MUMBAI: In a surprising move, joint director-general of civil
aviation A K Sharan, against whom the Central Vigilance Commission and
the aviation ministry recommended major penalty proceedings last month
and who was under suspension after being found guilty of fraud, has been
reinstated with no action taken against him. "With this, the civil
aviation ministry seems to have sent out a message that the misuse of
power and use of fraudulent means to help one's kin acquire a pilot's license is acceptable in the civil aviation regulatory body," a senior
commander told TOI.
Last year, following a TOI expose,
the then director-general of civil aviation Bharat Bhushan had ordered
the inquiry to investigate if Sharan had misused his power to help his
daughter fraudulently obtain a commercial pilot license (CPL). The
inquiry found him guilty and Bhushan sent the vigilance report to the
civil aviation ministry, recommending action against Sharan. The
ministry sat on the file for over a year, did its own investigations and
finally last month held Sharan guilty and asked the CVC to initiate
major penalty proceedings (dismissal or demotion) against him.
A
final decision on disciplinary action was to be taken by the Union
Public Service Commission which appoints personnel for the aviation
regulator. "But all of it was set aside this week and Sharan was cleared
to join duty and head the air transport department. No action has been
taken against him though he was proved guilty beyond doubt. The civil
aviation ministry and the director-general could not have sent out a
clearer message that vigilance inquiries are a sham," said an aviation
source. In July this year, the ministry shunted out Bhushan and Samir
Sahai, the officer who carried out a number of vigilance inquiries in
DGCA.
Commenting on the issue, the new director-general of civil
aviation Arun Mishra said, "Sharan is a joint secretary-level officer
and the ministry was dealing with this matter, not DGCA. The decision to
suspend and to reinstate him was the ministry's." Civil aviation
minister Ajit Singh was not available for comment.
"Despite
incriminating evidence against Sharan, the aviation ministry has let him
go scot-free. They should apply the same standard and forgive all the
pilots who were arrested last year for submitting fake mark sheets to
obtain a pilot license," said a senior commander. Early last year, DGCA
had cracked down on flying schools and pilots who had employed
fraudulent means to obtain a CPL. The licensees of many pilots were
suspended and cases were filed against more than a dozen who had
submitted fake mark sheets.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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