Representational image. News18
New Delhi: Shankar Mishra, the accused in the Air India row, reached a settlement with the aggrieved lady for compensation, the accused’s lawyers said.
In a shocking incident, Mishra, allegedly drunk, urinated on his co-passenger, a senior citizen in her seventies, in the business class of an Air India New York-Delhi flight on 26 November last year.
In a statement on Friday, the lawyers for Mishra told his version of the incident and what followed thereafter. It mentions WhatsApp messages exchanged between Mishra and the lady.
‘No intention to lodge a complaint’
According to the statement, the accused and the lady, the co-passenger he urinated on, had reached a settlement before the inquiry committee by the cabin crew of the flight to compensate her.
“The settlement reached between the parties has also been affirmed in the statements so submitted by the cabin crew.”
Mishra, as was agreed between the two before the enquiry committee, paid compensation to the lady through Paytm on 28 November, 2022. But the compensation was returned on 19 December, 2022, almost after a month, by the lady’s daughter.
“The accused paid the compensation as agreed between the parties on Paytm on 28 November but after almost a month on December 19 her daughter returned the money back”, the statement read.
The lady, according to the statement in her messages displayed no intention to lodge a complaint against Mishra.
“The lady in her message has clearly condoned the alleged act and has displayed no intention to lodge a complaint”, said the statement.
According to the statement, the lady’s grievance was only with respect to the compensation from the Airline. She even raised a complaint on 20 December, 2022 for this.
“The lady’s persisting grievance was only with respect to the adequate compensation being paid by the Airline for which she has raised a subsequent complaint on 20 December, 2022.”
Claiming the allegations to be false, the statement said, “The statements recorded before the inquiry committee by the cabin crew show that there is no eyewitness to the incident and all the statements are merely hearsay evidence.”
Mishra will cooperate with the probe into the case.
“The accused has full faith in the judicial system of the country and will cooperate with the investigation process.”
On Thursday the Delhi police asked the Bureau of Immigration to issue a lookout circular against Mishra to stop him from leaving the country.
The police also said multiple teams were sent to Mumbai to nab the man, but he was absconding.
A case under Indian Penal Code sections 294 (obscene act in a public place), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) as well as under Aircraft Rules has been registered against Mishra.
With input from Agencies
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