New Delhi: Delhi Police booked a Nepal national for allegedly assaulting crew members and some passengers, and breaking the lavatory door on a Toronto-Delhi Air India flight on July 8, news agency ANI reported.
"A passenger on flight AI188 of 08 July 2023 operating Toronto-Delhi displayed unacceptable aggression during flight. He smoked in the lavatory, damaged the lavatory door and assaulted crew and passengers, leaving them with minor injuries," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement, as reported by PTI.
According to the FIR, the passenger changed his seat and started abusing the crew members.
According to the ANI report, the FIR, filed by the victim cabin supervisor, stated that the passenger abused the crew and he stopped only after they informed the pilot in command and gave him a warning.
However, soon after lunch was served, the passenger was caught with a cigarette lighter in the lavatory. The smoke alarm in the lavatory gave him away, ANI quoted a member of the crew as saying.
“When I opened the door in front of the passenger, he pushed me back and ran to his seat 26F. When I tried to stop him, he pushed me and abused me as well. Later, he broke the LAV door 3F-RC. Then I informed the captain immediately and as per his instruction - with the help of cabin crew Punit Sharma and other four passengers - we tried to restrain him as per SOP,” ANI quoted the cabin supervisor as saying.
“We were able to restrain the accused passenger with the help of 10 other passengers. We later came to know that the accused was trying to beat the passengers,” he added.
According to ANI, Delhi Police registered a case against the passenger under sections 323/506/336 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 22,23,25 Aircraft rules at IGI Police station, and further investigation on the matter is underway.
Notably, in recent times, there have been several incidents of unruly behaviour of passengers onboard flights.