New Delhi: A case has been registered against a former Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official and several companies and individuals by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with alleged corruption and criminal conspiracy.
The former DGCA employee has been identified as Capt. Anil Gill, the then Director of Flying Training (DFT).
According to the FIR, the CBI registered a regular case on August 21 under Sections 11 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, and Section 120B of the IPC.
A preliminary enquiry was registered on April 7, 2025, following a complaint against Gill alleging abuse of his official position while serving as Director of Flying Training at DGCA, the FIR stated.
It further mentioned that Gill allegedly extended undue official favours to select Flying Training Organisations (FTOs), causing detriment and pecuniary loss to other similarly placed operators.
According to the complaint, Gill facilitated procurement of training aircraft at nominal prices through benami/shell entities allegedly managed by his close relatives and subsequently arranged their lease to favoured FTOs at higher rates, generating alleged illicit pecuniary advantage.
Bluethroat Aero Global Pvt. Ltd. (BAGPL) was incorporated in 2016 with Gill’s mother and maternal aunt among its directors, while his cousin and sister-in-law subsequently joined the company, according to the FIR.
It also mentioned that other entities, including Sabres Corporate Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and Sandhills Aviation IFSC Pvt. Ltd., were incorporated with Gill’s relatives as directors.
The FIR stated that BAGPL acquired two Cessna aircraft for Rs 10 lakh and Rs 37.5 lakh respectively and that both aircraft were subsequently leased to Redbird Aviation Academy Pvt. Ltd. under approvals allegedly granted by Gill in his official regulatory capacity.
Between 2021 and October 2023, BAGPL allegedly generated more than Rs 2.16 crore in lease rentals from Redbird Aviation Academy alone, the FIR stated.
Regulatory favouritism in the approval process is registered in the FIR. Officials stated that Redbird Aviation Academy received its initial FTO approval within one month and three days, while approvals for competing entities allegedly took four to six months.
It also stated that Gill chaired a selection committee in September 2022 that appointed his cousin Vikas Nain as Deputy Chief Flying Instructor, who was subsequently employed by Redbird Aviation Academy at a monthly salary of approximately Rs 6.5 lakh.
The FIR stated that suspicious financial transactions were also detected involving Sabres Corporate Solutions and Sandhills Aviation IFSC, while Gill allegedly failed to disclose the involvement and employment of his close relatives in aviation-related activities.
“The CBI FIR names Capt. Anil Gill, Bluethroat Aero Global Pvt. Ltd., Redbird Aviation Academy Pvt. Ltd., Sabres Corporate Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Sandhills Aviation IFSC Pvt. Ltd., and other unknown public servants/private persons as accused,” officials said.
(IANS)
