In the Air India urinating incident, accused Shankar Mishra has issued his first statement through his lawyers defending himself against the allegations, reports ANI. Defending himself, the accused said in the statement that the victim woman in her message had clearly condemned the incident and refused to file a complaint against Mishra. It is to be noted that Mishra’s counsel Ishani Sharma and Akshat Bajpai have put forward a statement representing their client’s views.
In the statement, the accused also said, “Whatsapp messages between the accused and the woman clearly show that the accused had got the clothes and bags cleaned on November 28 and the same was delivered on November 30.”
Significantly, this is the first time Shankar Mishra has issued a statement since the November 26 New York-Delhi flight incident. The accused, in his 70s, allegedly urinated on the woman while she was under the influence of alcohol on a flight.
According to the statement, a settlement was reached between the accused and the victim and he also paid compensation to the woman through Paytm on November 28, which was later returned.
“Whatsapp messages between the accused and the woman clearly show that the accused had got the clothes and bags cleaned on November 28 and the same was delivered on November 30,” the statement said. It added, “The woman’s persistent complaint was only with regard to adequate compensation being paid by the airline, for which she complained later on December 20, 2022.”
The inquiry committee learned from the testimony of the cabin crew that there were no eyewitnesses to the incident, and all statements were based solely on hearsay. Further, in the opinion of Shankar Mishra’s counsel, the negotiated settlement between the parties has also been corroborated in the statements made by the cabin crew.
It is also mentioned in the statement that Shankar Mishra will cooperate in the investigation of the incident. It states, “The accused has full faith in the judicial system of the country and will cooperate in the investigation process.”
with ANI inputs