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Police send out teams to Mumbai, Bengaluru

Man who urinated on woman in Air India flight sacked by employer

DGCA warns of strict action if airline staff fail to act against unruly passengers, police hunt on for Shankar Mishra of Mumbai

Our Web Desk New Delhi Published 06.01.23, 07:32 PM
Representational image.

Representational image. PTI

The man who urinated on an elderly woman on an Air India flight in November has been sacked by his company, Wells Fargo, which described his conduct as "deeply disturbing"."Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards of professional and personal behaviour and we find these allegations deeply disturbing. This individual has been terminated from Wells Fargo," the company said in a statement on Friday evening, reports ndtv.com.

The man, Shankar Mishra (34) from Mumbai, is missing and a lookout notice or airport alert has been put out amid a police manhunt, PTI reported earlier on Friday.

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A police officer said that teams have been sent to Mumbai and Bengaluru. "The office of the accused is situated in Bengaluru and it was found in the primary investigation that he was working from home, however, the investigation is underway," he said. Police are trying to nab him.

On a New York-Delhi Air India flight on November 26, Shankar Mishra allegedly unzipped his pants and urinated on a woman in the business class. He later begged the woman not to report him to the police, saying it would impact his wife and child.

After the outcry over the incident, details of which surfaced earlier this week, Air India filed a police complaint and said as there was "no further flare-up or confrontation", and "respecting the perceived wishes of the female passenger, the crew elected not to summon law enforcement upon landing.

The airline has since banned Shankar Mishra from flying for 30 days.

Based on the woman's complaint, a case was registered under 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) of the Indian Penal Code as well as under Aircraft Rules.

According to Delhi Police's FIR against the accused, he also begged her not to lodge a complaint, saying he was a family man and did not wish his wife and child to be affected by the incident.

The woman alleged that despite her unwillingness, she was forced to confront the accused and negotiate with him, further disorienting her, according to the FIR registered on Wednesday based on her complaint to Air India.

The woman also accused the crew of being "deeply unprofessional" and said they were not proactive in managing a "very sensitive and traumatic situation".

She added that her son-in-law sent a complaint to Air India on November 27 and the airline had agreed to reimburse the ticket. However, it has only issued a partial refund that, she said, was "hardly sufficient compensation for my traumatic experience".

Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has warned of strict action if airline staff fail to act against passengers who are unruly or behave inappropriately.

As Air India faces scrutiny, its CEO Campbell Wilson said crew should report any improper behaviour on aircraft to authorities at the earliest, even if it seems the "matter has been settled".

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