Air India urination case: Court denies bail to accused

Accused in the Air India urination case Shankar Mishra was travelling from New York to New Delhi on November 26 in the business class of an Air India flight when he allegedly urinated on an elderly woman co-passenger.

A Delhi court on Wednesday refused to grant bail to Shankar Mishra, accused of urinating on an elderly passenger in a New York-New Delhi Air India flight, observing that the “act in itself is sufficient to outrage the modesty of any woman”.

Accused Shankar Mishra leaves Patiala House court after appearing for questioning in connection with the Air India passenger urinating case, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI)

“The alleged act of the accused of relieving himself upon the complainant is utterly disgusting and repulsive. The alleged act in itself is sufficient to outrage the modesty of any woman. Egregious conduct of the accused has shocked the civic consciousness and needs to be deprecated,” metropolitan magistrate Komal Garg observed in her order.

The order, which was released later in the day, also noted that Mishra’s conduct does not inspire confidence as he had failed to join the investigation despite a notice being issued to him under section 41A of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and his presence could be secured only upon the execution of a non bailable warrant (NBW).

The court also said that the possibility of Mishra contacting the complainant cannot be ruled out as he had made a similar attempt in the past. It further took note of the investigating officer’s report that the probe is at a very nascent stage and other witnesses are yet to be interrogated.

Mishra was travelling from New York to New Delhi on November 26 in the business class of an Air India flight when he allegedly urinated on an elderly woman co-passenger.

In the aftermath, the crew allegedly did not act promptly enough to make the situation comfortable for the latter, the victim alleged.

A first information report was registered against the man on the basis of a complaint by the woman in Delhi on January 4 and he was arrested from Bengaluru two days later.

Tata Group-owned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson on 7 January apologised and said four cabin crew and a pilot have been de-rostered.