IndiGo bars CPI(M) leader E.P. Jayarajan, two others from flying over in-flight protest

E.P. Jayarajan and two Youth Congress activists engaged in a scuffle onboard when the latter tried to protest against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who was also present in the flight on June 13.

IndiGo airline has barred senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader E.P. Jayarajan and two Youth Congress activists from flying with the airline over their alleged unruly behaviour onboard a flight in which Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was travelling to Thiruvananthapuram from Kannur.

The ban is up to three weeks for Mr. Jayarajan, who is also the convenor of the Left Democratic Front in Kerala, from travelling on international as well as domestic flights of IndiGo, while the Congress workers were slapped with a travel ban of two weeks.

The incident allegedly took place on June 13 when the two Congress activists protested against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan aboard the aircraft when it landed at Thiruvananthapuram international airport. They raised slogans and rushed towards Mr. Vijayan. Mr. Jayarajan, who was accompanying the chief minister, then blocked the aisle and pushed back Kannur district Youth Congress secretary Naveen Kumar and Mattannur block president Farzeen Majeed.

The no-fly notice served to Mr. Majeed stated that the conduct of the Youth Congress workers amlunted to unruly behaviour as per the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR). While passing the order, an internal committee which probed the incident held that the actions of the respondents were acts of ‘Level I’ unruly behaviour (physical gestures, verbal harassment, unruly inebriation, etc.). “ The Committee unanimously holds the unruly passengers guilty of Level I offence under the CAR and, further in view of the repenting attitude of the respondents, this committee holds that the passengers shall be banned for a period of 2 (two) weeks from the date of passing of this order from taking any IndiGo flights to/from/within or outside India.”

The action of Jayarajan was considered as a Level 2 offence, which involves physically abusive behaviour (pushing, kicking, hitting, grabbing or inappropriate touching or sexual harassment, etc.), according to airline sources. The no-fly rule unveiled in 2017 has a provision for banning an unruly passenger from a minimum of three months to a maximum of two years, depending on the severity of the incident.

The ban, which is currently under effect, is likely to end on July 30 for the Congress workers. However, Mr. Jayarajan denied reports that he was served no-fly notice by the airline.