New Delhi:Congress MLA Vinod Chandrakar from Mahasamund assembly of Chhattisgarh has been accused of humiliating a female staff of Air India at Raipur airport on August 7, after she did not allow him to board the plane as he reached airport late, as per the Air India's (AI) initial report.
"The boarding card of the MLA was taken out in advance at 17:36 hours. All the passengers were boarded except five passengers. Repeated announcement was made at the security hold area (SHA) and also check-in area at 18:12 hours," says the report.
The report further adds: "One passenger reported and informed that others were on way. Airport manager, Raipur, (female staff) of Air India along with Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL) in-charge, other Customer Service Agent (CSA) waited for them."
"Passengers did not show up till 18:13 hours, and all Airport Manager (APM) and others had gone to flight; trim was taken out at 18:15 hours; flight door closed at 18:18 hours, and flight took off 18:30 hrs," the Air India report says.
When an agency contacted Congress MLA Vinod to take his version about charges against him, he said over the phone: "I am an MLA. I know how to behave with a person. I reached the airport at around 17:30 hrs."
"My baggage was checked twice. Due to security checking of my baggage, I reached the final gate at 18:05 hrs. Due to twice security checking of mine and my staff baggage, we got late to reach the last gate. The female staff of Air India was shouting at me and did not allow us to board."
The Air India subsidiary company (Alliance Air) flight 9I-728 on August 7, from Raipur to Ranchi, was scheduled for 18:30 hrs but the MLA was denied to board the plane by Air India staff at Raipur Airport as he reported late at the airport.