Chopper firm's director moves court over curbs

New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) A director and a shareholder of Global Vectra Helicorp, the aviation arm of the Ravi Rishi-led Vectra Group, Thursday moved the Delhi High Court against the suspension of its permit to fly choppers.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) May 7 suspended the firm's operating permit after the home ministry raised security concerns.

The court is already hearing the plea of Global Vectra Helicorp against the DGCA's order.

On Thursday, the company's director Raj Menon and shareholder Rohit Hans, who holds 960 shares in the company, approached Justice Vipin Sanghi to protect their rights.

The court would next hear the case Friday.

Senior advocate Parag P. Tripathy, appearing for the petitioners, contended that while issuing the May 7 order no reason was given by the DGCA.

He said that the home ministry informed the DGCA that security clearance of Ravi Rishi had been withdrawn. The DGCA then suspended the non-scheduled chopper operator's permit.

"This is the commercial operation of the company, I have to fly to Vaishno Devi to take pilgrims there, and have to operate onshore and offshore operations for oil companies. Commercial operation can not be stopped," Tripathy said.

He said that because of Ravi Rishi the whole company could not be come to an end.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against Ravi Rishi, who was one of the directors of the company and had three percent stake in it, cannot be the basis for blacklisting a company which had been supplying choppers for various purposes in the country since 1998, he argued.

The CBI is currently probing the alleged role of Rishi, London-based Vectra Group's chairperson, in connection with the multi-crore rupee deal for the heavy-duty all-terrain Tatra trucks for the army and the bribery allegations made by the army chief, Gen. V.K. Singh.

With a fleet of 23 choppers, the company operates onshore and offshore operations for oil companies and also caters to tourists in northeast India.