‘Act Utterly Disgusting, Sufficient To Outrage Modesty Of Any Woman’: Delhi Court Denies Bail To Shankar Mishra In Air India Case

A Delhi Court on Wednesday denied bail to Shankar Mishra, accused of urinating on an elderly woman on a New York-Delhi Air India flight in November last year. 

Metropolitan Magistrate Komal Garg observed that the alleged act of the accused of relieving himself upon the complainant is “utterly disgusting and repulsive” and is sufficient to outrage the modesty of any woman.

“Egregious conduct of the accused has shocked the civic consciousness and needs to be deprecated. As per the allegations, the accused was voluntarily drunk and had consumed alcohol during the flight and the said fact has not been denied by the applicant. The alleged act in itself prima facie reflects the intention of the accused,” the court said.

Observing that as per the record, Mishra had failed to join the investigation even after notice under section 41A Cr.PC being issued to him, the court said his conduct does not inspire any confidence.

“It has also come on record that accused has tried contacting the victim and the possibility of accused influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled out. Further, as per the report of IO, the other witnesses are yet to be interrogated and the investigation is at a very initial stage,” the court said.

The judge pronounced the order after hearing Advocate Manu Sharma, who represented accused Mishra; public prosecutor and complainant’s counsel.

The Delhi Police had registered an FIR against Mishra on January 4 after the elderly woman made a complaint to Air India. 

Mishra was then arrested by the police and brought to Delhi. After being produced before a court here by Delhi police, Mishra was remanded the 14 days judicial custody.