AI urination case: Delhi court reserves order in Shankar Mishra's bail plea
Darpan News Desk IANS, 30 Jan, 2023 12:30 PM
New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS) A Delhi court on Monday reserved its order on the bail plea of Shankar Mishra, who is accused of urinating on an elderly female co-passenger in a drunken state on a New York-Delhi Air India flight last November, until Tuesday.
After hearing arguments from parties, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) of the Patiala House Courts Harjyot Singh Bhalla reserved his verdict.
He said that what Mishra has allegedly done is disgusting but the court is bound to follow the law.
"It may be disgusting; that is another matter but let us not get into that. Let's go into how the law deals with it," ASJ Bhalla said.
The order on Mishra's bail plea is likely to be passed on Tuesday.
On January 27, the ASJ had adjourned the matter after the complainant's advocate Ankur Mahindro informed the court that he has not been handed a copy of the bail plea.
Currently in judicial custody, Mishra moved the court on January 25 seeking bail against Metropolitan Magistrate Komal Garg's January 11 order, who had earlier rejected his plea, saying that the alleged act of accused of relieving himself upon the complainant is "utterly disgusting and repulsive" and the act itself is sufficient to outrage the modesty of a woman.
On January 21, Mishra's judicial custody was extended by 14 days.
Moreover, the Public Prosecutor opposed Mishra's bail contending that the latter initially did not cooperate during the investigation and had absconded with his mobile phones switched off.
"He had switched off all his mobile phones. We traced his IMEI number," the Public Prosecutor had said, adding that the incident has insulted India on an international level.
Appearing for Mishra, senior advocate Ramesh Gupta said that earlier, his client's bail plea was also denied as the investigation was pending and now it is over.
"Initially my bail was also declined because the investigation was pending. Now that is done and they have examined other crew members and witnesses," Gupta said.
Earlier, Mishra had also claimed that the complainant had soiled her own seat and the woman had rubbished the allegation saying that it was "completely false and concocted".
On January 13, Mishra told the court that he was not the accused. "There must be someone else who peed or it must be the lady herself who urinated," he had said.
He had further claimed that the woman was suffering from some prostate-related disease.
The Delhi Police had arrested Mishra in Bengaluru on January 6 for the alleged act.
It has one of the fastest-growing major economies -- certainly among comparably developed and similarly sized economies. It must now be included with nations that influence the global system, the report said.
Addressing the gathering after dedicating 500th Aam Aadmi Clinic at a function here, the Chief Minister, accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, said the government has already set the wheels in motion for this noble cause.
The party workers will deliver a letter written by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and a "charge sheet" against the Central government to each household. During the programme which is scheduled to end on March 26, party workers will reach out to 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats, six lakh villages and 10 lakh booths.
He said that both he and President Sisi closely observed the adverse effects on healthcare infrastructure and global supply chains during the Covid pandemic. Modi further elaborated that "there is also immense potential for enhancing security and defence cooperation between us".
The court listed the matter for the next hearing on January 27. On January 21, the Patiala House Court extended Mishra's judicial custody by 14 days. In a recent development, Air India said that the crew made a judgement call to record the matter as a non-reportable in-flight incident for many reasons.
Chief Minister Mann vowed to take Punjab to new heights, and added that the government is committed to carve out an egalitarian society which the great martyrs and national leaders had envisioned. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister announced that in order to solve the traffic problem of Bathinda city, an ultramodern bus stand will be constructed on the outskirts of the city.
