The petitioner also asked the Court to order media to stop reporting on the incident because it prejudices both the victim and the accused.
The victim of the Air India urination case, has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition with the Supreme Court, requesting that the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and airline companies develop regulations to deal with incidents of passenger misconduct on board aircrafts.
The petitioner also asked the Court to order the media to postpone reporting on the incident because it prejudices both the victim and the accused.
According to the petition, the DGCA failed to treat the petitioner with care and responsibility after an unruly passenger urinated on her following excessive alcohol consumption.
“The rights to a free and fair trial have also been significantly harmed as a result of the petitioner’s selective leak of the AIR SEWA complaint, the FIR, and selective witness statements being released to the media to match a specific narrative,” the petition filed through advocate Rahul Narayan stated.
The petition cited seven instances of passenger misconduct on board from 2014 to 2023 that were not properly addressed by the airline.
The petition stated that a similar incident occurred on March 4, 2023, when a passenger urinated while inebriated on an American Airlines flight from New York to New Delhi. The flight operator informed Air Traffic Control, who then notified the Central Industrial Security Force, resulting in the individual’s arrest upon disembarking.
Thus, the petitioner requested:
1. Direct Centre and DGCA to ensure CAR norms meet the highest international standards;
2. Direct DGCA and airline companies to comply with SoPs by airline crew and staff during such incidents;
3. Direct media to postpone reporting of the pending criminal case related to the incident.
