By Ritika Jain
Advocates representing Shankar Mishra issued a statement earlier on Friday saying their client and the woman he urinated on in an Air India flight had come to an understanding post the incident.
BOOM also saw screenshots of WhatsApp messages where Mishra, a former vice president with Wells Fargo, was coordinating logistics of getting the woman's clothes and belongings dry-cleaned; his apology that he would never do such a thing again; part compensation of Rs 10,000 paid and the woman's daughter returning Rs 15,000 with a directive asking for no further communication. Wells Fargo terminated Mishra's employment on Friday.
The lady clearly "condoned the alleged act and has displayed no intention to lodge a complaint," the statement read. Mishra's advocates asserted, "The accused paid the compensation as agreed between the parties on PayTM on November 28th but after almost a month on December 19 her daughter returned the money back."
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No eyewitness, evidence hearsay: Shankar Mishra's statement
Advocates Ishanee Sharma and Akshat Bajpai representing Mishra further claim that "statements recorded before the inquiry committee by the cabin crew show that there is no eyewitness to the incident and all the statements are merely hearsay evidence."
However, the statement above is inconsistent with other facts wherein Mishra, as per his own admission, got the lady's clothes dry-cleaned and delivered to her. Mishra's defence also contradicts his own WhatsApp chats which show that he did in fact initially pay an agreed-upon compensation amount, even if it was returned at a later date.
BOOM reproduces the statement as received:
"The Whatsapp messages between the accused and the lady clearly show that the accused had got the clothes and bags cleaned on 28th November and the same were delivered on the 30th November. The lady in her message has clearly condoned the alleged act and has displayed no intention to lodge a complaint. 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 accused paid the compensation as agreed between the parties on Paytym on November 28th but after almost a month on December 19, her daughter returned the money back. The statements recorded before the inquiry committee by the cabin crew show that there is no eyewitness to the incident and all the statements are merely hearsay evidence. 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.
\- Ishanee Sharma & Akshat Bajpai , lawyers for Mr. Shankar Mishra"
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Wells Fargo sacks Mishra
US financial investment firm Wells Fargo sacked Mishra earlier on Friday. "Wells Fargo holds employees to its highest standards of professional and personal behaviour and we find these allegations deeply disturbing. This individual has been terminated from Wells Fargo. We are cooperating with law enforcement and ask that any additional inquiries be directed to them," the US company said in a statement issued today.
DGCA on January 5 issued a show cause notice to Air India and issued an advisory to Head of Operations of all Scheduled Airlines today with regard to handling unruly passengers on board and respective responsibilities as per the regulations.
Delhi Police on January 4 filed an FIR against Mishra and booked him with outraging a woman's modesty, misconduct by a drunken person, and obscene acts under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Aircraft Act, 294. A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against the accused to prevent him from leaving the country. Air India filed the FIR more than a month after the woman filed her complaint with the airline. Facing severe criticism, Air India on Wednesday—apart from filing the FIR—also imposed a 30-day flight ban on Mishra.
News reports suggest, the woman also wrote to Air India group chairman N Chandrasekharan on November 27, a day after the incident took place.
In her statement, shared by journalist Barkha Dutt on January 5, the woman shared her traumatic experience in detail. In her statement, the woman acknowledged that Mishra compensated her and that she subsequently returned the money.
