Grounded pilot held for forgery

Failing to clear mandatory tests, Indigo Airline captain faked her result card to get flying permit

Failing to clear mandatory tests, Indigo Airline captain faked her result card to get flying permit

The police have arrested 38- year-old Parminder Kaur Gulati, a pilot with Indigo Airline, for submitting fake documents to get her flying permit.


Indigo airline pilot Parminder Kaur Gulati, who was arrested by Delhi
police on charges of forgery, being taken tou00a0 Saket court in New Delhi
on Wednesday.u00a0Pic/ Subhash Barolia

Gulati, a wife of an IPS officer, had made a rough landing at Goa airport in January following which Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had instituted an inquiry. During inquiry it was also found that she had allegedly faked papers to get her licence. The DGCA had then cancelled her commercial pilot's licence and filed a police complaint against her.

"We received a complaint from the Director of Training & Licensing, Civil Aviation Department that Capt Parminder Kaur Gulati had managed to get the Airlines Transport Pilot License (ATLP) on forged documents," said Ashok Chand, DCP (Crime Branch).

"Based on the complaint, we registered an FIR against the accused. During initial investigation and scrutiny of the documents, it emerged that the result card of Pilot License Examination submitted by Capt Gulati as proof of passing Air Navigation and Radio Aids and Instruments subjects in January 2009 session for obtaining ALTP license was forged. In fact she had failed in Air Navigation and was absent in the other paper of Radio Aids and Instruments in January 2009 session.
u00a0
Further investigation revealed that she had again appeared for the same subjects in April 2009 session and July 2009 session but had failed on the both occasions," Chand added.

To have an Airlines Transport Pilot License, a pilot has to clear three subjects --- Aviation Meteorology, Air Navigation and Radio Aids & Instruments. Gulati had cleared Aviation Meteorology in April, 2008 but despite repeated attempts could not clear Air Navigation and Radio Aids & Instruments.

"On November 4, 2009, she submitted forged result card of having passed Air Navigation and Radio Aids & Instruments exams to DGCA and on November 16, 2009 she was issued ATPL License. We arrested her on Tuesday ," Chand added.

A graduate from DU in 1995, Gulati got her Private Pilot Licence from Delhi Flying Club in 1997 and her Commercial Pilot License from the same club in 1998. In May, 2006, she joined Air Deccan as co-pilot and in Nov 2007 Indigo Airlines as co-pilot.

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