Lizard in AI food tray story false, fabricated: Minister

New Delhi, June 13: Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Saturday denied reports of a lizard being found in the food tray of a passenger on-board an Air India flight. "We are in touch with Air India's management. As per them, there has been no complaint, no passenger or person has come forward to claim that this picture was taken by him or her even now," Raju told IANS here. "According to Air India the matter seems to have been fabricated and is a hoax. They are still investigating the matter, that who is behind it," Raju said adding that the evidence till now suggests that there is no truth in the story. On its part, national passenger carrier Air India has denied reports of a lizard being found in the food tray of a passenger on board its New Delhi-London flight. The airline has termed it a "hoax" to tarnish its image. "This incident never happened. As there is no record of it, no complaint that was filed either in London, New Delhi or on-board the flight. No cabin crew or even the other passengers on the flight were aware of such an incident and no one has come forward to complain even now," a senior Air India official in New Delhi told IANS. "It is clearly a hoax. This all started with a picture appearing on Twitter. We are investigating the matter, as to who has placed the picture, and what is the claim of that person," the official added.