An unruly airline passenger has been arrested by Indian police following a complaint from a woman aboard an Air India flight from New York.
According to the woman’s account, she was sitting in business class when the man, who was also seated nearby, urinated on her. This disturbing incident has sparked outrage and alarm among passengers and air travel authorities alike.
Man Onboard a Flight to Delhi Urinated on a Woman
The incident occurred late last night onboard the international flight, which had departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and was headed for Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The woman reported while she was quietly sleeping in her seat, a man standing near her spilled urine onto her. She immediately raised an alarm and informed the crew members of what had happened, who then called the authorities at their destination airport upon arrival.
Shankar Mishra’s journey to Delhi began on Saturday morning when he was apprehended by the police in Bengaluru, a bustling southern Indian city.
The officers responsible for his arrest took no time in transferring him to the Indian capital, as per an official statement from Suman Nalva, New Delhi Police spokesperson.
By the afternoon of the same day, Shankar had already arrived in New Delhi and was taken into custody by the local authorities.
🔴 #BREAKING | Mumbai man who peed on a woman on an Air India flight sacked by his company, Wells Fargo https://t.co/agpF501DiT pic.twitter.com/bEAloNvvLd
— NDTV (@ndtv) January 6, 2023
After his arrest, Nalva refused to disclose the content of Mishra’s interrogation. According to The Times of India, he told investigators that he had been drinking heavily and was shocked by his own actions.
Further reports indicated that Mishra was deeply apologetic for the incident, expressing deep regret for what he had done and expressing empathy for those affected by it.
Air India Issued Response to the Incident
The incident on the New York-New Delhi flight took place when Mishra was allegedly consuming excessive amounts of alcohol and speaking incoherently to fellow passengers.
According to Sugata Bhattacharjee, who witnessed the events firsthand, Mishra repeatedly asked him about his family in an increasingly erratic manner.
Reports have indicated after enduring such an encounter, the woman filed a complaint with police, accusing Mishra of outraging her modesty.
In response, a court in New Delhi issued a warrant for his arrest and sentenced him to 14 days in prison while investigations are conducted into the case. If convicted of these charges, Mishra may face up to three years behind bars for his actions aboard the plane.
A co-passenger of #ShankarMishra, the 34-year-old who allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger in her 70s, explained the events leading to the incident amid widespread outrage on social media.#AirIndiaincident #ShankarMishraArrested https://t.co/npjuCdTkpm
— Business Today (@business_today) January 9, 2023
Air India issued a swift answer to the incident and took decisive action, grounding one pilot and four cabin crew members. The company sent out written notices to all of them, informing them of their suspension from flying duties for an unspecified amount of time.
This move was widely applauded by social media users and activists alike, who had been calling for greater accountability in the aftermath of the incident.
This article appeared in Right Wing Insider and has been published here with permission.
