NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Finance Arun Jaitley has ordered an inquiry into allegations that music director M. Jayachandran was insulted by officials of the Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs at the Calicut airport on December 3.
The inquiry was ordered after Congress member K.C. Venugopal raised the issue in Parliament on Friday. The Commissioner or the Joint Commissioner will carry out an inquiry in this regard, it is learnt.
So far the Customs and Central Excise Department (Kerala) has not received any information pertaining to the order, a spokesman said.
Recollecting the incident, Jayachandran told The Hindu that he was verbally abused by Customs Assistant Commissioner C.P.M. Abdul Rasheed when he questioned some of the passengers jumping the queue at the door frame metal detector meant for incoming passengers.
“I am a law-abiding citizen and I had reacted only because an injustice took place. There was no other motive. But the officer insulted me and my music. No passenger should undergo such a torment at an airport,” he told The Hindu .
Mr. Jayachandran added that he had complained about the ordeal to the Terminal Manager, and then met the Calicut Airport Director on the same day. He had subsequently raised the issue with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and K.C. Venugopal, MP.
Meanwhile, the Customs spokesperson claimed that Mr. Jayachandran was in an inebriated state and had got into a heated argument with the officers, when pregnant women, children and elderly persons were being given preference in the queue.
There was also an intelligence input that an international passenger would be exchanging a hand baggage containing contraband gold to domestic passengers. So customs officers had no option but to be extra alert, the spokesperson maintained. The incidents had been recorded on CCTV, he said.
Mr. Jayachandran, however, rubbished the Customs claims. “I have never ever drunk in my life and I never smoke. Customs officers should learn to respect passengers,” he said.
