Delhi High Court Seeks Air India’s Position in Unruly Passenger Case

Delhi High Court Seeks Air India's Position in Unruly Passenger Case

VoM News Desk | October 31, 2023 | 07:33 PM IST | Courts & Law | Follow on Google News

Delhi High Court Seeks Air India’s Position in Unruly Passenger Case

Delhi High Court Seeks Air India’s Position in Unruly Passenger Case

Shankar Mishra, who faced allegations of urinating on a fellow passenger during a New York-New Delhi flight, is seeking certain documents from Air India to substantiate his innocence. The Delhi High Court has asked the airline for its stance on this matter, as Mishra challenges the appellate committee’s refusal to grant access to the requested material. In March, the court instructed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to establish an appellate committee under the Civil Aviation Requirements for Unruly Passengers to hear Mishra’s appeal against a four-month flying ban imposed on him following the alleged incident.

Mishra maintains that there are specific documents and correspondence among pilots, crew members, and the airline that would help establish his innocence. However, the committee’s order, issued on September 15, denied him access to these materials. Mishra argues that this refusal violates his fundamental rights and principles of natural justice. He asserts that the entire inquiry against him is compromised by the lack of these documents, which demonstrate that he was asleep during the flight and not an unruly passenger.

Incident Leads to Four-Month Flying Ban and Legal Proceedings

Air India imposed a four-month flying ban on Mishra in January after he was accused of urinating on a 70-year-old woman while intoxicated in the business class of an aircraft during a flight on November 26 the previous year. Following the woman’s complaint to Air India, Delhi Police registered an FIR against Mishra on January 4 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. He was arrested in Bengaluru on January 6 and subsequently placed in judicial custody. On January 31, a trial court granted him bail, ruling that his detention was no longer necessary for evidence collection.

The court has scheduled the next hearing in this case for January 19.

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