Airhostess assault: AI pilots held,bailed

The police have questioned crew members,pilots and passengers of the front row of the Sharjah-Lucknow-Delhi flight to know about the mid-air scuffle. According to an officer,the police also went by the medical examination report of the airhostess,which showed she was assaulted.

The officer said that in the FIR lodged at IGI Airport police station,the airhostess had said Arora and Chopra tried to molest her and when she resisted,she was pushed outside the cockpit. “She had sustained bruises and injuries on her hand,” the officer said.

About molestation charges against the duo,Air India spokesperson Chandra Kumar said,“They came out clean in our internal inquiry.”

Co-pilot Chopra and a flight purser,Amit Khanna,were allegedly injured in the exchange of blows that occurred around 4.30 am on October 3,when the aircraft was flying over Pakistan. The scuffle was triggered by verbal exchanges between the pilots on one hand and the crew members during a pre-flight briefing session before takeoff from Sharjah,an officer said.

The pilots had made cross-allegations of misbehaviour and assault by the two crew members. The Airbus A-320 had 106 passengers on board.