In a significant legal development, Angad Singh, a pilot with IndiGo Airlines, has petitioned the Bombay High Court, seeking permission to carry a ‘kirpan’ within airports. Singh argues that his constitutional right, as per Article 25, to carry the religiously significant short sword is being violated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s restrictions.
Singh’s case revolves around the DGCA’s notification on March 4, 2022, allowing Sikhs to carry kirpans within specific size limits. Despite a corrigendum issued on March 12, 2022, relaxing these restrictions, Singh claims that the CISF has confiscated his kirpan inside airports, citing non-compliance with regulations.
In support of his plea, Singh refers to a December 2022 Delhi High Court judgment in the Harsh Vibhore Singhal case, which emphasizes the elimination of discrimination between Sikh passengers and stakeholders working at airports.
Singh’s argument questions the logic behind allowing passengers to carry kirpans while restricting stakeholders like him. He contends, “The passengers being permitted to carry kirpan defies logic and reasoning why the petitioner should be deprived of carrying the kirpan while travelling.”
Seeking corrective guidelines, Singh requests the Ministry of Civil Aviation to amend the March 4, 2022, order, eliminating confusion about kirpan permissions for stakeholders within airports.
The Bombay High Court has issued notices to the concerned authorities, and the next hearing is scheduled for January 29, 2024.
