Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Acid attack on AI security manager: four arrested

Thiruvananthapuram: The city police have arrested four persons, including Air India (AI) airport operations manager S. Rajeswaran, 55, in connection with the near fatal acid attack on AI security manager S.S. Batave in front of his rented house at Karikakam on April 4 evening.

The other suspects are Asok Kumar, 29, assistant manager of Universal Aviation (a private manpower supplying company which has a two-year contract for recruiting unskilled workers as baggage handlers for Air India), Santosh, 30, a suspect in several criminal cases, and Shojan, 30, an autorickshaw driver.

Assistant Commissioner of Police S. Sanal Kumar said Rajeswaran and Asok hired Santosh and Shojan to kill Mr. Batave.

He said Mr. Batave, an upright officer and stickler for rules, had opposed the “corrupt nexus” between Universal Aviation (UA) staff and S. Rajeswaran.

Investigators said Mr. Batave had expelled Alin Kumar, Asok’s brother and Universal Aviation baggage handler, for using a fake AI pass to enter the airport. He had reprimanded Asok for entering the airport on an off duty day.

Mr. Sanal said the UA promoted Asok to assistant manager to enable him get a permanent airport entry pass without any timing or area restrictions. Mr. Batave denied Asok the pass stating that Air India’s contract with the UA would end in December 2008 and the applicant’s conduct was not above board.

Mr. Batave sent a confidential letter to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in charge of airport security stating that certain “miscreants” working for the UA had stolen the “locking pins” of tractors used for manoeuvring parked aircraft.

The police said the letter was leaked to Asok, allegedly by a CISF official.

Mr. Batave insisted on police verification of persons recruited as baggage handlers by the UA and had expelled one of them for demanding money from a passenger.

The police said Mr. Batave earned Rajeswaran’s wrath when he contested the latter’s claim that he had hosted a lunch at Air India’s expense for CISF personnel in the wake of a recent bomb scare at the airport.

Mr. Batave wrote several letters to his superiors accusing Rajeswaran of corruption. (The Air India Internal Vigilance) is investigating some of the charges.

The police said Rajeswaran and Asok were close. They said Asok had been in constant touch with the assailants on mobile phone on the day of the attack.

Investigators said Asok had promised Santosh and Shojan money and employment at the airport for killing Batave. He allegedly supplied the sulphuric acid the suspects used for the attack.

The police said they would send a report to Air India requesting that the UA be blacklisted.

The suspects had been charged with conspiracy and attempted murder.

Mr. Sanal, Circle Inspector R. Mahesh and Assistant Sub-Inspector C. Mohanan investigated the case under the supervision of City Police Commissioner Ravada Azad Chandrasekhar.

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