Air India unauthorised payment scam: Chief Vigilance Officer Shobha Ohatker under scanner after corruption charges

Air India Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) has passed an order to recover unauthorised payments made to carrier’s employees. The order paves the way to recover money from the salary of carrier’s Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), was has been charged of misusing her position and mistreating public fund. Ms. Shobha Ohatker, CVO of Air India, is facing charges of corruption against her. She has been accused of staying in hotels and flying to different destinations from the funds of Air India. Ohatker, an IPS officer from the batch of 1990, has been with Air India since 2015. A number of reports emerged in 2016, where it was reported that she had been receiving payments she wasn’t entitled to. In addition to it, reports came out that she flew from Delhi to Pune 31 times in a month and that too, without presenting appropriate reasons. A letter was issued to Ashwani Lohani, CMD of Air India by the Under Secretary on March 5, 2016. The letter demanded appropriate action against Ohatker regarding payments made in violation to the applicable rules of Air India. The letter also asked Lohani to seek justification from her regarding the 31 trips as well. On May 5, 2017; Ashwani Lohani passed an order that said: “Cases have come to our notice , wherein employees have received payments that they are not entitled, at times due to mistake or oversight. All such unauthorised payments given/received should be recovered in least number of instalments possible from next month salary of the employee as soon as it is detected/brought to the notice of the Finance Department”.

All such unauthorised payments given/received should be recovered in the least number of installments possible from next month salary of the employee as soon as it is detected/brought to the notice of the Finance Department”.

Air India