 "Accused of 'racism' by Harbhajan Singh, expat pilot sends legal notice to cricketer, Jet Airways")
Mumbai: A former expat pilot with the Jet Airways, sacked for allegedly making racial comments, has sent a defamation notice to cricketer Harbhajan Singh, besides two passengers whose “false complaint” cost him his job. [caption id=“attachment_3708067” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Harbhajan Singh. AFP[/caption] He has also sent a notice to the airline for terminating his contract on the basis of a “false complaint”, his lawyer said. Singh had alleged that Bernd Hosselin, the pilot, “assaulted” a woman passenger and hurled “racial abuse” at another on a domestic flight two months ago. “The ground (for notice) is two-fold. One for Jet Airways for acting on the false complaint of Puja, Jatin (two passengers involved in the alleged incident), and then Harbhajan intervening. Based on their intervention that man was wrongly removed from the service,” said Samit Shukla of DSK Legal, which is representing Hosselin. “We have issued defamation notices to these three individuals and to Jet Airways because they acted on a false complaint for them to take remedial measures,” he said. He did not elaborate on what these remedial measures could be. Jet Airways spokesperson refused to comment, while Singh could not be reached for his reaction. The former India player, who was not on the flight where the alleged incident took place, tweeted about it after coming to know of it from a Facebook post. Singh had tweeted:
So called this Bernd Hoesslin a pilot with @jetairways called my fellow indian(u bloody indian get out of my flight)while he is earning here
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 26, 2017
In another tweet he had said:
Not only was he racist but physically assaulted a lady and abused a physically challenged man..absolutely disgraceful &shame on @jetairways
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 26, 2017
Singh had demanded strong action, and stating that such actions should be tolerated in India in another tweet. He had said:
Strict action must b taken &such things should not be allowed or tolerated in r country.. #proudtobeindian let's get together and sort this
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 26, 2017
The alleged incident had taken place on 6 April. Jet Airways subsequently terminated the service contract of the pilot.
