In 3 days, 3 flyers held in Mumbai for ‘unruly conduct’ – Times of India

MUMBAI: In three days this week, three flyers have been arrested in separate cases for unruly behaviour while flying into Mumbai. The arrests come in the wake of the Director General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) action against Air India over the ‘peegate’ incident on Air India’s flight from New York to Delhi.
The latest case was registered on Tuesday under Section 336 of IPC (act endangering life or safety) and under the Aircraft Act 1937 against Pranav Raut after he allegedly opened the emergency exit door cover on Nagpur-Mumbai IndiGo flight (6-E 5274) before landing at Mumbai airport at around 12.35 pm. A day before, Jayraj Selvaraj from Chennai was held for creating a ruckus with a co-flyer on board Akasa Air. On Sunday, a drunk Mumbai businessman was held for abusing staff while flying back from Chennai by IndiGo.
‘Crew quick in lodging cases after AI ruckus’
Since Air India has been hauled up, in the wake of the ‘peegate’ incident of November last year, for violating norms on handling unruly passenger behaviour, Mumbai police officers said airline crew have been prompt in registering complaints if flyers do not follow aircraft safety rules, are abusive or indulge in verbal duels with crew and co-flyers.
On Tuesday, Pranav Raut was handed over to the police after cabin crew member Mumtaz Khan on an Indigo flight from Nagpur noticed that Raut, in seat 18B, was trying to close the emergency door cover. He failed to give a proper explanation for his action. “As it is a bailable offence, Raut was arrested by airport police and later released on bail,” said deputy commisioner of police (zone VIII) Gedam Dikshit.
On January 23, Jayraj Selvaraj from Chennai created a ruckus with a co-flyer during the journey from Chennai to Mumbai on board Akasa Air (QP-1116). Airport police said that he was arrested for disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant and under the Aircraft Act. “Selvaraj had an argument and abused a co-flyer over a petty issue. Despite repeated warnings given by the cabin crew, he did not abide by the safety rules when the flight took off from Chennai at around 10.30 am,” the police said.
In the complaint, in-flight manager N T Dousal (30) said, “Selvaraj continued his argument after he stepped out of the toilet and stared at the co-flyer. He got seated after other flyers warned him and asked him to be seated. He did not abide by my instructions despite repeated warnings.” Selvaraj was arrested and was subsequently released on bail.
A day before that (January 22), the first case of the year 2023 related to an unruly passenger was registered at the Sahar police station. A small-time Mumbai businessman, Darshan Parekh (35), who was allegedly drunk, was arrested for alleged abuse on board a Chennai-Mumbai Indigo flight and for creating a ruckus with the crew.