Cops issue lookout notices against 3 Pilots
The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has issued lookout circulars against three pilots and a flying instructor for allegedly being involved in forging mark sheets to procure licences.
The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has issued lookout circulars against three pilots and a flying instructor for allegedly being involved in forging mark sheets to procure licences.
The three pilots are Swaran Singh Talwar of MDLR, Syed Habib Ali and Bhupinder Singh, who have licences but have not joined any airline. A lookout notice has also been issued against flying instructor D Asatkar.
Police say, the pilots had allegedly procured Airlines Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) using fake documents. “One has to clear three subjects —Aviation Meteorology, Radio Aids and Instruments and Air Navigation — to get an ATPL, mandatory to become the commander of a plane. However, these pilots failed in one or the other paper,” said a senior police officer requesting anonymity.
“The lookout notices have been issued to prevent the pilots and Asatkar from fleeing the country. All airports and shipping ports have been put on alert,” he said.
The police are conducting raids across the country to nab the three pilots and the instructor. During questioning, an arrested official of airline regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revealed that he had processed files for 60 licences over the last few years.
Investigators said the three arrested pilots have told them they had allegedly fudged the logbook and increased the number of flying hours in connivance with some DGCA officials.
“Tyagi is the main person. One Deepak Asatkar of Mumbai is a conduit of the gang. The pilots paid R12 lakh each for the forged mark sheets. Kumar was paid Rs 25,000 by Tyagi to expedite their files,” the officer said.
So far six people, including three pilots, have been arrested.