When the flight was in the air, Biswas went to the lavatory and reportedly spent a long time there, as other passengers in the queue had complained to a senior crew member about the same. (Image generated using AI)
Two years after he was caught smoking on a flight and was detained for it at the Surat airport, a Delhi man was sentenced to serve six months of imprisonment for the offence.
The verdict was given by the district court here on Friday. Smoking on a flight is a strictly prohibited and punishable offence in the country.
As per the case details, Kostav Satyajit Biswas boarded an Air India Express flight to Bengaluru from Delhi via Surat around 8.24 pm on April 10, 2024. When the flight was in the air, Biswas went to the lavatory and reportedly spent a long time there, as other passengers in the queue had complained to a senior crew member about the same.
When Biswas opened the lavatory door, the crew member noticed the smoke. Upon inquiring, the passenger reportedly admitted to smoking and flushed a cigarette butt down the toilet.
Biswas’s boarding pass and other documents were shared with the flight captain, and he was detained by the carrier’s ground staff when the flight reached Surat International Airport around 9.45 pm.
He was handed over to the Dumas police, which booked him under the IPC Section 336 (Endangering life or personal safety of others) and Section 10 of the Aircraft Act, 1934. During a search, five cigarettes and a matchbox were recovered from him, prosecution lawyer P Y Pathan confirmed.
The police said they had timely submitted a chargesheet with statements comprising oral evidence from 10 people and six pieces of documentary evidence.
The case hearing took place in the court of judge Dr. Kumari Supreet Kaur Gaba. From the prosecution side, advocate PY Pathan pressed the charges on the accused Biswas, who was defended by VA Mehta.
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During the case trial, the witnesses were examined, and arguments were presented by both sides, which were heard by the judge of the judicial magistrate first class court.
The order says, “Based on evidence and statements of the witnesses, the accused had been found guilty of committing the offence punishable under Section 10 of the Aircraft Act. The accused is sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and a penalty of Rs. 10,000.”
The defence lawyer couldn’t be reached for comments.
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
Expertise
Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
