Palsy patient still feels scared when boarding plane

Kolkata, April 19 (IANS) Forty-two-year-old Jeeja Ghosh, who was offloaded from a Spicejet flight a few months back for being a patient of cerebral palsy, Thursday said she still feels scared whenever she boards a plane and added that she has now learnt to overcome the incident.

Ghosh, a teacher at the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy, Kolkata was asked to deboard a Spicejet flight to Goa Feb 19 as the pilot reportedly found her unfit to fly alone. She was on her way to attending a conference in Goa.

"I want to forget the incident and go ahead in my life. A case has been filed in the Supreme Court against this. We need to raise awareness about the entire issue. We need to raise awareness that a person suffering from cerebral palsy can also take care of herself if she is provided with equal opportunities and rights," said Ghosh while addressing a press conference here.

When asked about her feeling regarding boarding a flight after the incident, Ghosh said: "I was scared when I boarded a flight after the incident. But I know how to overcome fear."

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation to order an enquiry into the incident.

The ministry has also demanded punishment for the people if found guilty as the incident constituted a "serious violation of Ghosh's rights".