Air India 'pee-gate' case: Delhi court reserves order on bail plea of Shankar Mishra

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Wednesday reserved order on bail plea of Shankar Mishra, who is accused of urinating on woman co-passenger on Air India flight.

"He (Mishra) couldn't control his drink but the unzipping was not for sexual desire. The complainant's case does not put him as a lustful man. The trial will take time but the man has been sacked from his job after these allegations. He is not at flight risk," said Shankar Mishra's lawyer Manu Sharma while seeking bail. 

The lawyer said that in the FIR registered by Delhi Police, only one non-bailable offence is mentioned, others are bailable offences.

"My client has clearly and willingly participated in any inquiries related to the alleged event, with the intention to establish his innocence and will continue to act in this bona fide manner and assist the police in the investigation," said Mishra's counsel.

Delhi Police opposed bail plea of Shankar Mishra, saying he can influence the complainant.

According to police, the accused, Shankar Mishra, allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger in an inebriated condition in the business class of the Air India flight from New York to Delhi on November 26 last year.

Mishra's bail plea mentioned that he has no criminal antecedents and that "he's not in a position to influence the witnesses".

"The applicant is a respectable working professional and comes from an educated family. The applicant is a responsible individual and a father of a young daughter," stated Mishra's lawyers in the bail plea. 

"The applicant was surprised to receive a text message on December 19, 2022 from the complainant's daughter through the complainant's WhatsApp account directing him not to communicate with them any further. The timing is particularly egregious because at this stage, the scene of the alleged event i.e., the aircraft in question would have obviously been cleaned and therefore completely vitiated," the plea further stated. 

Mishra's lawyers said Mishra's arrest is illegal and is in violation of guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in Arnesh Kumar Vs. State Of Bilhar & Anr case. 

Delhi Police had registered an FIR against him on January 4 on a complaint given by the woman to Air India. The police registered an FIR under sections 354, 509, and 510 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 23 of the Indian Aircraft Act. Both the accused and the victim are from outside Delhi.

US-based financial services company Wells Fargo on Friday also terminated its employee Shankar Mishra. "Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards of professional and personal behaviour and we find these allegations deeply disturbing. This individual has been terminated from Wells Fargo. We are cooperating with law enforcement and ask that any additional inquiries be directed to them," the company said in a statement.