After the urination episode on flight, another shocking incident has come to light from IndiGo and Air India airlines, in which passengers were caught smoking in washrooms. The latest incident took place on an IndiGo flight on March 5, heading to Bengaluru from Kolkata.
A 24-year-old woman passenger, identified as Priyanka Chakraborty and a resident of West Bengal, has been arrested for smoking in the lavatory of a Bengaluru-bound flight. The cabin crew discovered the cigarette in the dustbin of the lavatory and poured water on it to douse it.
She was handed over to authorities after the flight landed at Kempegowda International Airport. However, Priyanka was later released on bail.
The incident came to light when the cabin crew sensed the smoke of a cigarette from the washroom. The crew opened the door and found the woman passenger smoking. It is pertinent to mention that smoking in flight is hazardous for aircraft functions.
A day before the IndiGo incident, a similar episode took place in Tata-owned airline, Air India on March 4. The accused passenger, Anil Meena was caught smoking inside the washroom of a Delhi-bound Air India flight.
The cabin crew sensed the smoke coming from the washroom which also triggered the fire alarm. After this, the pilot informed Delhi airport authorities about the incident. He was then detained by Delhi Police when the flight landed at the airport. He told the police that he was a chain smoker.
Earlier, a passenger named Shankar Mishra urinated on his co-passenger during an Air India flight from New York to Delhi. He was arrested by a team of Delhi Police from Bengaluru on 7 January after close coordination with Mumbai and Bengaluru Police.
Mishra has also been banned by Air India from flying by airline for four months. The airline has already been slapped with ₹30 lakh penalty by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for its failure to comply with the applicable rules.
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