Judgment:
1. The applicant P.N. Sugunan was employed as a cleaner with Air India along with one V.Raghavan.He was posted to clean an incoming flight.There Raghavan told him about a hidden packet and asked him to bring the packet outside.Suguan accordingly picked up the parcel land concealed it on his person While he was alighting from the aircraft, Air India security accosted him and recovered gold bars from his person.In his statement Sugunan admitted that he had undertaken the job for consideration of Rs.1,000/-. The facts of recovery have been corroborated by the statements of the security personnel of Air India.Based on he evidence,the gold was confiscated absolutely and penalty of Rs.25,000/- was imposed on Raghavan and Sughanan.Both filed appeals and stay applications.Raaghvan's stay application was disposed on by the Tribunal vide order no. C-II/279/2000/WZB dated 27.1.2000 where he was directed to deposit Rs. 2,500/- as pre-condition to hearing his appeal. The present appellant has also filed a stay application and also an application for condoning the delay nearly of about two years and three months.The ground given in the application is that the applicant was ill, that he was suspended b the employer, that his family members at this native place were ill and that he was without legal counsel. Ordinarily we would be reluctant to condone such long delay but looking at the grounds of the applicant, we condone the delay.
2. As regards the application for stay, we follow our earlier order and direct him to make deposit of Rs.2,500/- as a pre-condition to hearing of this appeal. This is one the ground that he does not have a prima facie strong case but that his popoverty is a strong point.He is given time upto end of June, 2001 to make the deposit.Case is posted for reporting compliance on 3rd July, 2001.