FIR against Air India passenger who urinated on his female co-passenger during New York - Delhi flight

Nearly a month after a business-class flyer allegedly urinated on his female co-passenger on an Air India New York to Delhi flight, Delhi Police said on Wednesday they registered a case against the man for alleged molestation, obscenity, and indecent act, and are looking for him.

Sources said the accused is a businessman, aged 35-40, and lives in Mumbai with his family.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has also sought a report from Air India on the incident which allegedly took place on a flight from New York to Delhi on November 26, 2022.

According to police, the man, who allegedly got drunk and urinated, had left without facing any action from the airline. The woman, in her 70s, later wrote to Air India group chairman N Chandrasekaran.

A senior police officer said, “We received information from the airline on December 28. They kept the complaint with them for a month. During this time, there were talks of compensation, but the woman rejected it. Also, they gave us an incomplete complaint. When we approached the woman, she was not in town and asked us to take (original) complaint from the airline. We then asked the airline to provide us the woman’s complaint letter. We have now registered an FIR.” The FIR has been registered under IPC sections 294 (obscene act), 354 (outraging woman’s modesty), 509 (act intended to insult woman’s modesty), and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunk person) and sections of Aircraft Rules.

In her letter to Chandrasekaran, the woman alleged that a drunk co-passenger had urinated on her and exposed himself. “My clothes, shoes, and bag were soaked in urine. The stewardess followed me to the seat, verified that it smelled of urine, and sprayed disinfectant on



my bag and shoes. The bag included my passport, travel documents, and currency, and I wanted to immediately check the safety of the contents. I asked the stewardess to help me retrieve my bag, but she initially refused to touch it and told me to pick up my shoes and clean them in the bathroom. When I started cleaning, she began to assist. I was given a set of pyjamas and disposable slippers to change into. After changing, I stood near the toilet for about 20 minutes. I asked for a change of seat but was informed that there were no seats available. One of the senior stewardesses came after 20 minutes and offered me the small seat used by the airline staff, where I sat for about an hour. I was then asked to return to my initial soiled seat. Although the staff had put sheets on top, the area was still damp and reeking of urine. Two hours later, I was given the steward’s seat, where I sat for the remainder of the flight, approximately five hours…,” read the letter.

Police said Wednesday that they could not establish immediate contact with the woman as she was not feeling well. “The woman lives in Karnataka and is unwell. We have taken her complaint from the airline, and have asked her to give us more details. She said she will mail them. The accused has been identified,” said a senior police officer.

During an inquiry, police found that the man was allegedly drunk and couldn’t locate the washroom. He later apologised to the woman. Police sent teams to nab the accused and bring him to Delhi. They will also contact the airline staff.

Air India officials told the media that they had reported the incident to police and regulatory authorities. They said they were in touch with the woman and that an internal committee had been set up to investigate the matter.