Why did Union Home Ministry shield the violations of Jet Airways?
Ignored security clearance of Bahrain National who continued to be the CEO for 7 years
Capt. Hameed Ali – Jet Airways
New Delhi, Recently the Union Home Ministry was directed by the Hon’ble Delhi High Court, to answer Kalchakra’s RTI, whether mandatory security clearance was given or not to Capt. Hameed Ali, COO/CEO of Jet Airways. It is disturbing that the MHA kept on refusing to share this information despite our repeated RTIs. Subsequently, on our petition Central Information Commission directed the MHA to reveal the information. Not adhering to CIC’s order the MHA challenged the same in the Delhi High Court. The Hon’ble Court on 27 July 2017 also accepted Kalchakra’s plea and directed the MHA to reveal the information to Kalchakra.
It is surprising that MHA ignored the fact that Capt. Hameed Ali continued to be the CEO/COO of Jet Airways from 2007 without obtaining the mandatory security clearance. It is obvious that the owner of Jet Airways Naresh Goyal must have greased several palms in the ministry to sweep this lapse on his part, under the carpet. Otherwise why MHA would not be concerned about such grave violation which can endanger the security of the country. On our RTIs, the stereo type reply of MHA was that, “this cannot be revealed due to ‘intelligence’ reasons”. While the Court came heavily upon the MHA for not sharing such a simple information in negative or affirmative. Finally, the MHA replied by stating, “It is informed that a proposal for security clearance in respect of Capt. Hameed Ali, proposed Director of Jet Airways was received in MHA on 07.10.2013 from MoCA and security clearance was granted 25.07.2014”. It is disturbing to know that for 7 good years Capt. Hameed Ali continued to be the CEO/COO of India’s largest private airline by compromising with the security of the nation and playing with the lives of millions of innocent travelers.
As per the law of the land any person holding a position of CEO/COO/CFO in an airline, has to obtain the mandatory security clearance from MHA, if he/she is a foreign national, which, is the case with Capt. Hameed Ali, who is a national of Bahrain and not an Indian citizen.
Interestingly enough, Mr. Naresh Goyal did not bother to seek security clearance for Capt. Ali for 7 years until we started shooting our RTIs to MoCA and MHA. The Editor-in-Chief of Kalchakra Vineet Narain wrote a syndicated column on this violation in Oct. 2015 (see box), which appeared in several regional dailies of the country. Yet, no cognizance was taken by the officials of MHA, why?
In a country like ours, where terrorism is a serious concern and any lapse on our security can play havoc with the lives of people, is it not shocking that the biggest private air career appointed a foreign national as its COO, by violating all rules and procedures related to security checks?
This is yet another example of the Jet-DGCA nexus. As per the Civil Aviation Requirement, Section 3 – Air Transport Series ‘C’ Part II,The positions of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and/or Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and/or Chief Operating Officer, if held by foreign nationals, would require to be security vetted by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The DGCA/MoCA have to obtain the NOC and issue the appointment letter for these positions.
But in the case of Capt. Hameed Ali, he was appointed as COO violating all norms by Naresh Goyal. Knowing fully well that Capt. Hameed Ali, a Bahrain national, the clearance from MHA was mandatory, all the officials of the MoCA/DGCA, be it the Secretary or the DG, turned a blind eye to this blatant violation and allowed Jet Airways to play with the security and safety of the nation.
After our intervention in 2015, Naresh Goyal and his team in an overnight action removed Hameed Ali from the post of COO and made him an advisor of Jet Airways. By doing this can they undo the deeds of Capt. Hameed Ali, which he did during his illegal tenure as COO in the past 7years?
We are not casting aspersions on Capt. Ali’s credentials but it is significant to mention that in the matters related to the national security and civil aviation, a possibility of a foreign national, connected with the underworld or terrorist outfits, deliberately violating the laws of the land to penetrate into the system cannot be ruled out. In this matter parliament and media has been kept in dark. The security of the nation has been dangerously compromised. Not only Naresh Goyal but the Minister of Civil Aviation, its Secretary and the DG of DGCA are also equally responsible for this anti-national activity.
Actually, Naresh Goyal has laid his web of corrupt deeds in such a way that be it any important bureaucrat or politician in the Govt. they are hand in glove with him. That is why the officials of Jet Airways fearlessly say that Kalchakra News Bureau can’t even touch them with a barge-pole.
