Air India

New Delhi: The man who had urinated on a passenger onboard an Air India flight was identified as a Mumbai-based businessman.

The accused identified as Shankar Mishra was drunk when he allegedly urinated on a 60-year-old woman on a flight that was heading from New York to Delhi.

It may be mentioned that the accused works as a vice president for Wells Fargo in India. The company is a multinational financial services corporation and has its headquarters in California, USA.

Also Read: Assam Governor lays foundation stone for New Raj Bhavan in Guwahati

He may be arrested soon as he has been charged with sexual harassment and obscenity by the Delhi Police.

He has already been barred from flying for 30 days.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a notice to Air India’s top officials after a Mumbai man urinated on a 60-year-old woman passenger on a flight recently.

The aviation regulator following the incident termed the airline’s conduct as “unprofessional” and led to “systemic failure”.

The notice by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was issued to the airline’s top officials, the pilot of the flight and the crew, asking them to reply, within two weeks on why they “should not be punished”.

The accused was identified as a Mumbai-based businessman Shankar Mishra.

Also Read: Assam: ‘Kidnapped’ minor girl from Duliajan rescued in Bongaigaon

On November 26, he had allegedly unzipped and urinated on an elderly woman in the business class of an Air India flight. The flight was heading from New York to Delhi. 

However, the incident only came to light in January 2023 after the victim had written to the airline’s group chairman N Chandrasekharan.

It turned out to be more shocking as the accused was allowed to leave the flight without any legal action for the incident.

The DGCA in a statement said, “The conduct of the concerned airline appears to be unprofessional and has led to a systemic failure. Prima facie it lacks appreciation of regulatory obligations as described in applicable Aircraft Rules 1937, Civil Aviation Requirements on ‘Handling of Unruly Passengers’, Cabin Safety Circular, Air India Operations Manual, Air India Safety and Emergency Procedure Manual and Air India Quick Reference Handbook and is devoid of empathy.”

The DGCA gave the officials related to the airline two weeks to reply. Two senior Air India officials, the pilots and the cabin crew of the flight were served with the notice. 

The Tata Group-owned airline, however, stated that the staff had not pursued any action against the accused because the two had sorted out the issue on their own and that the woman had “rescinded” her request for action.