Bengaluru, May 17: A first-time flyer from Rajasthan has been arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport here on charges of smoking 'Beedi' on the Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air flight, police said on Wednesday.

The 56-year-old from Marwar region had boarded the plane at Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Midair, he went to the lavatory and smoked, police said.

They added that flight attendants swung into action quickly, held him and, on reaching Bengaluru, handed him over to the police.

During interrogation, the passenger told police that he was travelling by flight for the first time and did not know about the rules.

He also said that during train travels he used to smoke in toilets and tried the same on the plane.

The passenger has been booked on charges of endangering lives of others, police said.

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New Delhi (PTI):The Supreme Court on Friday rapped the CBI for making "scandalous allegations" against the courts in its plea seeking transfer of cases relating to the 2021 post-post violence cases outside West Bengal.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal said the agency cannot cast aspersions on the entire judiciary in West Bengal.

"Mr Raju what kind of grounds are taken in this? How can you cast aspersions on entire judiciary.You are showing as if there is a hostile environment in whole West Bengal.

"Your officers may not like the judicial officer or a particular state but don't say that the entire judiciary is not functioning. The judges the district judges and civil judges and sessions judges can't come here and defend themselves," the bench told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the CBI.

Defending the averments in the petition, the law officer told the apex court that there is no intention to cast aspersions and it is a case of loose drafting.

Raju withdrew the transfer petition after scathing observation from the apex court.

The top court recorded in its order, "Scandalous allegations have been made against all the courts in general in West Bengal. It has been repeatedly averred that there is a hostile environment prevailing in the courts. It is very unfortunate that the central agency has chosen to cast aspersions on courts in West Bengal".

"ASG states that there was no intention to cast aspersions. However the averment are to the contrary. He seeks permission to withdraw," the bench said.

The CBI had filed the petition in December 2023 seeking directions to transfer the cases outside of West Bengal due to alleged concerns of witness intimidation.