The CBI booked a former DGCA official and aviation firms for alleged corruption, undue favours to flying schools and suspicious aircraft transactions.
The CBI has registered a case against a former Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official and several aviation-related companies for allegedly abusing his official position, extending undue favours to select flying training organisations and facilitating suspicious aircraft transactions.
The FIR alleged that the probe uncovered a “systematic network of corporate entities” controlled and managed by the immediate and extended family of Captain Anil Gill, then director of flying training at the DGCA.
Bluethroat Aero Global Pvt. Ltd was incorporated in 2016 with Gill’s mother and maternal aunt as directors, while his cousin and sister-in-law joined the company later, the FIR said.
Two other companies, Sabres Corporate Solutions Pvt. Ltd and Sandhills Aviation IFSC Pvt. Ltd, were also allegedly incorporated with Gill’s relatives as directors.
The case was registered on Friday against Gill, Bluethroat Aero Global, Redbird Aviation Academy Pvt. Ltd, Sabres Corporate Solutions and Sandhills Aviation IFSC, besides unidentified public servants and private individuals.
The FIR followed a complaint received by the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch in Delhi on August 17. The complaint was based on a preliminary inquiry registered on April 7, 2025, following a complaint by Captain J.S. Dhillon, managing director of Global Avianautics Ltd, after approval was obtained under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to the FIR, Gill abused his position in collusion with directors and shareholders of the four companies and extended undue official favours to select flying training organisations, causing financial loss to similarly placed operators.
It alleged that Gill facilitated the purchase of training aircraft at nominal prices through “benami/shell entities managed by his close relatives” and arranged to lease them to favoured flying training organisations at exorbitant rates. This allegedly generated “massive kickbacks” and illicit financial benefits and amounted to gross official misconduct.
The FIR also cited suspicious aircraft purchases by Bluethroat Aero Global. The company acquired a Cessna aircraft for Rs 10 lakh in 2020 and another for Rs 37.5 lakh in 2021. Although the second aircraft was fully operational and had logged only 123 engine hours, it was allegedly bought for much less than its estimated market value of Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
Both aircraft were subsequently leased to Redbird Aviation Academy under approvals granted by Mr Gill in his regulatory capacity.
Between 2021 and October 2023, Bluethroat Aero Global earned more than Rs 2.16 crore in lease rentals from Redbird alone, reflecting “disproportionately high returns on minimal capital investment”, the FIR alleged.
The FIR also alleged regulatory favouritism and procedural irregularities. It said Redbird Aviation Academy received initial approval within one month and three days, excluding time taken to correct compliance deficiencies, while competing entities such as Skynex Aero and Jet Serve Aviation waited four to six months.
Gill allegedly approved Redbird’s training and procedure manual before its official acceptance date, while competitor GATI’s application for aircraft induction was kept pending without reasons being recorded.
The FIR said Gill chaired a selection committee in September 2022 that appointed his cousin Vikas Nain as deputy chief flying instructor. Nain was later employed by Redbird Aviation Academy at a monthly salary of about Rs 6.5 lakh.
It also cited suspicious financial transactions involving Sabres Corporate Solutions and Sandhills Aviation IFSC, which financed and mortgaged aircraft rented to flying training organisations regulated by the DGCA’s director of flying training.
Bank statements allegedly showed several transactions between Bluethroat Aero Global and members of Gill’s family. He also allegedly failed to disclose the involvement and employment of close relatives in aviation activities, violating mandatory DoPT conduct rules and DGCA directions.
The FIR said the facts prima facie disclosed cognisable offences punishable under Sections 11 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, and provisions relating to criminal conspiracy.
