Mumbai, Nov. 3: An airport manager for Kingfisher Airlines has accused Union minister Akhilesh Prasad Singh of assaulting and abusing him for not letting the politician board a Patna-Calcutta flight that had begun take-off procedures.

A statement from the airline said the minister of state for agriculture, who belongs to Lalu Prasad’s party, reached the airport when the plane had begun taxiing, although his travel agent had said Singh would not be taking the flight.

As the flight was full otherwise, take-off clearance was given at 8.20pm, instead of the scheduled 8.30pm, the airline said. The minister arrived at 8.20pm.

Sagar Lal Das, the airport manager for Kingfisher at Patna airport, “advised Mr Singh that the plane had begun taxiing and regretted that he could not join the flight as we were told he was not coming. That was when Mr Singh assaulted and abused our airport manager”, the statement said.

Das has filed a first information report. “After consultations with our corporate headquarters, we decided to let the manager file an FIR against the minister,” an airline source said.

Singh, who eventually left Patna by train, could not be contacted.