‘Unruly, aggressive’: Man on London-Mumbai flight booked for smoking in toilet, misbehaving with passengers

According to the police, the accused smoked on the flight though it was prohibited. He also caused disturbance on the aircraft and endangered the lives of all passengers, besides disobeying the pilot’s oral and written instructions to keep calm.

Responding to the incident, a spokesperson for Air India said, “A passenger on our flight AI130, operating London-Mumbai on 10th March 2023, was found smoking in the lavatory. Subsequently he behaved in an unruly and aggressive manner, despite repeated warnings. He was handed over to the security personnel upon the flight’s arrival in Mumbai. The regulator has been duly informed of the incident. We are extending all cooperation in the ongoing investigations. Air India follows a zero-tolerance policy for any behaviour that compromises the safety and security of passengers and staff.”

According to the FIR accessed by The Indian Express, the London-Mumbai flight took off around 10 pm on Friday. Around 8 am on Saturday, while flight was airborne, Dwivedi went to a lavatory on the plane. After a while, the smoke alarm in the toilet went off and the cabin crew immediately knocked on the door of the toilet. The crew mentioned in the complaint that as soon as they opened the door from the outside, they found that the passenger had a blue coloured lighter in his hand which they immediately took from him.

“He started abusing us loudly without remaining calm, so I took this matter to the pilot of the plane and a written warning was given to him, following which the passenger calmed down a bit and remained seated. However, after some time, he got up from his seat again and went near the door of the aircraft… and started trying to open (it)… I and other cabin crew and a few passengers stopped him from doing that, so he tried to kick the passenger,” the complainant said, as per the FIR.

Dwivedi was then taken to his seat with the help of other passengers. The crew said that as the accused passenger’s behaviour was dangerous for the safety of the other passengers, they tied up his hands and feet using force. “…when he was taken to the seat, he started trying to hit his head, also tried to hurt himself by hitting his hands and feet. So we restrained him using force,” the complainant added.

Later, the cabin crew found a doctor on the plane. The doctor examined the passenger and asked if he was taking any medicines, to which Dwivedi claimed that his medicines were in his handbag. On checking his luggage, however, they found some e-cigarettes but no medicines, the FIR claimed.

“As the passenger (went) out of control, we administered two injections as per Dr Pugalediran’s advice. Still the passenger could not be controlled. Hence, as soon as the flight landed at Mumbai airport, he was handed over to the police,” the complainant stated as per the FIR.

An officer from Sahar police station said, “The accused Dwivedi has been booked under section 336 (act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code IPC and sections 22 (refuse to follow a lawful instruction given by the pilot-in-command), 23 (assault and other acts endangering safety or jeopardizing good order and discipline) and 25 (smoking) of the Aircraft Act, 1937.”