'Pee-Gate': Accused's Lawyer Says Rs 15,000 Paid As Compensation To Woman

Shankar Mishra, the man accused of urinating on a female co-passenger on an Air India flight from New York, had exchanged messages with her after the unsavoury incident and his lawyers claimed on Friday he even paid her Rs 15,000 as compensation and got her belongings cleaned.

However, WhatsApp exchanges between the woman's daughter and Mishra that emerged on Friday showed the family had returned the money.

In a shocking incident, Mishra, in an inebriated condition, urinated on his female co-passenger, a senior citizen in her seventies, in the business class of an Air India New York-Delhi flight on November 26 last year.

In a statement issued through his lawyers Ishanee Sharma and Akshat Bajpai, Mishra said he had got the woman's clothes and bags cleaned on November 28 and the same were delivered to her on November 30.

"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 were delivered on November 30.

"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 statement read.

In one of the Whatsapp messages purportedly exchanged between them on November 27, the woman shared her number with Mishra and acknowledged receipt of Rs 5,000. She, however, added her daughter and son-in-law were very upset about the incident. She told Mishra that she persuaded them not to lodge a complaint as he was very apologetic and quite unaware of the incident.

The woman wrote in the series of Whatsapp messages that she hoped Mishra will mend his ways and keep his word.

Mishra responded by thanking her and promising he will never repeat such an act.

The woman, while appearing to forgive Mishra, said she was unhappy with the Air India staff.

A day later, in another message, he informed her about her clothes and shoes having been sent for cleaning and that they will be "refurbished" in a day or two. He also wrote about having sent her another Rs 10,000.

In one of the messages sent to 'Air Hostess Madam' there is a screenshot of the transactions of Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 and a note which says the payments were made as requested by the woman.

A message of December 19 purportedly sent by the woman's daughter says she was traumatized by her experience and that the family was very "upset, outraged and angry". It says the family did not want his money which will be returned via paytm. The woman's daughter asked Mishra not to communicate with her mother any further. There is also a screenshot of the transaction returning the money.

The statement issued by Mishra's lawyers said, "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 heresay (sic) 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," the statement read.

Meanwhile, Mishra's father said in Boisar near Mumbai that his son is innocent and that he cannot do such a thing to a woman his mother's age.

According to the FIR registered on Wednesday, the woman had informed the crew that she did not want to see her tormentor's face and was "stunned" when the offender was brought before her and he "started crying and profusely apologising".

US financial services company Wells Fargo, Mishra's employer, has terminated him, saying the allegations were "deeply disturbing".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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