Govt knew about Kalam incident,had issued show cause notice

A day after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security filed an FIR against Continental Airlines for frisking former President A P J Abdul Kalam,the government on Wednesday said it knew about the incident and had issued a show cause notice to the airline on July 9. “The BCAS after getting the information in time,first conducted an inquiry and then issued the show cause notice on July 9 and yesterday they filed an FIR also (against Continental Airlines),” Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told reporters here. “BCAS was doing its job,whatever was necessary and that is why I said that yesterday was only July 21,the show cause notice had been issued already on July 9. This shows that the preliminary inquiry was being done and based on that,further action is being taken,” he added.

The 77-year-old former President was frisked in violation of the mandatory protocol at Delhi International airport before he was to board the US-bound Continental Airline flight on April 21. The staff of the airline frisked him after which he was allowed to board the plane.