A former Air India pilot is under serious scrutiny after being accused of taking salaries from both Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation during his deputation. The case involves Capt Atul Chandra, who served as Chief Flight Operations Inspector at the DGCA from 2014 to 2017. Officers on deputation are expected to receive pay only from the DGCA, and this rule is well known across the aviation sector.
Retired Air India employee Vyakant Rao filed a complaint saying Capt Chandra continued to draw his Air India salary along with his DGCA salary. The disputed amount is estimated at nearly three crore rupees. After the complaint reached the metropolitan magistrate court, Vile Parle police were ordered to register an FIR. The case now includes charges of cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, and use of forged documents.
Capt Chandra told reporters he did not know about the FIR at first. The complaint dates back to 2019, but progress has happened only now. During the period mentioned in the allegation, Air India was still a government-owned airline. The matter is sensitive because deputation rules exist to prevent any conflict of interest between pilots and the regulator.
The case shows how poor oversight and weak documentation can lead to major financial lapses. Investigators are now checking salary records and communication between Air India and the DGCA. They aim to find out whether the payments were knowingly taken and whether any documents were altered. Their findings will decide the next steps.
