India news

'air india stewardess said she can't do that': Co-flyer recalls 'peeing' shocker

A Delhi court on Saturday sent Mishra, who allegedly urinated on the woman copassenger on an Air India flight, to judicial remand for 14 days while rejecting a plea by police for his custody.

Sugata Bhattacharjee, a US-based doctor of audiology who was seated next to accused Shankar Mishra in business class on the New York-New Delhi Air India flight, has alleged that the flight crew cleaned the elderly women passenger's seat and kept blankets it smelling of urine, after the women requested for a new seat, news agency ANI reported.

A Delhi court on Saturday sent Mishra, who allegedly urinated on the woman copassenger on an Air India flight, to judicial remand for 14 days while rejecting a plea by police for his custody.

Bhattacharjee, who had earlier claimed that the captain of the flight made the traumatised victim wait for close to two hours before allocating her a fresh seat, alleged that the crew could have given Mishra's seat to her but they didn't do anything to pacify distressed passenger.

“The lady (victim) was quite decent. Two junior air hostesses cleaned her up. I went to the senior stewardess and asked them to give her another seat, she said that she can't do that as they had to take permission from the captain,” ANI quoted Bhattacharjee as saying.

“The only option for her was to move to 1st class as business class was full, what they (flight crew) did was clean her seat and kept blankets on the seat smelling of urine. They could have given Shankar Mishra's seat but they didn't do anything to pacify the distressed passenger,” the co-passenger said.

Further recalling the incident, Bhattacharjee, said Mishra had four drinks and then was asking him the "same questions multiple times". “I finished lunch and told the flight attendant to keep an eye on him,” he added.

In a handwritten complaint to the airline, the doctor of audiology had earlier said the woman passenger was made to go back to her soiled seat despite four seats in the first class being vacant, reported news agency PTI.

Bhattacharjee's revelation comes after the 70-yearold victim made a similar allegation against the Air India crew. In her complaint to the airline, she wrote: “I asked the staff for a change of seat but was told that no other seats were available. However, another business class passenger who had witnessed my plight and was advocating for me pointed out that there were seats available in first class.”

After standing for 20 minutes, the victim was offered a small seat used by airline staff where she sat for about two hours. She was then asked to return to her own seat. When she refused, the victim was offered the steward's seat for the rest of the journey, the Delhi Police FIR stated.

Bhattacharjee said he was seated on 8A (window) in the first row of business class, next to the accused Mishra who was in seat 8C.

Shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off onboard AI 102 of November 26 (JFK New York to IGIA, New Delhi), the inebriated male passenger seated in a business class seat walked to the elderly woman's seat (9A), unzipped his pants and urinated on her.

The lavatory was four rows behind his seat.

According to Bhattacharjee, he was woken up midflight when Mishra fell on him. "I initially thought he lost his balance due to a rough flight. However, as I was going to the restroom, I saw my two fellow passengers of 9A and 9C in distress," he said, adding the woman of 9A came to the gallery area, she was all wet.

We were shocked to realise that my co-passenger (8C) was so intoxicated that he went to the next row and urinated on her," he wrote.

Meanwhile, the metropolitan magistrate said the bail application will be considered on January 11.

Bengaluru police had assisted Delhi police in arresting Mishra from Sanjay Nagar area in the city. The Delhi Police registered an FIR against him on January 4 on a complaint given by the woman to Air India.

exTernAL affairs minister S Jaishkankar said that younger generations are at the forefront of connecting India to the world by studying, working and travelling abroad.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar inaugurated the Youth Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday and said that the energies of young India are increasingly visible.

“Our Indian diaspora may have noticed the notable changes in the past eight years, including the extraordinary scale of digital delivery that has made possible access to social benefits. Equally evident are the improved health infrastructure and enormous infrastructure activity. But most of all, you would sense the optimism in our society. The energies of young India are increasingly visible,” he said in his address.

