Air India cancels Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad's ticket twice in a day

NEW DELHI/PUNE: “No means no.” Air India’s Maharaja conveyed this message loud and clear to Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Tuesday by cancelling his ticket yet again, twice.
An unrepentant Gaikwad tried to book the 8am AI flight from Mumbai to Delhi (AI 806) for Wednesday. AI found out and cancelled his ticket. Then, AI sources say, the MP tried to book a seat from Hyderabad to Delhi on Flight AI 551 for Wednesday, which was also cancelled.The MP beat an AI staffer with a sandal 25 times last Thursday and tried to throw him off the ladder.
“The MP has open tickets and attempts were made to endorse them for these flights. We are ascertaining how many open tickets and frequent flyer tickets have been issued to the MP so that those could be cancelled,” said an airline source. “We have instructions not to allow the MP on any of our flights. He can try to get his open tickets endorsed (get confirmation to fly on a flight) but he will not be able to fly,” said a senior AI official.
Gaikwad, who had left Delhi by train last Friday after first AI and then IndiGo cancelled his booking to Pune, reportedly took a train to Delhi on Tuesday. Air India, along with private airlines like Jet, IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and Vistara, has decided not to allow Gaikwad on their flights.
Gaikwad had made known his plan to go to Delhi on Wednesday after celebrating Gudi Padwa. All airlines were on the lookout for anyone with that name booking a ticket from either Pune, Mumbai or any nearby airport to Delhi on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The political class — extending beyond Gaikwad’s Shiv Sena — is mounting tremendous pressure on the government and airlines to have the ban revoked on the MP. The aviation ministry is examining if airlines can indefinitely bar anyone from flying and working on a national no-fly list.
Meanwhile, senior crime branch officials of the Delhi police said the case against Gaikwad was under investigation. “It is the prerogative of the investigating officer (IO) whether or not to take the MP into custody,” Madhur Verma, DCP, crime HQ, told TOI. The Osmanabad MP didn’t respond to TOI’s calls and messages on Tuesday.