Hyderabad: Indigo on Wednesday lifted the flying ban imposed on Anantapur TD MP J.C. Diwakar Reddy after airline staff met him at the residence of Union minister Y.S. Chowdary in Delhi in the afternoon. Air India and Spicejet followed soon after.
Mr Chowdary told this newspaper that the issue was “amicably resolved” and both the parties had been told to exercise restraint. “I cannot disclose the details of the agreement,” he said.
Mr Diwakar Reddy’s options include proceeding against Indigo through a privilege notice in the Lok Sabha or filing a defamation case against the airline.
The MP said he had neither orally nor in writing tendered any apology to the airline for his alleged misbehaviour at the Visakhapatnam airport on June 15.
He said he would await the outcome of the hearing on his plea at the Hyderabad HC challenging the ban, which is scheduled to come up on July 21, before deciding on the next step.
JC to sue channels for ‘defaming’ him
Mr Diwakar Reddy said he would proceed against two Telugu TV channels for branding him a “rowdy” by filing defamation cases against him.
The conciliation meeting came a day after the Hyderabad High Court issued urgent notices to several airlines, the ministry of civil aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on a petition filed by Mr Reddy challenging the ban.
According to agency reports, Indigo in a statement said the issue had been “amicably resolved” and that the airline had decided to lift the ban with immediate effect, and that Mr Reddy would withdraw the case. The Federation of Indian Airlines was also informed about the decision, it said.
The report of the incident is with the Civil Aviation ministry. IndiGo sources said the Vizag police had not register an FIR. With no action from any quarter, IndiGo apparently had to buckle to pressure.
