Mumbai: Flier detained for ‘calling crew stupid’, he says privacy breached

Siddharth Shanghvi with his lawyers outside the Airport Police station

Mumbai-based author Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi underwent a four-hour detention at the Mumbai Airport police station over allegations by Akasa airline crew members. They accused him of labelling them "stupid people". Shanghvi contested this, deeming it a breach of his privacy as the crew claimed to have overheard his remarks in the lavatory. Amid the incident, Shanghvi counteracted by filing a complaint against the staff, citing sexual harassment.

It all stemmed from a disagreement over lavatory use on Akasa flight QP 1395 (from North Goa to Mumbai), about half an hour before landing. A flight attendant instructed Shanghvi to wait and later reported the issue to the police, alleging Shanghvi had called the staff "stupid people."

Siddharth Shanghvi, Mumbai-based author. Pic/Twitter

Talking to mid-day, Shanghvi said, "I was directed to stay seated when I requested to use the restroom. After consulting the captain, I was permitted. Upon exiting the restroom, a female crew member confronted me, claiming I'd referred to them as ‘stupid people' in the toilet. How could she have heard that? It felt invasive as if she had been eavesdropping. This isn't just about privacy; it feels like sexual harassment. Akasa must address their staff's behaviour fairly."

Shanghvi added, "The airport detention disrupted my schedule, leading to cancelled meetings and legal engagement. Both the crew and Akasa Airlines owe me an explanation. Is this the treatment for a passenger with no fault? Is it their policy to monitor passengers in restrooms? Will male staff similarly monitor female passengers?"

In his complaint letter, Shanghvi stated, "The flight attendant, Komal, asked me in a very demeaning manner to return to my seat and stated that I couldn't use the flight's washroom. Subsequently, I approached another flight attendant who promptly sought permission from Captain Ishaan Modi, which was granted. However, as the washroom was locked, I had to seek assistance from another flight attendant to unlock it, with prior permission from the captain. Upon exiting the washroom, I was repeatedly interrogated by Komal, accusing me of saying ‘stupid people' in the washroom. This conduct shocked and surprised me, leading me to believe that Komal might have peeked into the washroom while I was using it, invading my privacy and bordering on sexual harassment. I merely expressed my wish not to speak to her and returned to my seat. However, after a few minutes, Komal again approached my seat, verbally accosted and humiliated me in front of my fellow passengers. I possess a video recording of Komal targeting and humiliating me without cause in front of the entire flight. I am willing to provide this footage as evidence."

Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi said he was in the lavatory of the aircraft and the crew overhead him talking. Representation pic

The letter further recounted the post-landing events, "Despite feeling medically unwell and faint, I was prohibited from leaving the flight. Komal threatened to file a complaint against me to teach me a lesson. Consequently, against my wishes, I was detained and not allowed to exit the airplane. I was appalled by the flight attendant's misconduct. I was directly escorted to the Airport Police Station to file a case against me, despite my lack of fault. Despite my requests to the crew to let me go due to feeling unwell and uneasy, they remained rude and adamant. As I was physically unfit to advocate for myself, I had to call my lawyers to represent me."

Shanghvi insisted on an investigation by Akasa Air and DGCA into how the crew overheard his supposedly private remarks, emphasising the seriousness of his allegations and the need for impartial scrutiny. Despite requesting an FIR against the staff, Sanghvi's complaint letter has been accepted by the police.

Regarding the police response, Bhagwat Garande, senior inspector said, "We've heard both sides, and it seems trivial. We've taken an NC from Akasa Air staff and accepted Sanghvi's complaint letter. We'll investigate further based on his allegations."

Disputing the credibility of Akasa employees, Shanghvi demanded passenger statements as an unbiased account of the incident. Responding over the drama that unfolded onboard their flight QP 1395 Akasa Air's official spokesperson said, "We can only respond in the matter after an internal investigation. All such incidents are investigated internally. The internal investigation is in process currently."

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No of hours Shanghvi was detained