New Delhi: The leaders of Air India pilots'
strike early this year, facing contempt proceedings for
defying court order to resume work, were on Friday asked by the
Delhi High Court to tell it by August 5 how they propose to
compensate the country for the "agony" caused by their stir.
A bench of justices BD Ahmed and Veena Birbal sought the
proposed course of action from the pilots' leaders,
questioning the bonafide of their written apology, which the
bench said, if accepted out rightly, will send a wrong message
to the society.
The bench sought the pilots' leaders proposed course
of action on a suggestion by amicus curiae Siddharth Luthra
that they may be asked to publicise their apology and perform
"community service within their domain of work."
"We are sitting here as representatives of society. If
we accept their apology, a wrong message will go out to the
society," the bench said refusing to accept the apology by the
pilots' leaders.
The bench asked Luthra to examine the text of the
pilot leaders' written apology and inform the court how they
will compensate the nation for the agony caused by their
agitation.
"The amicus curiae in this case will go through the
reply filed by each one of the pilots and will then advise the
court," the court said.
Nine leaders of the April-May 2010 strike, including
Indian Commercial Pilots' Association office bearers,
including its president President A S Bhinder, general
secretary Rishabh Kapoor and regional secretary Amitesh Ahuja,
are facing contempt of court proceeding for defying the May 2
order of the court to resume work in the interest of the
nation.
PTI
First Published: Friday, July 29, 2011, 18:58