NEW DELHI: Going on sick leave to protest disparity of pay with their seniors has cost the Maharaja's young and fighting fit airhostesses dear. Air India despatched its doctors to check on these airhostesses at home and promptly suspended those who did not get admitted to hospital for check-up or treatment or left their houses locked.

While the protesting airhostesses say up to 10 of them have been suspended, an airline spokesperson confirmed action had been taken against four till Wednesday afternoon for "dereliction of duty".

The airhostesses had resorted to the protest leave, contending that young cabin crew members get about Rs 28,000 per month while seniors can get up to Rs 1 lakh. Following the sudden sick leaves, AI was forced to recall even airhostesses grounded for reasons like being overweight, to maintain flight schedules.

One suspended airhostess is "recuperating" in Bangalore and others are learned to be in Delhi. The suspension letters of two Delhi-based crew members shows that the merged Air India-Indian Airlines entity, National Aviation Company of India Ltd, is cracking the whip on protesting airhostesses.