Organisations and institutions under Government control continue to be a safe haven for offenders who have been booked for criminal offences. Air India SATS (AISATS), is a 50:50 joint venture between Air India Limited and SATS Limited to provide ground and cargo handling services in the aviation sector. Air India Chairman is always the ex officio Chairman of Air India SATS. Binoy Jacob, Vice-president, AISATS, was earlier charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in different cases and still maintains his position in the organisation. The offences committed by the accused include visa fraud, forging fake complaint against a colleague, sexual harassment against women colleagues and corruption. The Kochi Post had earlier reported that a sexual harassment complaint was filed against him by a junior employee and police investigation into this case is also in progress.
It is learnt that the accused consistently claims that he had close contacts with eminent politicians cutting across political parties and he misuses this relationship to maintain his professional career amid a number of allegations and complaints levelled against him over the course of time. It is also learnt that though the Airport has strict rules and norms for granting permission for entry into the airport premises, Binoy, who is charged under various criminal offences, has not been restricted from entering the premises.
The visa fraud complaint was levelled against him in 2006 by Biju B and the investigation was conducted by the Crime Branch. It had found out that Binoy, along with his friend Binu O. A., had accrued money from various people including the complainant offering employment visa to Bahrain and Kuwait. As per the complaint filed by Biju, he contacted M/s Oasis International to enquire about a job advertisement the latter published. Oasis International asked him to contact Binu O. A. who is running Malabar Associates Tours and Travels in Delhi. Biju’s wife wanted to attend the job interview for nurse vacancy in a multi specialty hospital in Bahrain. The job details was advertised by Oasis International in ‘Malayala Manorama’ daily on December 28, 2005. As per the complaint, Binu had collected money worth Rs. 1.25 lakh from Biju in return of the visa. Biju filed a police complaint in March 2006 as he had not received any intimation from Binu regarding the visa.
The Crime Branch also questioned three other victims of the same fraud by Malabar Associates and as part of the probe, the police team conducted a raid on its office in Delhi. The team could find Binoy at the Malabar Associates office and had charged him in the case. After interrogating Binu and Binoy, the police could learn that it was not the Government which authorised Malabar Associates to recruit personnel for overseas jobs but Oasis International. It was also revealed at the time of interrogation that the latter’s licence for recruiting personnel for jobs abroad had expired on February 9, 2006. Binu and Binoy had known that sending manpower abroad without licence was illegal.
The investigation team had concluded that Binu O. A., along with Binoy and one another accused George Kutty, hatched a criminal conspiracy in order to induce and cheat the complainant and were booked for offences under section 420 along with section 120B of the IPC.
Binoy was employed at AISATS as Assistant Vice-president later in the year 2013. His colleagues have alleged that his academic qualification is also under suspicion as he gives different claims of having earned an MBA from Dubai to some persons and the UK to others.
In 2016, the CBI had registered a case against Binoy under Prevention of Corruption Act for cheating the Airport Authority of India. It is also alleged that he had corrupted the payment of royalty charges which led to a huge loss to the former. However, recently the CBI has given a clean chit to him.
Binoy has also been found guilty in a case registered against him at Valiyathura police station in Thiruvananthapuram for forging a false and fabricated complaint of sexual harassment at workplace against L. S. Shibu, who was an officer associated with AISATS. Earlier, another female employee had given a written complaint against Binoy for asking sexual favours and the company is reportedly have taken no action in this regard.
Binoy Jacob’s photo is a screen grab from Asianet News on YouTube.
