Unruly passengers, drunkards and smokers delayed 12 flights in 2022

Shankar Mishra, a passenger accused of urinating on a woman passenger on an Air India flight from New York to Delhi, after his arrest recently. Pic/PTI

The police manning the Mumbai airports and their vicinity come across the most hilarious and some serious instances of security breach and violations. Around 12 flights raised security alerts and got delayed due to drunkards, smokers and unruly passengers in 2022.

The police said four FIRs were registered for smoking inside flight toilets, five cases have been registered against drunkards. Some mentally ill passengers were arrested as they were too scared to sit during take off and landing and one was booked for trying to open the emergency exit gate.

The domestic and international airports of Mumbai fall in the jurisdiction of the Airport and Sahar police stations, respectively. According to the police, offenders are brought to the police stations by the airport security after being handed over by the airline staff and are usually booked under the Aircraft Act.

"Last year four people, including a Russian National were arrested for smoking inside planes. Chain smokers are a major menace. They cannot control their addiction and are usually caught by the airport staff for smoking inside the toilets," an officer from Sahar police station said. Smoking inside the flight is prohibited all over the world. Many passengers also throw ash into the toilet. This can lead to fires.

Also Read: Man held for smoking on London-Mumbai AI flight

According to the police the other major menace is drunkards. While these could be passengers, there have been instances of drunk people from hutment areas adjoining the airport boundary wall causing trouble.

"A drunk man, arrested from the adjoining area, claimed that he wanted to fly a plane and was heading towards one. In another incident, a drunk man came onto the runaway with the national flag in his hand, as he wanted to clear flights. How do we deal with this nuisance?" the officer added.

DCP Dixit Gedam of Zone 8 said, "Our officers take action against the accused and also make arrests. Airports also have their own security of CISF jawans with CCTV surveillance cameras. We also register FIRs against the offenders."

However, a police source said, "There are bailable offences under IPC 336 and Aircraft Act. We can't even arrest offenders in such cases. We only give Section 41A of CRPC to present for the investigation when called. When they arrive for the investigation, we arrest them and produce them in court and they get bail on the spot. The bail amount is minimum Rs 25,000."

Speaking to mid-day, Indigo Airlines spokesperson C Leekha said, "To avoid such incidents before the flight takes off we make the announcements in the airplane. We inform passengers in different languages not to open the emergency exit door, not to smoke inside the plane and wear the seat belt during take-off and landing. But airhostess and cabin crew are trained to deal with situations regarding unruly passengers."

Plane crazy or what you will

February 19, 2022 Devanand Omprakash Gautam, 22, a resident of UP came to Mumbai on a trip. He entered the airport from gate number 27. CISF jawans caught him. Gautam revealed he entered the airport to see the planes. "Many flights got delayed due to this," an official said. Gautam was arrested and later released on bail after police confirmed he didn't have any dangerous intentions.

March 11, 2022 Shankar Tulsiram Shinge, a resident of Vile Parle, who was drunk, climbed the safety wall and entered the airport premises. When the CISF and a police team rushed to catch him, he started climbing the safety wall to get out but got stuck and was caught. The police found he was drunk and wanted to fly a plane. Shinge was arrested under Sections IPC 447, 448, the Maharashtra Police Act 120 and Aircraft Act 90, 161.

February 20, 2022 A 27-year-old passenger, Salman Nadeem Khan, was booked by the Airport police after he claimed to be scared and kept standing when the flight he was on, was to land. The incident took place on flight number 6E5324, a Goa to Mumbai flight. The police said he also tried to take his bag into the toilet but was stopped as this is not allowed. He then requested another seat but was refused one as the flight was full. The cabin crew informed the pilot when Khan kept standing as the plane was going to land. The pilot avoided landing twice when Khan kept standing. Other passengers then held Khan on a seat and after the flight landed, he was handed over to the police. The airport police booked him under Section IPC 336, Maharashtra
Police Act 110, and Aircraft Act 22, 29, 161.

January 21, 2023 A passenger, Jayraj Selvaraj, was booked by the airport police after he started a fight onboard with a co-passenger. He was warned by the cabin crew. They then informed the pilot who asked him to follow the rules. Before landing, Selvaraj started beating up the passenger whom he had been fighting with. Other passengers helped the cabin crew pacify him and after the flight landed he was handed over to the cops. The airport police booked him under IPC sections IPC 188, and the Aircraft Act 22, 23.

March 3, 2023 A 34-year-old Russian National, Elina Berlin, was booked by Sahar police for smoking inside the toilet in flight. Cabin Crew also found an e-cigarette with her. The Sahar police registered an FIR under IPC and Aircraft Act 25.