Delhi HC provides interim protection to AI pilot Arvind Kathpalia who failed alcohol test

New Delhi, Dec 20: Delhi High Court on Thursday provided interim protection to Air India pilot Arvind Kathpalia who was accused of evading pre-flight breath analyser test for Bengaluru bound flight. The Court also asked Delhi Police to record his statement after Kathpalia claimed he was never asked by police to join the probe.

Kathpalia was removed as director of operations of Air India in November this year after failure to clear pre-flight alcohol test, with the government citing "serious nature of the transgression and (his) failure to course correct".

According to the police, Kathpalia operated a flight from New Delhi to Bengaluru without undergoing the mandatory pre-flight breath analyser test on January 19, 2017. Further, even at Bengaluru, he refused to undergo a similar test.

Later, on his arrival in New Delhi, he allegedly went to Pre-Flight Medical Examination Room and made a false entry in the Pre-Flight Breath Analyzer Examination Register for the flight he had operated.