New Delhi: Shankar Mishra, the man who urinated on an elderly woman on an Air India flight in November, was arrested late on Friday, January 7. Air India, facing criticism, has grounded and show caused members of the crew a pilot from the flight.
On November 26, Mishra, who was traveling in the business class of a New York-Delhi flight, unzipped his pants and peed on a woman sitting next to him.
Mishra’s case made headlines recently after it emerged that the airlines had slapped him with a 30-day ban – many argued that it was much less than penalties imposed for lesser offences. The airline filed a police complaint only this week.
As outrage grew, American multinational company Wells Fargo on Friday, January 6, sacked Mishra. He was the vice-president of its India’s operations.
“We are cooperating with law enforcement and ask that any additional inquiries be directed to them,” the company said.
Mishra had been missing, allegedly on the ‘run’, and police are learned to have issued a ‘look out notice’ on him. He was arrested late on Friday by Delhi Police from Bengaluru and was brought back to Delhi, NDTV has reported.
Mishra’s social media activities and use of a credit or debit card tipped police off on his presence in Bengaluru.
Mishra has been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) 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.
The woman, along with India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), have spoken on Air India having conducted its response to the situation inadequately.
It was reported today that Air India has grounded and issued show cause notices to four of the cabin crew members, and one of the two pilots.
The septuagenarian woman in her complaint, noted that not only was she not provided with any alternative seats except for a crew seat for the rest of the journey, crew also brought Mishra to her who then pleaded with the woman not to report the matter to the police, saying that it would impact his wife and child.
The woman also accused Air India crew of being “deeply unprofessional”.
Note: This article has been updated with news of Air India show causing its employees.