New Delhi, May 21 (HS): The Turkish company Celebi Airport Services India Private Limited has challenged the central government’s order to revoke its security clearance in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday. The company stated in the High Court that the government’s order is illegal and arbitrary. Justice Sachin Datta will also hear the matter on May 22.
The central government had revoked the company’s security clearance after Operation Sindoor, which conducts ground handling operations at airports in the country. Challenging this decision in the High Court, Celebi stated that the Indian government’s decision is misleading and unwarranted. This decision by the government would undermine the confidence of foreign investors and affect 3,800 Indian employees. The petition mentioned that although Celebi is owned by a Turkish entity, its management and control are in the hands of an Indian team. Celebi stated that it has maintained a clean track record of nearly a decade in ground handling at India’s airports.
During the hearing, senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, representing Celebi, said that they were neither given notice nor heard before the security clearance was revoked. Rohatgi referenced Rule 12 of the Aircraft Security Rules and stated that the central government violated the principle of natural justice. Under this rule, the Director General of Civil Aviation suspends the security clearance and hears from the concerned company. If the Director General believes that national security is at risk, they can revoke the security clearance.
Rohatgi emphasized that it is mandatory to hear the concerned company’s side according to the Aircraft Security Rules. He noted that all employees working for Celebi are Indian. During the hearing, Mukul Rohatgi remarked that someone’s employment should not be taken away based on public perception. Celebi is not a disreputable company; it has been operating in India for 17 years. He stated that no notice was given before revoking the company’s security clearance.
Earlier, during the hearing on May 19, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the central government, stated that an enemy might try ten times and succeed once, but the country must succeed every time.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
