Shankar Mishra, Accused Of Peeing On Co-Passenger Breaks Silence, Says Settlement Was Reached, Compensation Paid

Shankar Mishra, the Mumbai man on the run after a police complaint was registered against him for urinating on an elderly co-passenger on an Air India flight, has broken his silence.

On Friday, Mishra said to be the vice-president of the India Chapter of the American multinational financial services company Wells Fargo issued a statement through his lawyers and said that the woman in her message has clearly condoned the alleged act and has displayed no intention to complain.

Shankar Mishra's photo from his now-deleted LinkedIn profile

Accused got the clothes and bags cleaned

"The WhatsApp messages between the accused and the lady 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 issued through his lawyers, Ishanee Sharma and Akshat Bajpai, said.

"The lady's persisting grievance was only with respect to the adequate compensation being paid by the Airline for which she has raised a subsequent complaint on December 20, 2022," the statement added.

BCCL

Agreed compensation paid through Paytm

The accused paid the compensation as agreed between the parties on Paytm on November 28, but after almost a month, on December 19, her daughter returned the money back, according to the lawyers.

The statements recorded before the inquiry committee by the cabin crew show that there is no eyewitness to the incident and all the comments are merely hearsay evidence, it said.

Will cooperate with investigation

According to Shankar Mishra's lawyers, the settlement reached between the parties has also been affirmed in the statements so submitted by the cabin crew.

"The accused has full faith in the judicial system of the country and will cooperate with the investigation process," the statement added.

BCCL

Earlier, it was reported that the accused in the case was Shekhar Mishra, a Mumbai businessman.

Charges against Mishra

Mishra, who the Delhi Police have booked under Indian Penal Code sections 294 (obscene act in public place), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) as well as under Aircraft Rules, has been on the run ever since his name was revealed.

According to reports Mishra, a resident of Mumbai, has fled the city and his last known mobile tower location was Bengaluru.

Cried, begged not to file complaint: victim

His co-passenger, a woman from Karnataka, said to be in her 70s, had in her complaint mentioned that she had told the crew to get him arrested by the airport police and not to bring him near her.

"However, the crew brought the offender before me against my wishes, and we were made to sit opposite each other in the crew seats," she said.

AFP

According to her, Mishra, who by then had become sober, started crying and profusely apologising to her, begging her not to lodge a complaint against him.

"I told him that his actions were inexcusable, but in the face of his pleading and begging in front of me, and my own shock and trauma, I found it difficult to insist on his arrest or to press charges against him," she said.

Following the controversy, Wells Fargo on Friday announced that it is terminating the service of Mishra and said the company will cooperate with the investigation.

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