(Image source from: Korean Air heiress jailed})

The daughter of Korean Air's chairman was jailed for one year over a now notorious "nut rage" incident that triggered an uproar over the behaviour of South Korea`s elite business families. The district court in Seoul convicted Cho Hyun-Ah of violating aviation safety law by forcing a taxiing New York-Seoul KAL flight to return to its departure gate on December 5. Cho, had insisted on expelling the chief purser from the plane after taking exception to being served macadamia nuts in a bag, rather than a bowl.

The 40-year-old had treated the flight "as if it was her own private plane", Justice Oh Sung-Woo said, adding that the case had become the object of international ridicule and "damaged the dignity" of the country. "It is doubtful that the way the nuts were served was so wrong," Oh added. Dismissing defense arguments to the contrary, the court ruled that an aircraft should be deemed "in flight" from the moment it begins to move and that Cho was therefore guilty of illegally altering the course of a plane.

The chief steward, Park Chang-Jin, had testified that Cho had made him kneel and beg for forgiveness while jabbing him with a service manual. Cho resigned from all her posts and publicly apologised for her behaviour, which her father and KAL chairman Cho Yang-Ho also criticised as a "foolish act".

In this context, a question arises, whether this incident has happened in India involving the business elites of political rhinos, will the police dare to file an FIR. Whether they will get convicted, Never. Instead the complainant will undergo sufferings and hardships. If we can see the case of Sanjay Dutt getting long furloughs but a convict who does not have any influence and money power can never expect any lenient treatment from the authorities. The government of India has to take care of this aspect very seriously and ensure that justice prevails for all.

By Premji