In a major embarrassment to Air India, the national carrier’s Regional Director for East, Captain Rohit Bhasin was suspended after a complaint was filed against him by Australian Regional Manager about shoplifting. Bhasin, who is also a pilot of Air India, was caught shoplifting a wallet from a duty-free shop at Sydney airport.
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According to an Air India spokesperson, an inquiry has been initiated by the airline into the incident that took place yesterday.
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The incident reportedly happened before Captain Bhasin was to operate the flight AI301 from the Sydney airport. Swift action was taken by the concerned authorities and he was suspended. Apart from suspension, he has also been barred from entering the premises of Air India without written permission of the management and he was also asked to surrender his company identity card and not to take employment anywhere else.
“It has been reported by Reginal Manager Australia that you allegedly committed an act of shoplifting from a duty-free shop at Sydney airport before the departure of flight AI301 on 22nd June 2019 from Sydney airport for which you were restored as one of the Commanders. Without prejudice to any disciplinary action to be initiated against you and pending inquiry, you are hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect”, the suspension order issued by Air India stated.
The Air India spokesperson said that the airline laid the highest stress on the proper conduct of its staff and had a zero-tolerance policy towards acts of impropriety.
Rohit Bhasin’s family is a pilot’s family, and they are known as the flying family, as his wife, and their two children, son and daughter, are also pilots. Bhasin’s father was one of the 7 pilots in the country to become a commander in 1954.