HC seeks reply on PIL over Radhe Maa carrying trident on plane

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Centre and Maharashtra government to file their affidavits in reply to a PIL seeking action against self-styled Godwoman Sukhwinder Kaur alias Radhe Maa for carrying a trident in her hands while travelling in a flight.

The PIL, filed by social worker, Ramesh Joshi claimed that Radhe Maa had flouted civil aviation rules by carrying trident in her hands while boarding a flight by a private airlines from Aurangabad to Mumbai on August 9.

A division bench of justices VM Kanade and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi asked Joshi to include Radhe Maa as a party respondent to the petition and serve a copy of the PIL to her.

The court directed the Centre and state government and Radhe Maa to file their affidavits by November 18.

The petition alleged that the police authorities and the Maharashtra Home Ministry had failed to register FIR against the Godwoman despite complaints filed before them.

Carrying of trident (which can also be used as a weapon) in a flight is prohibited under the civil aviation rules and allowing a person to carry this instrument on an aircraft amounts to an offence, said the PIL.