Amdavadi fake pilots turn touts

Ahmedabad: All they needed was a deep pocket and a middleman who would help give wings to their dream of becoming a pilot. The two Amdavadi youngsters – Hiren Nagar and Jigesh Patel – arrested in the fake pilot scam in Delhi, used the same illicit channels and their run ended in jail.
Patel, a resident of Nanduriban bungalow, Vatva, was arrested on Tuesday, and Nagar, a resident of Vasna, was picked up by Delhi crime branch officials in April. Police investigations revealed Sardarnagar-resident Eknath Patil, a peon-turned-tout, had helped the duo procure commercial pilot licenses (CPL) on forged marksheets.
Both Patel and Nagar gave the commercial pilot exams for around 20 times but managed to clear just one or two papers. DGCA officials told TOI that between 2006 and 2010, Patel appeared for CPL exams for 18 times but was able to clear just two papers – air navigation and technical specific for CESSNA-172.
Both aspirants paid Rs 2 lakh to Patil and got their licenses in 2008. But they never took up a job in a commercial airline and found a lucrative career in making more fake pilots.
05/08/11 Ankur Jain/Times of India