The Airport Authority Employees Union (AAEU) has denied the allegation that airport employees had prevented air traffic by parking their vehicles on the runway following a showdown with the security personnel at Calicut International Airport, Karipur, on Wednesday night.
Gates closed
AAEU general secretary Balraj Singh Ahlawat, joint secretary G. Venkita Ramana, regional secretary Maurice Romal Roy, and Calicut airport secretary P. Soban told mediapersons at the airport on Friday that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) employees had no way but to run for cover in the airside as Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) men had closed all gates of the airport.
They said that they did not have to disrupt the air traffic as they were the ones operating the traffic at the airport.
Bias by police alleged
They accused the police of bias in the investigation. They said the police were trying to reach inferences without examining the closed-circuit television footage of the violence in which CISF constable S.S. Yadav was shot dead.
“Those in custody are the innocent staff who had begged the police to save them from the attack of the security personnel,” they said.
The office-bearers questioned the propriety of a security inspector taking his arms against a group of unarmed employees.
“The police should take action only after closely watching the camera footage of the incident,” they said.
