SC notice to Centre, Indian Airlines on dismissal of staff over moustache
How can a person with a moustache be removed, a surprised Supreme Court asked on Monday.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: How can a person with a moustache be removed, a surprised Supreme Court asked on Monday.
The poser by judges came when a decade-long moustache battle of a flight purser was taken to the apex court which expressed surprise over Indian Airlines��� decision to ground him for sporting the handlebar type and later retiring him compulsorily.
A bench comprising Justices H K Sema and Markandey Katju issued notices to the Centre and the Indian Airlines, which is now known as Indian, on the issue.
The purser submitted that after circulars were issued in June and July 1998 that cabin crew except those of Sikh faith should be clean-shaven with neatly trimmed moustache not grown beyond the upper lip, a letter was written to him to comply with the condition.
Joynath Victor De, who had joined Indian Airlines as Flight Steward and promoted to assistant manager in flight service in 1994, had challenged the decision not to assign him flight duties and an order on compulsory retirement in 2001 from service for allegedly not adhering to instructions on uniform and turnout, specifically with regard to moustache.
Mr De, through advocate Sanjiv Sen, challenged the judgement of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court which set aside the single bench verdict holding that Indian Airlines had not exercised reasonably the power on regulation contained in the operation manual for cabin crew.
The petitioner submitted that he has been keeping a handlebar moustache as part of his family customs and spiritual faith and despite there being modifications in the operation manual from time to time for the cabin crew, he was not taken out of the flight duty till the 1998 criculars.
The poser by judges came when a decade-long moustache battle of a flight purser was taken to the apex court which expressed surprise over Indian Airlines��� decision to ground him for sporting the handlebar type and later retiring him compulsorily.
A bench comprising Justices H K Sema and Markandey Katju issued notices to the Centre and the Indian Airlines, which is now known as Indian, on the issue.
The purser submitted that after circulars were issued in June and July 1998 that cabin crew except those of Sikh faith should be clean-shaven with neatly trimmed moustache not grown beyond the upper lip, a letter was written to him to comply with the condition.
Joynath Victor De, who had joined Indian Airlines as Flight Steward and promoted to assistant manager in flight service in 1994, had challenged the decision not to assign him flight duties and an order on compulsory retirement in 2001 from service for allegedly not adhering to instructions on uniform and turnout, specifically with regard to moustache.
Mr De, through advocate Sanjiv Sen, challenged the judgement of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court which set aside the single bench verdict holding that Indian Airlines had not exercised reasonably the power on regulation contained in the operation manual for cabin crew.
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The petitioner submitted that he has been keeping a handlebar moustache as part of his family customs and spiritual faith and despite there being modifications in the operation manual from time to time for the cabin crew, he was not taken out of the flight duty till the 1998 criculars.
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