Air India files FIRs against Sena MP for hitting its staffer 25 times'
New Delhi/mumbai: High drama was witnessed on a Pune-Delhi Air India flight after it landed at the Delhi airport on Thursday morning as Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad repeatedly hit a 60-year-old AI staffer with his sandal over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.
The Lok Sabha MP from Maharashtra’s Osmanabad also bragged that he hit duty manager R. Sukumar “25 times” when the official went to persuade him to disembark after he refused to alight, holding up the aircraft for over 40 minutes.
The national carrier filed two FIRs against the MP, who is known for his strong-arm tactics. One FIR relates to assault, the other is for holding up the aircraft. Shiv Sena sought an explanation from him, while two Union ministers and leaders across parties condemned the incident.
“The MP turned violent, broke the duty manager’s spectacles, tore his shirt, hit him with slippers 16-17 times,” Air India sources said.
The police said that the officer was sent for a medical examination, and based on its report a case would be registered.
“Both complaints, prima facie, make for non-cognizable offences. The complaints have been sent for legal examination,” said Delhi police chief spokesperson Dependra Pathak.
The MP had also had heated arguments with AI officials at the time of boarding the plane in Pune over the flight not having business class seats.
Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju condemned the incident, saying physical assaults will not be “encouraged”.
“Unruly behaviour and violence on our aviation network is regrettable. Each such incident will be investigated and appropriate action taken,” minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha tweeted.
In a message to employees, Air India chairman and MD Ashwani Lohani said, “The management is with the employees, always.”
“He became very abusive and used foul language and abused me with all bad words and adjectives in Hindi,” the staffer told the police in his complaint.
According to the airline, the MP had an open business class ticket with Air India, which allows a passenger to fly on any date. But he insisted on taking the 7.35 am AI852 Thursday morning flight from Pune to Delhi.
When the aircraft landed in Delhi, he refused to disembark despite attempts at persuading him to do so. The AI staffer also tried to pacify the MP, who vociferously complained about the morning flight to Delhi from Pune not having business class seats.
The MP, who was unapologetic about his actions, even boasting about it on national TV, claimed it was the officer’s threat to complain about it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that made him lose his cool.
“I first asked him to lower his voice as his blood pressure would shoot up. He then said he would complain to Modi. Then I slapped him. I hit him 25 times with my sandal. I am a Shiv Sena MP, not of BJP, to tolerate abuses,” he said.
Mr Gaikwad even said, “I was about to throw him off the plane.” He boasted that he held up the plane for “full one hour” and did not allow the maintenance staff to clean the aircraft.
When asked whether he had any regret for his actions and if he would apologise, a defiant Mr Gaikwad, who was once in news for having shoved down the throat an allegedly stale chapati to a fasting Muslim caterer while complaining about the quality of food served at the Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, remained defiant.
“I have no regret. The officer should come and apologise... The Air India CMD needs to apologise to me instead. I am a customer,” he told a news channel.
