Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 4: Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Srinagar today summoned Spicejet Sales Head for non-cooperation in investigation regarding sale of tickets at inflated prices.
The summons were issued against Satyajit Mohapatra, Sales Head Spicejet North Sector regarding the sale of tickets at inflated prices to customers through travel agents, who in connivance with airlines staff create an artificial scarcity of tickets.
The court directed the Sales Manager to produce the relevant data within a span of 15 days failing which a warrant against him will be issued.
An official in Crime Branch said that Spicejet was not co-operating with the investigation process. A Case (FIR no. 03/2020, u/s 420, 468, 471, 409, 120-B, IPC) has been registered in Crime Branch Kashmir Crime Branch early this year summoned the Sales Managers and other sales staff of all the airlines operating from Srinagar Airport for questioning regarding the ticket sales at exorbitant rates.
The Travel Agents in Jammu and Kashmir in connivance with the Airlines have been fleecing people in Kashmir and tourist by selling them air tickets at exorbitant rates during peak of tourist season and in winters when the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway gets closed.
The travel agents were buying group tickets in bulk from the airlines and then selling them at exorbitant prices. They were selling the group tickets to individuals without their knowledge which is against Director General Civil Aviation norms.
As per the DGCA norms, the travel agents have to give the names of the group travellers in 7 days in advance and most of the group travellers are related. But they were selling group tickets a couple of days before the travel date at exorbitant rates and airlines helping them in blocking these tickets. The Airlines’ staff was helping them in such sales for which they were getting their share.