Delhi police have sent multiple teams to arrest the man who allegedly urinated on a co-passenger in a drunken state on an Air India flight on November 26, but he is absconding, officials said on Thursday.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has found Air India’s handling of the incident “unprofessional” and issued notices to officials and crew of the New York-Delhi flight, asking why action should not be taken against them for “dereliction” of duty.
No action was taken against the man until the victim, a woman in her 70s, wrote to the Air India chairman.
After that, the airline said the offender had been barred for 30 days. The ministry of civil aviation has ordered Air India to start an internal investigation and submit a report.
The offender has been identified as Shankar Mishra, 35, vice-president in the India office of an American multinational financial services company. Delhi police have registered an FIR against Mishra under Indian Penal Code Sections 294 (obscene act in public place), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) as well as under Aircraft Rules.
A senior police officer said: “Mishra is a resident of Mumbai. We have sent our teams to Mumbai at his known locations but he is absconding.”
The DGCA said: “Prima facie it emerges that provisions related to handling of an unruly passenger onboard have not been complied with.”
“The conduct of the concerned airline appears to be unprofessional and has led to a systemic failure,” it added.
Horror repeat
It emerged on Thursday that on December 6, another drunk man on an Air India Paris-Delhi flight allegedly urinated on a female passenger’s blanket.
The pilot reported the matter to the Air Traffic Control and the offender was detained by the CISF when he got off at Delhi. But he was allowed to leave after the two passengers reached a “mutual compromise” and he gave a “written apology”, officials said.
