Jet's underworld links' under HC scanner

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court (HC) has asked the city police commissioner to file a report on Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal’s alleged ‘links’ with the underworld. The order was in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against Mr Goyal by M Furquan, editor of a Delhi-based Urdu newspaper. Government prosecutor Usha Kejriwal told a news agency that the police have been asked to reply within two weeks on the action taken in this regard.

In a statement late evening, Jet Airways said that reports that an investigation has been ordered by the Hon’ble High Court are totally baseless, incorrect and mischievous. Jet Airways is taking requisite steps to place the correct facts before the court, it added.

Jet also said its own enquiries have revealed that Mr Furquan, who had filed two similar PILs earlier, has once again moved the court. The court will hear the matter on July 19 to enable some of the respondents to get instructions from the respective departments and have directed notices to be served, the statement said.

Jet controls nearly a third of India's booming aviation market. Besides domestic routes, it flies to London, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Colombo, Kathmandu and is expected to fly to the US later this year.

Attempts to get clearances to fly to the US were delayed in the past due to security fears raised by Jet’s alleged links with the underworld. However Jet subsequently received security clearance from the US government, after the Indian government gave the private sector airline a clean chit and conveyed this to the US.

The Indian government, including the home ministry which deals with security issues, has in the recent past cleared Jet’s acquisition of Air Sahara, another airline. Mr Goyal was granted security clearance to join the Air Sahara board.

The PIL said if illegal funding from the underworld into Jet Airways continued, Mr Goyal would have to let the airline be “used for anti-national and anti-social activities,” Reuters reported. The Jet Airways stock was not impacted by the reports and closed 3% up on the BSE at Rs 812.