INDIA BUSINESS WORLD - FEBRUARY 1st - FEBRUARY 15st - 2008
SC NOTICE TO CENTRE, INDIAN ON DISMISSAL OF STAFF OVER MOUSTACHE
How can a person with a moustache be removed, a surprised Supreme Court has asked.
The poser by judges came when a decade-long moustache battle of a flight purser was taken to the apex court. The judges expressed surprise over Indian Airlines’ decision to ground him for sporting the handlebar type moustache, and later retiring him compulsorily.
A bench comprising Justices H K Sema and Markandey Katju issued notices to the Centre and the Indian Airlines, which is now known as Indian, on the issue.
Joynath Victor De, purser, submitted that after circulars were issued in June and July 1998 that cabin crew except those of Sikh faith should be clean-shaven with neatly trimmed moustache not grown beyond the upper lip, a letter was sent to him to comply with the condition.
Mr. De, who had joined Indian Airlines as Flight Steward and was promoted as assistant manager in flight service in 1994, had challenged the decision not to assign him flight duties and an order on compulsory retirement from service in 2001 for allegedly not adhering to instructions on uniform and turnout, specifically with regard to moustache.
Mr. De, through advocate Sanjiv Sen, challenged the judgement of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court which set aside the single bench verdict holding that Indian Airlines (Indian) had not exercised reasonably the power on regulation contained in the operation manual for cabin crew.
The petitioner submitted that he has been keeping a handlebar moustache as part of his family customs and spiritual faith, and despite there being modifications in the operation manual from time to time for the cabin crew, he was not taken out of the flight duty till after the 1998 criculars.
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