Moustachioed Air Steward Still Grounded

Victor Joynath De, an air steward with Indian Airlines, was grounded last June for refusing shave off his handlebar moustache. But Mr. De took this prickly issue to court, where a bitterly fought battle has taken the case to the Supreme Court in Calcutta.

Mr. De's brush with his employers began when Indian Airlines argued that his prized asset was a health risk, especially with his frequent handling of food. A spokesman from the airline said that some passengers could also be unnerved by such a striking facial feature. The regulations state that only Sikhs can have beards; moustaches cannot be droopy and long sideburns are not permitted.

Mr. De's moustache had taken 25 years to grow. "I never dreamed of trimming it," he said, "all the time I worked for the airline, my moustache attracted many adoring eyes, both inside the plane and on the ground." Mr. De has worked as an air steward for Indian Airlines for over 20 years, but since June he has been doing a desk job at Calcutta airport.

Now the case has reached the Supreme Court. When his moustachioed woes were narrated by Counsel Sanjiv Sen before the Bench, he observed: "Can the size of moustache be a ground for dismissal in a democratic country? This is shocking."