Father claims A-I let babies go hungry

Parihar last month filed a complaint with the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (South Mumbai District), demanding that the airline pay him Rs 5 lakh for causing ‘‘mental and physical torture’ and refund the money for the eight business-class return air tickets he bought. Air India to reply to his complaint by February 26.

Parihar, managing trustee of the Pinewood International High School at Panchgani, says Air India officials had even confirmed to him in writing before he left that a specific kind of baby food would be provided. But on both flights, cabin crew were forced to scour the plane for something for the children. On the flight to New Jersey, they managed to come up with two small bottles of vegetable pasta — plus four nappies.

Even after Parihar was assured otherwise at Air India’s New York office, the nightmare unfolded on the return flight too. ‘‘Why is he going around to the newspapers, for publicity?’’ asked Jitendra Bhargava, director of Public Relations at Air India.

‘‘Why is he blaming us, since it’s not yet established whether his travel agent had informed us of his requirements?’’ he said.