NRI passenger tests positive for drugs

The NRI passenger who delayed Air India (AI)'s Mumbai-Paris-Newark flight on Thursday with his erratic behaviour has tested positive for cannabis, but his relatives say he suffers from claustrophobia.

On Friday, Mark Mahendra Sharma's aunt Nirmala Tara had come to meet him at the Sahar police station. She says he needs medical attention.

The police, however, differ. “Sharma's medical reports have come in. He had consumed cannabis and we are going to lodge a case against him under the NDPS Act,” says senior police inspector of Sahar police station Dilip Patil. 

Air India's flight was delayed for three hours after Sharma sparked a scare on board. He made several trips to the toilet while the aircraft was taxiing for take-off; then, he stuffed his underwear in the commode. While doing so, his cellphone also fell into the toilet. An airhostess, who had been observing his behaviour, saw the cellphone and thought it was a bomb. The captain was alerted and he decided to abort takeoff.

“His father called me from Newark after watching the news on television. It is then that I got to know he was in police custody,” says Tara.

Sharma had come to Mumbai 10 days back to celebrate Diwali and was staying with Tara at her Colaba residence. 

According to Tara, Sharma is a businessman in the US and stays with his parents. She says he suffers from hypertension and claustrophobia.

“He also suffers from an identity crisis as his father is an Indian and his mother is an American,” said another relative.

“So when the aircraft door was closed for departure, he panicked and started frequenting the loo,” he said.

Tara says his father will now come to Mumbai and take him back to the US where they will seek medical treatment.