Delhi High Court grants anticipatory bail to suspended Air India pilot

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to an Air India pilot who was suspended for allegedly violating aircraft rules, including evading a breath-analyser test and forgery.

Justice Mukta Gupta granted relief to Arvind Kathpalia on his plea apprehending arrest in a case lodged against him on the direction of a lower court. He is also accused of tampering with evidence, criminal conspiracy and intimidating a doctor working with the airline in January 2017.

The court had earlier restrained the police from taking coercive steps against Kathpalia, who was removed as the director of operations of Air India last November after failing to clear pre-flight alcohol test, with the government citing "serious nature of the transgression and (his) failure to course-correct".