SC issues notice on plea of ‘overweight’ airhostess

An airhostess who lost her job for being “overweight” on Tuesday moved the Supreme court, asking for a direction to Airline Allied Services to reinstate her.

An airhostess who lost her job for being “overweight” on Tuesday moved the Supreme court, asking for a direction to Airline Allied Services to reinstate her.

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Salome Singsit (39) appealed to the SC against Delhi High Court that declined to set-up a medical board to assess her health condition. Singsit has claimed that she became overweight due to numerous medical complications.

Agreeing to hear her plea, a bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi issued notice to the airline and sought its response on Singsit’s allegation.

According to her appeal, the airline, a subsidiary of Air India, had arbitrarily refused to renew her contract.

Singsit had challenged the termination of her contract before the Delhi High Court.

A single judge bench directed the airlines to give her flying or ground duties after getting her medical condition assessed by a medical board.

The direction was, however, set aside by the division bench of HC on the airline’s appeal.

Refusing to extend her contract, the airline had said that she was not keeping well and had been overweight many times when she was serving as crew member.

In her petition filed through advocate Ashwarya Sinha, she pleaded that she was ready to take ground duties but the airline refused to consider it and her contract was not renewed beyond December 31, 2010.