FIR against ex-Go First board for post-insolvency ticket sales

Ernakulam Police have registered an FIR concerning Go First’s post-insolvency ticket sales, after a magistrate directed investigation into a complaint by passenger-advocate Yeshwant Shenoy. The case is important because it links insolvency proceedings, aviation regulation, and possible criminal liability for alleged wrongful loss to passengers.

According to the FIR, the complaint alleges that airline tickets were sold for nearly two weeks after Go First began its voluntary insolvency process in 2023. The FIR names all 13 former directors, including chairman Nusli Wadia, his son Ness Wadia, chief executive officer Kaushik Khona, an unnamed Directorate General of Civil Aviation official, the portal companies EaseMyTrip and ClearTrip, and resolution professional Shailendra Ajmera.

The complaint arose after Yeshwant Shenoy said he lost ₹64,000 after booking Kochi–Mumbai tickets on the day the insolvency plea was filed. He alleged criminal conspiracy, wrongful loss to passengers, and wrongful gain through continued ticket sales after the board had approved initiation of insolvency proceedings.

The FIR was filed on 9 July under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court had instructed the police to register and investigate the complaint.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked Go First to stop selling tickets only on 10 May, after Shenoy obtained directions from the Kerala High Court. Go First’s chief executive officer disputed a reported dues figure, arguing that ticket bookings continued until 10 May, suggesting collected passenger amounts could have been much higher.

In April 2025 the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) upheld the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) order to liquidate Go First, showing that the airline’s insolvency process later moved from resolution to liquidation.