IndiGo Pilot Petitions Bombay HC for Kirpan Permission at Airports and Onboard Aircraft

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has taken notice of a plea by Angad Singh, an IndiGo Airlines pilot, seeking permission to carry a ‘kirpan’ within airports. The court, led by Justice Nitin W Sambre and Justice Abhay J Mantri, responded to Singh’s argument that his right to carry the religiously significant short sword, as per Article 25 of the Constitution, is being infringed.

Singh contended that the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s restrictions, even after a corrigendum to the March 12, 2022, order, need correction. He pointed to a DGCA notification on March 4, 2022, allowing Sikhs to carry kirpans, with specific size restrictions, which was further relaxed in the March 12, 2022, corrigendum.

Despite these directives, Singh claimed that the CISF has not permitted him to carry his kirpan inside airports, leading to its confiscation by the Airport Authority. In response, he communicated his challenges to the CISF and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Supporting his case, Singh referenced a December 2022 Delhi High Court judgment in the Harsh Vibhore Singhal case, emphasizing that there should be no discrimination between Sikh passengers and stakeholders working at airports.

Singh’s plea argued, “The very act of the respondents in not permitting the petitioner to carry kirpan while travelling even when passengers are allowed to carry the same is illogical. It is easier to control and monitor the actions of stakeholders and employees, such as the petitioner, rather than passengers. The passengers being permitted to carry kirpan defies logic and reasoning why the petitioner should be deprived of carrying the kirpan while travelling.”

He sought directions from the Ministry of Civil Aviation to issue corrective guidelines, eliminating any confusion about permissions for stakeholders carrying kirpans inside airports. Singh requested the ministry to amend a specific entry in the March 4, 2022, order to allow him and others working at airports to carry a Kirpan.

The Bombay High Court has issued notices to the concerned authorities, and the next hearing is scheduled for January 29, 2024