- By Kamal Kumar
- Tue, 12 Dec 2023 11:56 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kirpan Rules In Flights: An IndiGo pilot has approached the Bombay High Court, petitioning the Union government to grant him the right to carry a 'kirpan' while flying the plane on duty. The kirpan is a short knife with a curved blade, worn as one of the five distinguishing signs of the Sikh Khalsa.
Angad Singh, the pilot and an employee of InterGlobe Aviation, the company operating IndiGo, argues in his petition filed before the Nagpur bench of the high court that carrying a kirpan is his religious right protected under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.
A division bench consisting of Justices Nitin Sambre and Abhay Mantri issued notices to both the Union government and the airline, seeking their responses. The bench has scheduled further hearings for January 29, 2024.
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Singh's lawyer, advocate Saahil Shyam Dewani, contends that the restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation need amendment. He points out that on March 12, 2022, the government issued guidelines allowing Sikh passengers to carry a kirpan of a specified size. However, these guidelines prohibit employees, including those belonging to the Sikh religion, working at airports or airlines from carrying a kirpan.
The petition argues that this restriction constitutes a violation of fundamental rights. Singh asserts that it is illogical to permit passengers to carry a kirpan on board while denying the same right to airline staff.
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In the earlier order, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security stated that only Sikh passengers will be allowed to carry the kirpan and no stakeholders and/or airline employees (including Sikhs) who are working in any terminal – be it domestic or international—will be allowed to carry kirpan on person.