilots probed over fake licences; more arrests on way

New Delhi, Mar 14: After the arrests of two pilots of Indigo airline and Air India, more arrests may occur soon, as police officials claimed. More than 4,000 pilots has already come under the scrutiny of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) over their alleged fake licences.

Indigo Airlines pilot Parminder Kaur Gulati and was arrested followed by Air India's Captain J K Verma over their sham papers of marks cards which were submitted to get pilot licences.

A senior police official informed, "We have arrested Verma. Investigations are on. We have been provided more names by the Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA). The scanner is on two more pilots - Meenakshi Sehgal of Indigo and Swaran Singh Talwar of MDLR."

With Airlines Transport Pilot License (ALTP), one can become a co-pilot and to get a full fledged commercial pilot licence one should have ATPL with adequate flying hours. Parminder was arrested over forged documents of ALTP. Gulati was also taken under arrest over the same crime.

The fake documents provided by the pilots came in the limelight when Parminder was accused of violating landing norms. Soon she was suspended and on Mar 8, she was arrested.

Civil Aviation secretary Nasim Zaidi confirmed, "In the wake of the fake pilot scare, licenses of 3,000 to 4,000 pilots are being scrutinised by the DGCA."

OneIndia News