Shankar Mishra has been identified as the man who peed on an elderly woman on an Air India business class aircraft from New York to Delhi. On November 26, 2022, the accused was drunk when the incident occurred.
Mishra, a native of Mumbai was employed by a multinational financial services company, Wells Fargo with its US headquarters in California.
To join the investigation into the Air India “pee-gate” scandal, Delhi Police has summoned 6–8 members of the flight crew, including the pilots to build a strong case against Mishra.
Delhi- Bangalore Police nab Mishra in Bengaluru:
In a latest development, The Delhi Police in a joint operation with the Bengaluru Police successfully detained accused Shankar Mishra from the silicon city. According to sources, Mishra was staying in an apartment near Sanjay Nagar, however later fled his Bengaluru residence after he learnt that the Police has filed an FIR against him and is trying to locate him.
According to section 23 of the aircraft Rules, a case has been filed against Mishra under the following sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC): 294 (obscene act in a public place), 354 (assault or criminal force to a 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 drunk person).
The elderly woman complained that the Air India crew brought the culprit before her notwithstanding her wishes for the man to be arrested following the event. The woman claimed that after that, the man apologized to her and asked her not to report him because he was a family man.
The man was given a 30-day flying restriction by Air India on Wednesday, and the airline said it had taken this matter seriously.
Shankar Mishra’s first statement following the incident: –
The accused in the Air India “peeing” episode, Shankar Mishra, has released his initial statement in defense of himself. In his defense, the accused claimed that the incident’s victim woman explicitly approved of the occurrence in her message and chose not to report Mishra. It should be emphasized that Ishane Sharma and Akshat Bajpai, Mishra’s attorneys, presented the statement on behalf of their client.
“The WhatsApp messages between the accused and the lady clearly show that the defendant had got the clothes and luggage cleaned on November 28, and that they were delivered on November 30,” the accused added in the statement.
It needs to be emphasized that this is Shankar Mishra’s first remark since the incident on the trip from New York to Delhi on November 26. While intoxicated on the flight, the accused is accused of peeing on the elderly woman.
According to the statement, the accused and the victim had come to a settlement, and on November 28 he also paid the woman’s compensation via Paytm, which was later reimbursed.
“The WhatsApp messages between the accused and the lady plainly show that the accused had got the clothes and bags cleaned on November 28, and the same was delivered on November 30”. The statement read, “The lady’s persistent concern was only with regard to the sufficient compensation being given by the Airline for which she has submitted a later complaint on December 20, 2022.”
No one was an eyewitness to the incident, and all statements were based exclusively on hearsay, according to cabin crew’s evidence before the inquiry committee. Additionally, the attorneys for Shankar Mishra believe that the remarks made by the cabin staff have supported the settlement agreement reached between the parties.
Shankar Mishra will assist with the inquiry into the incident, according to the statement. The statement reads, “The accused will assist with the inquiry process and has complete faith in the country’s justice system.”
Wells Fargo sacks VP Shankar Mishra
Earlier in the day, American financial services company Wells Fargo sacked Shankar Mishra, India Vice-President of its entity in India as Mishra, after Mishra urinated on a 70 y/o woman, in business class of an Air India flight from New York to New Delhi.
“This individual has been terminated from Wells Fargo. We are cooperating with law enforcement and ask that any additional inquiries be directed to them,”- Wells Fargo
The company issued a statement on January 6, which further said that it also said it holds its employees to the highest standards of professional and personal behavior and that it found these allegations deeply disturbing.