Man, 22, booked for smoking chillam in aircraft lavatory

The passenger, identified as Mohammad Uvesh Nur Mohammad Aibani, a resident of Porbandar, Gujarat, was booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly endangering the lives of passengers on board

Mumbai: A 22-year-old man was booked by the Sahar police for allegedly smoking a tobacco-filled chillam inside the lavatory of a SpiceJet flight from Dubai to Mumbai on October 9. The cabin crew detected smoke after he returned to his seat and alerted the pilot, who directed that the passenger be handed over to the police after landing.

Man, 22, booked for smoking chillam in aircraft lavatory

The passenger, identified as Mohammad Uvesh Nur Mohammad Aibani, a resident of Porbandar, Gujarat, was booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly endangering the lives of passengers on board.

According to the complaint filed by SpiceJet cabin crew member Niraj Darshan Rawat, 29, flight SG-5023 was scheduled to operate from Dubai to Mumbai on October 9. Before departure, senior cabin crew member Najo Latif Shaikh had announced in Hindi and English that smoking was strictly prohibited on board. ‘No Smoking’ signs were also displayed at visible locations inside the aircraft, the complaint stated.

At around 6.15pm, the passenger went to the lavatory at the rear of the aircraft. He returned to his seat shortly afterwards, but the crew soon noticed a strong smell of smoke coming from the toilet.

When asked to hand over the smoking materials, the passenger gave the crew a chillam and a lighter. The pipe was found to contain tobacco, according to the complaint.

The crew informed the pilot about the incident. Following the pilot’s instructions, the passenger was taken to the Sahar police station after the flight landed in Mumbai, where he was booked under relevant provisions of the BNS.