Delhi HC Declines Kunal Kamra’s Plea Against His Flight Ban

Kunal Kamra, Arnab Goswami.

(Photo Courtesy: Pinterest)

The Delhi High Court on Friday, 20 March, declined to entertain stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra's plea challenging the flying ban imposed on him by Indigo, Vistara and other airlines for heckling journalist Arnab Goswami on board a flight.

Justice Naveen Chawla disapproved of Kamra’s behaviour on flight and said it cannot be permitted on an airline.

The court also declined Kamra's oral plea for an interim direction permitting him to fly on any of the airlines.

The court said it was not going to entertain the matter as multiple causes of action had been raised.

After the court made it clear it was not going to entertain the matter, Kamra's lawyers sought permission to withdraw the plea and approach the appellate authority against the ban by Indigo.

On 13 March, Vistara Airlines barred the comedian from its flights till 27 April.

Kamra took to Twitter to write, “Air vistara has also banned me now till the 27th April, following orders like they show... at a time where no one can fly, all I want to say is, neither am I sorry nor am I surprised, nor am I suffering...”

“Based on the order passed by an internal committee constituted by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd in compliance with the respective CAR and following due process, we have placed the passenger on our no-fly list until 27 April 2020,” said a Vistara spokesperson.

The decision came following Kunal Kamra’s confrontation with Arnab Goswami on Indigo Airlines in January. Thereafter, Kamra had been banned by all airlines except Vistara and AirAsia.

On 28 January, Kamra had posted a video on Twitter of him speaking to Goswami in a flight. In the video, he asked the journalist a number of questions in an extremely loud tone. He went on to ask him if he’s a journalist or a “coward”. He also said that Arnab had called him mentally unstable when he had first approached him.