HC junks Turkiye aviation company's plea

NEW DELHI: Delhi high court bench of Justice Tejas Karia on Thursday dismissed a plea by the Turkish-owned company Celebi Ground Handling India Pvt Ltd against government's decision to revoke its security clearance. A copy of the detailed order is awaited.

Earlier this month, a different bench had dismissed petitions by Turkish firms Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd challenging the revocation of their security clearance by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety (BCAS), saying there were "compelling national security considerations" involved.

In May, BCAS had revoked the security clearance after Turkiye backed Pakistan and condemned India's strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country. The court on July 7 underlined the necessity to eliminate the possibility of espionage or dual use of logistics capabilities, which would be highly detrimental to the security of the country, especially in the event of an external conflict.

In its detailed ruling on the earlier petitions, the high court had upheld the govt's reasoning and decision.