Jaishankaar noted that younger generations are at the forefront of connecting

eaM Jaishankar inaugurates youth Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in indore HIMACHAL Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also appointed six MLAs as chief parliamentary secretaries Nearly a month after the formation of the Himachal Pradesh government, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday expanded his Cabinet with seven MLAs sworn in as ministers. Apart from it, six MLAs have been made the chief parliamentary secretaries. The MLAs inducted as ministers are Col (Retd.) Dhani Ram Shandil (Solan), Chander Kumar (Kangra), Harshwardhan India to the world by Chauhan (Shillai), Jagat studying, working and Singh Negi (Kinnaur), Rohit travelling abroad. For this Thakur (Jubbal-Kotkhai), purpose, he noted that the Centre strives to create a better workplace, a more secure travelling experience and non-discriminatory treatment. Towards achieving these goals, the External Affairs Minister underlined the migration and mobility partnerships with Germany and the working holiday partnership with Austria. Talking further about the government’s efforts, Jaishankar also highlighted the redressal of grievances through online mechanisms such as Madad and the swift replacement of a lost Anirudh Singh (Kasumpti) and Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla-Rural).

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arelkar administered the oath to the ministers in a ceremony held at Rajbhavan.

Shimla district got a lion’s share in the Cabinet with three ministerial berths while the electorally significant Kangra, where the Congress won 10 out of 15 seats got only one seat.

One minister each is from Solan, Kangra, Sirmaur and Kinnaur districts.

himachal CM sukhu inducts 7 Cabinet ministers Before the swearing in ceremony of the ministers, the chief minister administered oath to the six MLAs who have been made chief parliamentary secretaries (CPSs). The move to appoint CPSs is seen as an attempt to avoid any dissent as the cabinet lacks regional and caste balance. The MLAs who took oath as CPSs are Sunder Singh Thakur (Kullu), Mohan Lal Brakta (Rohru), Ram Kumar Chaudhary (Doon), Ashish Butail (Palampur), Kishori Lal (Baijanth) and Sanjay Awasthi (Arki). The oath ceremony of the CPSs was held at the state secretariat. passport. Addressing the Indian diaspora about the efforts taken by the Centre during the pandemic, he said, “The relationship between the Indian government and our diaspora was very evident during the Covid-19 pandemic. The government undertook the VandeBharat mission, and the Vaccine Maitri initiative focused on our diaspora-centred partners. We recognise the tremendous response that we obtained from the PIO and NRI community during the most difficult moments of our own Covid experience.” Addressing the same event, Union minister of youth affairs, Anurag Thakur, discussed the vision of the Centre towards enhancing cooperation between India’s youth and their diaspora counterparts. “In recent years, the government has launched a range of initiatives such as the Know India program, scholarship program Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN), and Vajra faculty scheme to bring a strong international connection to the R&D ecosystems in India. Our efforts to link up and facilitate ties between startups and young diaspora innovators and investors are generating a crosspollination of ideas. Our vision is to see a two-way flow of capital of ideas,” he said. Thakur also noted the qualities that he believes distinguish the Indian diaspora, such as their inclination towards higher education and climbing the professional ladders in their countries of domicile. Despite these qualities, Thakur said that ‘Indianness’ beats in their hearts. Hailing the contributions of the Indian youth, Thakur said, “Over 80,000 startups have been created in India. As the world struggled with Covid-19, India’s youth took 50 of their startups to the unicorn level. India has emerged as the third largest attractive investment destination. Over Rs.12 lakh crore was accumulated through UPI-BHIM transactions which was not even achieved by developed countries.” Invoking a quote from Prime Minister Modi, Thakur said, “PM Modi once remarked that when it comes to our diaspora, be it non-resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin, we don’t look at the colour of the passport but only the blood relation. Even if you go to "oUr indiAn diAsPorA mAy hAve noticed the any corner of the country, this blood relation unites notAble chAnges in the PAst eight yeArs, us.” inclUding the extrAordinAry scAle of Madhya Pradesh chief digitAl delivery thAt hAs mAde Possible minister Shivraj Singh Access to sociAl benefits. eqUAlly evident Chouhan and Australia’s Are the imProved heAlth infrAstrUctUre member of Parliament (MP) And enormoUs infrAstrUctUre Activity. Zaneta Mascarenhas also bUt most of All, yoU WoUld sense the addressed the event. oPtimism in oUr society. the energies of Prime Minister Narendra yoUng indiA Are increAsingly visible". Modi will inaugurate the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Indore on Monday. President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2023 and preside over the valedictory session on Tuesday.