India
Gaikwad alleged he was pushed and yelled at.
Updated : Mar 24, 2017, 08:42 PM IST
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad said he would file a defamation case against the Air India CMD and its staffer R Sukumar, who he allegedly thrashed, if they do not apologise for bringing "ignominy" to him. Speaking to PTI, Gaikwad said he plans to file the case at a court in Osmanabad (Maharashtra), his Lok Sabha constituency, next week against the "main officials" of Air India for allegedly defaming him.
He has also filed a complaint at the airport police station against the airline officials for allegedly misbehaving with him. "I have made a written complaint with DCP Sanjay Bhatia... I will file a defamation case against the CMD (Chairman & Managing Director) and officers (of Air India) next week for bringing ignominy to me across the country by spreading false information against me, besides insulting me.
"Now they will come to apologise to me there (in court). I will not sit quiet until they apologise," Gaikwad said. Referring to the police complaint filed against him by Air India, he claimed the FIR cannot be registered against him without the approval from the Lok Sabha Speaker as Parliament is in session.
The Sena lawmaker said he has also raised the issue with Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, urging him to take action in the matter. Hitting out at Sukumar, Gaikwad reiterated that the Air India staffer "misbehaved" with him and said the footage of the CCTV camera installed in the aircraft concerned can be checked to verify "who was at fault".
"The other AI employees kept telling him (Sukumar) that I was not at fault. Yet, he was arrogant, misbehaved with me..he spread false information that I misbehaved over seat issues," he added.
Gaikwad also said that he has already discussed the entire episode with his party leadership.
Confirming the filing of a complaint by the MP, a senior Delhi Police officer said, "He has given a complaint to DCP (Airport) against Air India officials alleging that they misbehaved with him by pushing him. He has also alleged that they didn't give him Business Class seats and instead made him sit in Economy Class."
FIR registered against Ravindra Gaikwad
The Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting an Air India staffer and transferred the case to its Crime Branch. A case has been registered under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person) of IPC, said Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police's chief spokesperson and special commissioner (operations). "We are transferring the case to Crime Branch for a thorough probe," he said.
Gaikwad, the Lok Sabha MP from Maharashtra's Osmanabad seat, slapped and hit 60-year-old duty manager R Sukumar "25 times" with his sandal when the official persuaded him to disembark after the plane landed at the IGI airport here from Pune.
The MP refused to alight, holding up the aircraft for over 40 minutes yesterday. Two complaints were received in this regard- one from Air India and the other from Sukumar. Yesterday, the Delhi Police said they were seeking legal opinion on the matter and the FIR was lodged today after obtaining the same.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut appeared to defend the MP saying: “Aam aadmi ho ya mantri ho kisi ka bhi gussa phut sakta hai agar uske saath galat hua hai. Galti hui hai, haat utha hai, uske liye kaun zimedaar hai woh dekhenge. FIR kiya hai na? Hum dekhlenge aur kis par FIR honi chahiye.” (Irrespective of whether it’s a common man or a minister, anyone can lose control when he has been done wrong. Someone made a mistake, someone raised their hand, we will see who’s responsible. An FIR has been lodged, we will see.)
Shiv Sena workers burn Air India effigy
Shiv Sena workers in party MP Ravindra Gaikwad's Osmanabad constituency, today burnt an effigy of the Air India staffer, who was assaulted by the leader, triggering a slew of protests. Osmanabad district and tehsil unit functionaries of the Sena gathered at Babasaheb Ambedkar statue at Tuljapur and burnt the effigy, district vice president of Sena, Kamlakar Chavan told PTI. "We burnt the effigy of the AI purser to support our MP who is our source of inspiration. We are proud of what he did as he was responding to the insult heaped by the airline on him," Chavan said. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, senior Sena minister Eknath Shinde said party president Uddhav Thackeray will take a decision on the Gaikwad issue.
"I feel it is not alright for people's representatives to turn violent," the minister said. Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from Gaikwad who hit an Air India staffer at IGI airport in Delhi with a slipper, and remained defiant over the incident. "The party has sought an explanation from Gaikwad over the incident. The Sena does not condone violence of any kind," Harshal Pradhan, media adviser to Sena president said.
Speaking to reporters outside the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly here, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik too said the party does not endorse the act. He was however of the view that airline companies and railways should respect people's representatives.
With inputs from PTI and ANI