Comedian Kunal Kamra Sends IndiGo A Legal Notice, Demands ₹25 Lakh From Airline

Seems like the dispute between comedian Kunal Kamra and journalist Arnab Goswami, and India's largest airline is here to stay.

Days after IndiGo banned Kamra for a six-month period for heckling Goswami on its Mumbai-Lucknow flight on January 28, he has sent a legal notice to the airline seeking to have the suspension revoked immediately, an unconditional apology through all media platforms and Rs 25 lakh compensation.

According to the notice, Kamra has demanded compensation on account of the 'mental pain and agony suffered' by him 'as well as the loses incurred on account of cancellation of his shows' due to the ban.

He has also sought action against the 'errant officials responsible for imposing the instant ban'.

Following IndiGo, three other airlines – Air India, SpiceJet and GoAir – also prohibited him from flying "until further notice".

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri issued an advisory to all carriers to take action against Kamra which led to the bans.

The pilot of the IndiGo aircraft, Rohit Mateti, had said he was disheartened by the action taken against Kamra solely on the basis of social media posts, without consulting him.

The legal notice to IndiGo's CEO Ronojoy Dutta said Goswami -- against whom Kamra's "exchanges" were directed did not lodge any complaint nor has he requested the intervention of the cabin crew at any point of time during the flight.

As per the 2017 rules of aviation regulator DGCA, if a passenger engages in any unruly behaviour, the pilot-in-command has to file a complaint and only then an internal committee of the airline can probe the matter and take punitive action based on findings of the investigation.

Since the pilot-in-command has not made any complaint against him and therefore, as per the regulations, no action can be initiated against him.

The 2017 DGCA rules state that a passenger who verbally assaults anyone is deemed as "level 1" unruly passenger and he or she can be banned up to a maximum of three months by the airline's internal committee.

Therefore even if Kamra is found guilty by the internal committee, the maximum penalty under the law is of three months.

"Thus the imposition of six months' ban is wholly illegal, manifestly arbitrary and non-est in law," The Economic Times quoted Kamra's lawyer Prashant Sivarajan as saying.

One week time has been given to IndiGo to respond to the legal notice, which has been reviewed by PTI.

Also Read: Indigo Pilot Who Flew Kamra, Goswami Alleges Social Media Post Forced Airlines To Ban Comedian