Delhi Police issues notices in fake pilot scam

Look-out notices have been issued against three pilots and a flying instructor involved in the ?fake pilot scam?, reports said on Monday.

Delhi Police has issued look-out issues against Captain Bhupinder Singh, Captain Habib Ali and Swarn Singh Talwar, who allegedly procured Airlines Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) using fake documents.

“One has to clear three subjects -Aviation Meteorology, Radio Aids & Instruments and Air Navigation – to get ATPL. This is mandatory for becoming a Commander of a plane. But, these pilots failed in one or the other papers,” Ashok Chand, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) told reporters.

While these pilots are absconding, Delhi Police said the notices have been issued to make sure no ?fake? pilots flee India.

Look-out notice has also been issued against flying instructor Deepak Astakar, who acted as a link between Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials, middlemen and pilots.

Meanwhile, the DGCA will be meeting all flying schools on Tuesday to discuss an action plan to deal with the scandal.

An official of the DGCA, along with three others, has been arrested as the police delve deeper into the ?fake pilot scam?, media reports said on Saturday.

DGCA Assistant Director of licensing Pradeep Kumar, is the latest to be taken in over the racket which was coughed up dozens of pilots with aviation licenses procured through forged documents.

Delhi police said they have also arrested a pilot called, Pradeep Tyagi and two more people, bringing the total arrests to 10.

At least 14 pilots and several flying school instructors have already been grounded by the DGCA for obtaining commercial aviation licenses by filing fake documents and records, according to media reports.

The first arrest was made on March 8 when Indigo pilot Parminder Kaur Gulati was apprehended by the Delhi Police?s crime branch for using fake marks-sheet to procure her commercial licence.

Gulati had come under probe after her wrong landing techniques on several occasions caused damage to the air-craft, the latest being on January 11 when she made a rough landing at Goa airport.

Alarmed after expose of pilots procuring commercial licence using forged documents, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had earlier said it is now scrutinizing the records of all pilots.