Student accused of urinating in New York-Delhi flight seat

AN INEBRIATED Indian student aboard an American Airlines flight from New York to Delhi allegedly urinated while asleep in his seat and soiled a male co-passenger on Saturday (4).

Delhi Police registered a case based on a complaint from the airline.

The airline has submitted a report about the incident to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The airline seems to have handled the situation professionally and has taken all appropriate action, a senior official at the aviation regulator said.

American Airlines in a statement on Sunday (5) said the flight was "met by local enforcement upon arrival in Delhi due to a disruptive customer" but did not provide specific details about the incident.

Delhi airport’s deputy commissioner of police Devesh Kumar Mahla said the suspect joined the probe along with his father and was released after interrogation.

“He has not been arrested in the case yet as further investigation in the matter is still underway," he said.

An airport source said the accused, a student at a US university, was in a state of inebriation and urinated while he was asleep. “It somehow leaked and fell on a fellow passenger who complained to the crew."

The fellow passenger was not keen on reporting the matter to the police after the student apologised as it might put his career in jeopardy, according to the source.

However, the airline took it seriously and reported it to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the airport.

(PTI)