In yet another distressing incident, a Nepal national has been booked by the Delhi Police for allegedly abusing Air India crew members, and damaging the lavatory door.
This shocking incident occurred on a flight from Toronto to Delhi on Tuesday, leaving the airline staff deeply disturbed.
The accused passenger, identified as Mahesh Pandit, reportedly changed his seat and proceeded to verbally assault the crew members, according to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by cabin supervisor Aditya Kumar. The situation temporarily abated when the crew informed the pilot in command, who issued a warning to Pandit. However, the peace was short-lived, as Pandit was later discovered with a cigarette lighter inside the lavatory when the smoke alert system was triggered, as per the report by news agency ANI.
Recalling the harrowing encounter, cabin supervisor Aditya Kumar stated, “When I opened the lavatory door in front of the passenger, he forcibly pushed me aside and swiftly retreated to his seat, 26F. When I tried to intervene, he shoved me and hurled abusive language at me. Subsequently, he resorted to breaking the lavatory door, specifically door 3F-RC. I immediately informed the captain, following his instructions, and with the assistance of cabin crew member Punit Sharma and four other passengers, we diligently followed the standard operating procedure (SOP) to restrain him,” Kumar recounted to the police, as reported by ANI.
The valiant efforts of the cabin crew and ten passengers paid off as they successfully managed to subdue the unruly passenger. It was later discovered that Pandit had allegedly intended to physically assault fellow travelers, adding another layer of concern to the already alarming situation.
The Delhi Police have taken swift action in response to this incident, registering a case against the accused passenger under sections 323/506/336 of the Indian Penal Code, along with sections 22, 23, and 25 of the Aircraft Rules. The investigation is currently underway to gather further evidence and information.
Unfortunately, a lot of occurrences involving passengers acting inappropriately, including instances of public urinating and misconduct, has been observed in recent months in the flights. One such prominent case, which came to light on November 26 last year, involved Shankar Mishra, who allegedly urinated on an elderly woman while under the influence of alcohol during an Air India flight from New York to Delhi. Mishra was subsequently arrested, though he secured release on bail after spending nearly a month in custody.
These incidents highlight the urgent need to address the issue of unruly behavior on flights and ensure the safety and well-being of passengers and airline staff. Authorities and aviation stakeholders must work collaboratively to enforce stringent measures and regulations that deter such misconduct and maintain the sanctity of air travel.
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