MUMBAI: Sahar police arrested a passenger for allegedly smoking in an aircraft washroom onboard a flight from Saudi Arabia to Mumbai on July 30.Despite prominent “No Smoking” signs being displayed throughout the aircraft, the passenger allegedly committed the offence after the flight took off from Saudi Arabia.The passenger, identified as Nurry Bahuleyan (34) from Kerala’s Alappuzha district, was spotted by cabin crew members after they noticed smoke coming from the aircraft washroom shortly after he stepped out. Bahuleyan was arrested after the flight landed at Mumbai International Airport on July 30.He was booked under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and provisions of the Aircraft Act, 1937.“Despite ‘No Smoking’ signs being displayed prominently for all passengers on flights, and repeated announcements in English and Hindi before take-off regarding the strict prohibition of smoking onboard the aircraft, some flyers continue to commit the offence,” a Sahar police officer said.Bahuleyan was arrested following a complaint filed by Air India security assistant Vivek Pillai (30) at Mumbai International Airport.In the complaint, Pillai stated: “After Air India flight AI-4250 took off from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, for Mumbai, the captain informed our ATC squad that a passenger occupying seat 21F had been found smoking in the aircraft washroom. When questioned by crew member Dipesh Bhagat, the passenger, Bahuleyan, admitted to smoking in the washroom.”Bhagat informed the pilot about the incident, following which the pilot instructed that the passenger be handed over to the airline’s security personnel upon arrival in Mumbai.“As per the pilot’s instructions, after flight AI-4250 landed at Mumbai airport, the cabin crew handed over the passenger to us for further action. With the assistance of other security personnel, Bahuleyan was subsequently handed over to the police,” the complaint stated.
