Delhi court remands Shankar Mishra to 14-day judicial custody for urinating on woman onboard Air India flight

A Delhi court on Saturday remanded a man to 14-day judicial custody for allegedly urinating on a 70-year-old co-passenger woman onboard an Air India flight between New York and Delhi on November 26 last year.

The Delhi Police had moved an application in the court, seeking three-day remand of the accused.

Metropolitan Magistrate Anamika at Patiala House Courts, while observing that public pressure should not sway the investigation in the case, said that police custody of Mishra was not required in the case.

As per the court, physical presence of the accused was not required to interrogate other witnesses. It said even under Section 164 CrPC, Mishra’s statement could be recorded without taking him into police custody. 

Delhi Police had arrested Mishra in Bengaluru on Friday and brought him to Delhi. The incident came to light after the woman wrote a letter to the chairperson of Tata Group and made it available to the media.

Wells Fargo, the company where the accused was working, sacked him on the grounds that allegations against him were deeply disturbing.

Mishra’s lawyers had recently stated that he had paid an agreed compensation amount to the septuagenarian on November 28, but almost a month later on December 19, the money was returned to him by the woman’s daughter.

As per the Public Prosecutor, Mishra did not cooperate with the probe. Appearing for the accused, Advocate Manu Sharma said that only one of the offences invoked against Mishra were non-bailable. He requested the court to see the FIR, stating that only one of the Sections invoked was non-bailable, while the rest were bailable.

The counsel representing the victim said that the crew members of the flight on which the incident happened were also responsible.

Mishra has also filed a bail application. The court issued notice to the Delhi Police on his bail plea and listed the same for hearing on January 11.