Accused in Air India pee row Shankar Mishra arrested from Bengaluru

Shankar Mishra, accused of urinating on an elderly woman passenger in a flight on November 26, 2022 was arrested in Bengaluru by a joint team of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police, Bengaluru and Delhi police.

According to sources, Mishra was detained from his office late on Friday in Sanjay Nagar area in North Bengaluru.

The team under the supervision of S D Sharanappa, joint commissioner of police (Crime) and Delhi police detained Mishra.

Sources said that the Delhi police had contacted the city police two days ago after getting tip off that Mishra is in Bengaluru to evade his arrest. Initially, his location was traced near Whitefield area, but he was changing his locations. The team finally nabbed him in Sanjay Nagar.

The accused was staying at his sister's home in Sanjay Nagar, Bengaluru. The city police assisted the Delhi Police team in arresting him, a Bengaluru police official said.

According to the FIR, shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off onboard AI 102 on November 26, 2022, the inebriated male passenger seated in business class seat A walked to the elderly woman's seat, unzipped his pants and urinated on her.

The FIR further said that the accused begged the woman not to lodge a complaint against him, saying he was a family man and did not wish his wife and child to be affected by the incident.

A senior officer said, "we have only assisted the Delhi police in catching him. But, the interrogation will be done by Delhi police as the case was registered IGI Airport police station, Delhi. We will not interfere in their interrogation."

The case has been filed under sections 294 (obscene act in public place), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as under Aircraft Rules.

According to sources, Delhi Police has asked Air India staff, including the pilot and co-pilot of the New York-Delhi flight, to appear before it on Saturday.

Summons were issued to the staff for Friday but they did not appear before the police, the sources had said.

The FIR was registered against Mishra on January 4, based on the complaint filed by the woman.

(With PTI inputs)