New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a criminal corruption case against Captain Anil Gill, the former Director of Flying Training at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), alongside multiple private aviation firms for allegedly abusing his regulatory role, extending arbitrary favours to select flying training schools, and facilitating illicit aircraft transactions.
According to investigative findings detailed by the agency, Gill allegedly set up and operated a complex network of corporate entities managed by his immediate and extended family members. Among these, Bluethroat Aero Global Pvt Ltd was incorporated in 2016 with his mother and maternal aunt as initial directors, followed later by his cousin and sister-in-law. Two additional entities—Sabres Corporate Solutions and Sandhills Aviation IFSC—were similarly established under relatives’ names to acquire, finance, and mortgage aircraft within the regulatory jurisdiction overseen by Gill.
The formal complaint arose from a preliminary inquiry launched in April 2025 on a complaint filed by Global Avianautics Ltd Managing Director Captain J.S. Dhillon. Investigators allege that Gill used familial front entities to purchase training aircraft at nominal, below-market rates before leasing them back to favored institutions at inflated prices, pocketing massive kickbacks in exchange for fast-tracked regulatory approvals. Notably, Bluethroat Aero Global purchased two operational Cessna aircraft for modest sums and subsequently generated more than Rs 2.16 crore in lease rentals from Redbird Aviation Academy alone.
The FIR highlights stark regulatory double standards, noting that Redbird Aviation Academy received operational approvals within roughly a month, whereas competing academies faced multi-month delays or had their applications stalled without justification. Furthermore, Gill allegedly headed a 2022 panel that appointed his cousin as a deputy chief flying instructor, who was subsequently hired by Redbird on a lucrative monthly salary. The CBI has invoked criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code alongside key anti-corruption provisions against Gill, the involved aviation enterprises, and unidentified associates.
