'Overweight' AI stewardess approaches SC to get job back

New Delhi: An airhostess whose contract was not renewed because of her being ‘overweight’ today knocked the doors of the Supreme Court for getting her job back. Salome Singsit, 39, approached the apex court challenging the decision of Airline Allied Services Ltd, a subsidiary of Air India, alleging that the airline had arbitrarily refused to renew her contract. Agreeing to hear her plea, a bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi issued notice to the airline and sought its response on the allegation levelled by Singsit. [caption id=“attachment_760113” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] She moved the apex court against the order of Division Bench of the High Court which had quashed its single bench order directing the airline to give her flying or ground duties after getting her medical condition assessed by a medical board. Singsit, appointed as cabin crew in 1996, submitted in her plea that she went through numerous medical complications and got pregnant thrice during 2006-10 due to which she put on weight. The airline had said that she was not keeping well and had been overweight many times when she was serving as crew member. In her petition filed through advocate Ashwarya Sinha, she pleaded that she was ready to take ground duties but the airline refused to consider it and her contract was not renewed beyond December 31, 2010. A month thereafter she had approached Single Bench of Delhi High Court which had, on July 3, 2012, passed the order in her favour and directed the airline to constitute a  Medical Board to assess her health condition and accordingly give her flying or ground duties, as per suitability. The airline then challenged the order before a Division Bench which had, on September 12, 2012, set aside the Single Bench order. Singsit then approached the apex court against the order of the High Court. PTI