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The Delhi High Court has dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the decision of government to allow Sikh passengers to carry kirpans (daggers) on domestic flights.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad pronounced its judgment today, dismissing the plea filed by Advocate Harsh Vibhore Singhal.
A detailed order is awaited.
The PIL challenged the notification issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) dated March 4, 2022, granting exceptional regulatory sanction to the people belonging to Sikh community for allowing them to carry kirpans on civilian flights.
As per the notification, Sikhs would be permitted to carry a kirpan, provided the length of its blade does not exceed six inches and its total length is not more than nine inches.
A corrigendum was later issued, allowing Sikhs working at the airports also to carry kirpans.
Singhal argued in his plea that carrying kirpans on a civilian aircraft will have dangerous ramifications on the safety of aviation.
He added that there have been numerous instances, where kirpans have been used as a weapon to hijack planes in the past.
The plea gave example of 1981 and 1984, when such hijacking was carried out and militants demanded release of prisoners arrested by the government.