Sharma had joined Air India’s UK office as regional director for the UK and rest of Europe. During his tenure between 2001 and 2006, revenue of the airline shot up to Rs 519 crore from Rs 197 crore in 2001, the highest recorded by the airline’s UK office ever. Sharma had relinquished official duty in the London office after serving for two additional years and just three days before the article appeared on August 3, 2006.

“The question of appeal is being considered with our lawyers. The court has given us 14 days to decide on the appeal,” said a spokesperson from The Evening Standard.

Sharma, who has now been promoted as executive director, sales & marketing and head of global operations, ground handling,

Air-India, will return to Mumbai next week to assume his new office. “Because I was trying to get the right things done in London for Air-India, people had problems with me,” he said. “My wife and daughter attended every single day of the trial to watch that rubbish.”