11/20/22, 1:39 PM Kerala High Court calls for action against private firm which offered helicopter service

licopter service to Sabarimala without permit

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Kerala High Court calls for action against private

firm which offered helicopter service to Sabarimala
without permit
The Court directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to inform pilgrims through
its Virtual-Q platform that no tour operator in the aviation sector has been granted
permission for helicopter facilities at Nilakkal.

Sabarimala Temple

Giti Pratap

Published on : 20 Nov 2022 7:28 am 2 min read

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11/20/22, 1:39 PM Kerala High Court calls for action against private firm which offered helicopter service to Sabarimala without permit
Published on : 20 Nov, 2022, 7:28 am 2 min read

In a special sitting convened on Saturday, the Kerala High Court barred a private
civil aviation firm from offering Helicopter services to Sabarimala pilgrims and
called for the concerned authorities to take immediate action against firms
trying to offer such services.

A division bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and PG Ajithkumar noted that

the temple, which sees an enormous amount of footfall in the ongoing Mangala
Makaravilakku festival season, is situated in a difficult forest terrain prone to
natural disasters.

It further noted that Sabarimala was also declared a Special Security Zone by
the State government through a recent order to enable the Police to ensure a
safe, secure and hassle-free pilgrimage during the festival season.

However, it found that a Limited Liability Partnership called Enhance Aviation

Services Ltd. was offering Helicopter service packages to Nilakkal, Sabarimala,
without obtaining necessary permissions from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the
District Administration, the District Police, or the Travancore Devaswom Board.

The bench, therefore, directed the Devaswom Board to inform pilgrims through
its virtual-Q platform that no tour operator in the aviation sector has been
granted permission for helicopter facilities at Nilakkal, for the time being.

The aviation service firm was also directed to publish the same on its website,
'helikerala.com'

The Court passed the order on the proceedings it had initiated suo motu, based
on some news reports regarding the helicopter services that were supposedly
being offered by the firm.

The matter was first taken up on Friday when the government pleader and the
counsel for the Devaswom Board informed it that they were neither aware of
any such facilities nor had granted any permissions to the concerned firm.

The Court had then posted the case for consideration on Saturday.

At the special sitting convened on Saturday, the Court noted that the counsel
for the firm was unable explain the circumstances in which a misleading
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11/20/22, 1:39 PM Kerala High Court calls for action against private firm which offered helicopter service to Sabarimala without permit
for the firm was unable explain the circumstances in which a misleading
advertisement was released by it regarding ‘Sabarimala Ayyappa Darshan
Helicopter Service Package’, which is inclusive of darshan, dolly service, taxi
service from Nilakkal to Pamba, etc.

He further submitted that the firm will no longer be proceeding with the
service.

While the Court recorded this undertaking, it made it clear that it would not
absolve the firm from being proceeded against in accordance with law.

The Court directed the Devaswom Board, District Colelctor, and District Police
Chief to submit action taken reports on the issue. It also directed the Deputy
Solicitor General of India to get necessary instructions from the Ministry of
Civil Aviation, on the operation of helicopter services in an area which is
notified as a Special Security Zone.

The Court will take up the matter again on Monday, September 21.

[Read Order]

Attachment

PDF Suo Motu v UoI Sabarimala helicopter.pdf

Preview

Sabarimala Kerala High Court Helicopters Justice Anil K narendran

Justice PG Ajithkumar

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11/20/22, 1:39 PM Kerala High Court calls for action against private firm which offered helicopter service to Sabarimala without permit

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