Indigo pilot moves Bombay High Court for permission to carry Kirpan at work

A pilot working with Indigo airlines has moved the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court for directions to the Central government to permit him to carry a 'kirpan' in airports and while flying plane [Angad singh v. Union of India & Ors.]..A kirpan is a curved dagger that Khalsa Sikhs carry as a part of their religious uniform.Passengers belonging to Sikh faith are already permitted to carry Kirpan during air travel. The petitioner, Angad Singh, working with Inter Globe Aviation, the company operating Indigo airlines, claimed that Sikh persons working in aviation industry should also be allowed to carry Kirpan and the same is protected by Article 25 of the Constitution of India which guarantees religious freedom. A division bench of Justices Nitin Sambre and Abhay Mantri issued notice to the Ministry of Aviation, the Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security on December 11 and sought their responses. The case will be heard next on January 29, 2024..Advocate SS Dewani, appearing for Singh, informed the Court about a notification issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation on March 4, 2022 giving 'exception regulatory sanction' to air passengers belonging to Sikh community to carry kirpans on civilian flights.The notification stated that Sikhs will be allowed to carry a kirpan provided the length of its blade does not exceed six inches and its total length is not more than nine inches. A corrigendum issued later on March 12, 2022 allowed even Sikh persons working at airports to carry kirpan..However, the order of March 4 did not reflect the corrigendum of March 12 and hence, the CISF was not permitting Singh to carry kirpan inside the airport, it was contended. Singh also said that his kirpan was also confiscated and retained by the airport authority. He addressed communications to the CISF and aviation ministry bringing to their knowledge the difficulties he was facing while fulfilling his professional duties. Singh relied upon the judgment of the Delhi High Court which observed that there should be no discrimination between Sikh passengers and stakeholders working at airports. "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 logic or reasoning as it is easier to control and monitor the actions of the stakeholders and employees such as the petitioner rather than to monitor the passengers who are travelling in the flight. The passengers being permitted to carry kirpan it defies logic and reasoning why the petitioner should be deprived of carrying the kirpan while travelling," his petition underscored. .The petitioner sought directions to the aviation ministry to remove any confusion regarding granting permissions to stakeholders for carrying kirpans inside airports.Singh also specifically sought directions to the aviation ministry to amend the particular entry in March 4 order which would permit Singh and other similarly placed stakeholders working at airports and in airline industry to carry their kirpan at work. .[Read Order]