Two 'unruly' flyers held after drinking on board IndiGo’s Dubai-Mumbai flight
The airline stated that despite multiple warnings from the crew of being in ‘inebriated’ state, the men continued to consume alcohol.
Two passengers on IndiGo flight 6E 1088 from Dubai to Mumbai were arrested on Thursday for causing a commotion while ‘inebriated’ on board. The two men who had consumed alcohol on the plane began hurling insults at the crew and fellow passengers. The Sahar police station in Mumbai filed a complaint on the incident.
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According to police statement, Dattatreya Bapardekar and John George D'Souza who hail from Nalasopara in Palghar and Kolhapur were returning from a year of work in the Gulf. The men were celebrating with the alcohol they bought from a duty-free shop after which the crew had to take away the bottles.
When the flight arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday, they were handed over to the CISF security staff for unruly behaviour, as per the protocol.
"They verbally abused the crew and co-passengers. As per protocol, they were handed over to the CISF security staff for unruly behavior. Post the incident, a complaint has been filed at the nearby police station. We regret the inconvenience caused to other passengers," the airline said.
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The airline also stated that despite multiple warnings from the crew of being in ‘inebriated’ state, the men continued to consume alcohol. “We regret the inconvenience caused to other passengers,” IndiGo apologised.
"When co-flyers objected to the ruckus, the two abused them as well as the crew that intervened. One of them was drinking while walking down the aisle. The crew took away their bottles," police added.
They were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 336 (endangering the life and safety of others) and Aircraft Rules sections 21, 22, and 25. But as the sections were bailable, they were granted bail from the police station itself.
According to officials, this is the seventh incident this year in which a case has been filed for unruly behaviour by flyers. On March 11, a man was arrested for smoking in the restroom and attempting to open the emergency exit of a flight from London to Mumbai.
(With inputs from agencies)