A ‘drunk’ man has been arrested after allegedly urinating on an elderly woman in the business class section of a plane.
Indian police say the 34-year-old man was arrested in the southern city of Bangalore following the incident on an Air India flight from New York to New Delhi.
The man, who faces an allegation of indecent exposure to the woman, was transported to the Indian capital on Saturday, where he was taken into custody for 14 days while police investigate.
If found guilty, the man, who was fired from his job at a leading banking firm following the allegations, faces up to three years in prison.
The Times of India newspaper reported that the suspect said he was drunk at the time of the alleged incident and could not believe what he had done.
A passenger on the flight told the newspaper he saw the man consuming an excessive amount of alcohol at the time of the alleged incident and was speaking incoherently.
Meanwhile, the man’s father, speaking to the Hindustan Times, described the allegations as a “totally bogus case”.
He also claimed his son “hadn’t slept for 30-35 hours” and fell asleep after having a drink.
The alleged incident is believed to have taken place in November last year, although Air India only filed a complaint with the police this week.
The company said the crew did not summon the police when they landed in New Delhi as they believed the two people involved had settled the matter between themselves.
Meanwhile, Air India said it issued written notices and grounded a pilot and four cabin crew in connection with the incident.
The company had been criticized on social media for its decision to bar the man from flying with them for 30 days – a ban which campaigners said was not long enough.
The airline’s CEO and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, said in a statement: “Air India recognizes that it could have handled these issues better, both in the air and on the ground, and is committed to taking measures.”
