Refunds to all passengers hit by disruptions from Dec 3-5 processed, IndiGo tells DGCA
Mumbai (PTI): Domestic carrier IndiGo has processed refunds to all passengers affected by flight cancellations between December 3 and 5, aviation safety regulator DGCA said on Friday.
"Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is constantly engaging with domestic carrier IndiGo with respect to refunds and compensations provided to the affected passengers due to operational disruptions from December 3-5," it said.
"IndiGo informed that all refunds for IndiGo flight cancellations during the period of December 3rd to December 5 have been fully processed and cleared to the original source of payment," DGCA said in a statement.
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Further, as an additional measure to support affected passengers, the airline has extended a "gesture of care under which two travel vouchers of Rs 5,000 each are being provided with a validity of 12 months".
Passengers are entitled to compensation as per DGCA regulations that relate to "facilities" that are to be provided to passengers by airlines due to "denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights".
Meanwhile passengers' complaints regarding non-receipt of refunds for "the hundreds of flights cancelled abruptly between December 2-9 by the airline continue pouring in on the social media.
"Hey @IndiGo6E, I received an email to submit details for a flight cancellation in Dec to get a 5K refund per flight. It's been 10+ days since I submitted everything, but still no refund. Support hasn't been helpful. Please look into this urgently," a passenger said in a post on X, with a hashtag #RefundDelay, on Friday.
"Looking to connect with lawyers who have filed or are filing lawsuits against @IndiGo6E for the recent flight disruptions. Despite severe delays/ cancellations, I still have not received my refund," said another passenger in an X post on Thursday.
On December 9, Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu had told Parliament that "IndiGo was ordered to issue refunds promptly and more than Rs 750 crore has already reached passengers".
Following the large-scale disruptions in IndiGo operations, aviation watchdog DGCA set up a four-member committee headed by Joint Director General Sanjay K Brahmane to carry out a comprehensive review and assessment of the circumstances that led to the massive flight disruptions.
"We are not taking this situation easily. We are doing an inquiry. We will take very, very strict action not only for this situation but also as an example," Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu had said in Rajya Sabha on December 8.
The panel submitted its report to the DGCA on December 27 last year.
And on December 30, while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Bengaluru, he said, "The report has been submitted to the ministry. We are analysing the report, taking further comments from the DGCA, and we will follow up on the action on that."
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Two held in UP's Bijnor for contact with Pakistan linked Dubai handler
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Bijnor (PTI): Two men were arrested in this Uttar Pradesh district on Friday for allegedly being in touch with a Pakistan-linked handler based in Dubai, police said.
Circle Officer, Najibabad, Anjani Kumar Chaturvedi said Uvaid Malik and Jalal Haider were arrested following inputs on their alleged links with Aqib, a resident of Meerut currently staying in Dubai.
According to police, Aqib had earlier come into the spotlight after a video surfaced on Instagram purportedly showing him displaying an AK-47 rifle and explosives.
During interrogation, the arrested men allegedly told police that Aqib used to incite youngsters against Hindus and encourage anti-national activities, the officer said, adding that detailed questioning of the accused is underway.
On April 6, Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Jha said the video first surfaced in November last year. Aqib, a native of Sathla village in the Mawana area of Meerut, was allegedly seen in the video brandishing weapons.
Following the viral clip, a case was registered at the Nangal police station by sub-inspector Vinod Kumar. However, the then station house officer and investigating officer Satyendra Singh had recorded Aqib's statement and filed a final report, stating that the weapons seen in the video were toys, effectively giving him a clean chit.
Police said fresh developments have now revealed Aqib's suspicious links and the probe has been handed over to the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).
The SP said action has been taken against the officials concerned, with the then SHO and investigating officer suspended and Circle Officer Nitesh Pratap Singh removed from his post.
