High on booze, flier fights with crew, co-passengers

Mumbai: A sozzled Air India passenger, who hit two cabin crew members and misbehaved with fellow passengers on board a New York-Mumbai flight,
had to be handed over to the police after the plane landed in the city around midnight on Tuesday.
Valli Panikker (42) got so drunk on the flight that he started abusing and misbehaving with fellow passengers, an official alleged. When flight attendant Jennifer Chavan (53) intervened, Panikker reportedly hit her and pushed her aside. He also tried to get fresh with her colleague, Valarie Fernandes, who tried to calm him down, the official added. So, the crew handed him over to the Sahar police at 12.35 am, moments after the flight touched down in Mumbai.
Panikker was fined Rs 1,200 for disorderly behaviour and let off on bail after a few hours.
Officials alleged that the flight was in mid-air when an inebriated Panikker "misbehaved' ' with a woman sitting beside him. Another passenger came to her rescue but Panikker twisted his wrist and abused him.
14/01/09 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India

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Categories: Air India - International Jan 2009, Airports Jan 2009, Foreign Jan 2009, NACIL Jan 2009, Safety Jan 2009