Unruly passenger assaults Air India crew member onboard Goa-Delhi flight
New Delhi, May 30: A male passenger onboard an Air India flight from Goa on Monday physically assaulted a crew member and the unruly passenger was handed over to the security personnel after landing at the Delhi airport, according to the airline.
In recent months, there have been multiple incidents of unruly passenger behaviour onboard aircraft and the latest incident happened onboard flight AI882 enroute from Goa to Delhi.
"The said passenger verbally abused the crew members and then went on to physically assault one of them on board. On landing at Delhi airport, the passenger continued with the unprovoked, aggressive behaviour and was handed over to the security personnel. We have also reported the incident to the regulator," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.
Further details about the incident could not be immediately ascertained.
"Safety of our crew and passengers is of utmost importance to us and we strongly condemn this unruly behaviour of the passenger. We will offer all support to the affected crew members," the spokesperson said.
Earlier this month, Air India imposed a two-year flying ban on an individual who caused physical harm to two female cabin crew members onboard a Delhi-London flight on April 10.
An unruly air passenger can face flying ban for varying periods under the regulations of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
As per the rules, unruly passenger behaviour can be classified into three levels.
Unruly behaviour such as physical gestures, verbal harassment and unruly inebriation are classified as Level 1 while physically abusive behaviour like pushing, kicking or sexual harassment are classified as Level 2.
Life threatening behaviour such as damage to aircraft operating systems, physical violence like choking and murderous assault are considered as Level 3.
Depending on the level of unruly behaviour, an internal committee set up by the airline concerned can decide on the duration for which an unruly passenger can be banned from flying.
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Ghazipur teen's death: Akhilesh alleges cover-up, likens case to Hathras; BJP hits back
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Uttar Pradesh government over the recovery of a teenage girl's body in Ghazipur, alleging attempts to “change statements” and calling the incident a repeat of the Hathras case.
The BJP has dismissed the remarks as “divisive politics”.
The body of the teenage girl was found under a bridge on the Ganga in the Karanda police station area of Ghazipur district earlier this month.
Sharing a video of the victim's father on X, Yadav said, “Changing statements does not change the truth. Uttar Pradesh has never seen such a weak chief minister, under whose watch poor and helpless victims are pressured to alter their statements."
In the video, the girl’s father can be purportedly heard accusing a village head of intimidation and alleging that stones were pelted when a Samajwadi Party delegation had gone to meet the family.
He also claimed that a police officer was injured while trying to protect him.
On Saturday, however, the victim's father told reporters that he did not want political leaders to visit his home for “political mileage”.
He also said that the district officials have assured him of strict action against the accused and expressed satisfaction with the police investigation.
Raising a volley of questions, Yadav asked why there was a delay in lodging the FIR in the case, why statements were allegedly altered, and why the victim's family was being “harassed”.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief also questioned the lack of action against those who allegedly pelted stones at the police and raised doubts over the post-mortem report.
“Everyone knows the truth. Whatever the post-mortem report may say, the ground reality is known to everyone in the village,” Yadav said.
He also claimed that the Ghazipur incident mirrored the Hathras case, claiming both involved families from marginalised backgrounds and "dominant elements" as perpetrators.
In Hathras, a Dalit girl was allegedly gangraped on September 14, 2020. She later died at the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on September 29.
Yadav questioned whether “cosmetic action” would ensure justice for the victim's family, as he stressed the need for “social justice” along with the rule of law.
Reacting to the SP chief’s remarks, BJP leader Naveen Srivastava said in a post on X, “You have no faith in the administration, no faith in the post-mortem report, and no faith in the victim's father. You only believe in divisive politics.”
Varanasi Zone ADGP, Piyush Mordia, said the girl had gone missing on the night of April 14, and her body was found about 3 km from her home in the Ganga early the next morning.
Based on a complaint filed by the family, an FIR has been registered, and the main accused has been arrested, the officer said.
Senior police and administrative officials have met the victim's family, Mordia said, noting that the father has sought a speedy trial to ensure strict punishment for the accused.
The officer also said that some “outsiders” attempted to create unrest in the village.
