A Delhi Court on Friday adjourned the hearing in the bail plea filed by the accused Shankar Mishra, who was recently arrested for urinating on a 70-year-old woman co-passenger on board an Air India flight in the month of November 2022, under the influence of alcohol. Mishra had filed a fresh bail application seeking regular bail, in November last year
Image Source: bwlegal world
Additional Sessions Judge Harjyot Singh Bhalla adjourned the matter for January 30, Monday, after advocate Ankur Mahindro, appearing for the complainant, said that he was not provided with a copy of the bail plea.
The court also observed that the investigating officer was not present for the hearing.
The senior counsel, Advocate Ramesh Gupta, advocating for Mishra, opposed the adjournment to the 30th of January.
“If the court is inclined to adjourn it, then please grant me an interim bail… This is not fair. “It can’t be a reason that the investigating officer is not here, so adjourn,” said Advocate Gupta.
Mahindro said that he will have to go through the application. Advocate Gupta requested that he list it at 2 p.m. today.
The judge, however, said that he will hear the case on Monday next week. Mishra was taken into custody by the Delhi Police in Bengaluru on January 6.
Air India Flight Shankar Urinated on 70 Years old woman
It was stated that he allegedly urinated on a 70-year-old woman while in an intoxicated condition in November on board an Air India flight.
The incident came to public attention after the woman posted a letter to the Chairperson of the Tata Group, after which it was made public via the media.
A co-passenger boarding the New York-New Delhi flight, Mr. S. Bhattacharjee, witnessed the incident and revealed that after the accused urinated on the lady, the flight crew cleaned her seat and covered it with blankets, rather than offering her Shankar Mishra’s seat.
While speaking to ANI (Asian International News), Bhattacharjee said, “The incident happened after the lunch was served.” He (the accused) had four drinks and then was asking me the same questions multiple times. I finished lunch and told the flight attendant to keep an eye on him.
Bhattacharjee added, “Following this incident, the co-passenger went to the senior stewardess and asked her to give the old lady another seat, but she refused, saying that they needed to get permission from the captain.”
The co-passenger also told ANI that the only option for the lady was to move to 1st class as the business class was full. The flight crew cleaned her seat and kept blankets on the seat, which smelled of urine. They could have given her Shankar Mishra’s seat, but they did not do anything to pacify the distressed passenger.
Image Source: Twitter
The airline’s CEO on Saturday issued an apology over the handling of the incident and said four cabin crew members and a pilot have been de-rostered, and the policy of serving alcohol on flights is being reviewed.
Mishra worked at Wells Fargo, a financial services company, and was terminated from his job after the company responded that the allegations against him regarding the current case were ‘deeply disturbing.’
The accused’s lawyer recently said that he had paid an agreed compensation amount to the woman on November 28. But, a month later, the compensated amount was returned to him by the woman’s daughter.
On January 8, the court denied Mishra’s request to be taken into police custody but remanded him for 14 days in judicial custody.
Image Source: The week
The Court had previously stated that the mere fact of public pressure should not influence or hinder the investigation of the case, so Mishra’s police custody would not be required.
Mishra is presently in judicial custody after Metropolitan Magistrate Komal Garg denied him bail on January 11.
