Air India suspends pilot accused of sexual harassment

NEW DELHI: Air India has suspended a senior captain against whom a woman colleague filed a complaint of sexual harassment. Pending inquiry, the airline has barred him from entering AI offices and leaving the station (Delhi). The senior pilot has also been ordered to surrender his company identity card.

The suspension order reads: "During the period of suspension -- (1) You will not enter the premises of Air India Limited without written permission; (2) You will not leave the station (Delhi) without written permission of the undersigned; (3) You will not engage yourself in any employment or a vocation; and 4) You will surrender your PIC/company identity card to regional security head, Air India."

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The alleged harassment happened in Hyderabad on May 5.

In her complaint, the woman captain said the instructor reportedly suggested that the two have dinner at a city restaurant after the training session was over. “…I agreed as I had done few flights with him and he seemed decent. We went to (a) restaurant at around 8 pm and this is where my ordeal started,” her complaint said.

“He started with telling me how depressed and unhappy he was in his married life… He made lewd comments (about other women colleagues). He also asked me how I coped with my husband living away and whether I didn’t need to have sex everyday.... At some point I told him I did not want to talk about all this and called a cab,” the complaint added.

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The airline ordered an inquiry immediately on receiving this complaint. While Lohani warned of very strict action against those found guilty of sexual assaults, the airline issued a list of directives for employees on this issue.