Nipa Dhar, an airhostess with the Indian Airlines who lost her job for ‘‘gaining weight’’, will move the division bench of the Calcutta High Court against a single bench judgment upholding the termination of her services.‘‘After we get the certified copy of the judgment, we are planning to move a division bench of the Calcutta HC,’’ Dhar’s counsel Surajit Samanta told The Indian Express.Justice Girish Gupta had yesterday upheld the IA action to terminate her services. Gupta also noted Dhar’s submission that she had developed ‘‘fear of flying’’ which, he said, disqualified her for the job.IA advocate R.N. Mazumdar said Dhar, a recruit of the 1987 batch, was given repeated reminders by IA over her gaining weight. She was advised to go for check-ups which she ‘‘ignored’’. This was in violation of the 9 (2)(b) clause and she was found to be 10.5 kg more than what could be allowed. ‘‘As a result, she was disallowed flying duties in 1997,’’ Mazumdar said. IA authorities then had to issue her the ‘‘notice on 19th June 2001 that her service is dispensed with’’.Dhar is not in town. Samanta said Dhar had developed phobic anxiety syndrome for which ‘‘she was diagnosed by IA doctors and she decided to apply for the job of a flight kitchen supervisor’s job, permissible under the provision of IA rules’’. ‘‘But just when she decided to lodge her application, she was issued both notices. We found clause 9(2)(b) draconian,’’ Samanta said. IA personnel manager Raghu Ramiah denied comment.
