Mumbai: Sahar police arrested a passenger for allegedly smoking in an aircraft toilet aboard a flight from Saudi Arabia to Mumbai on July 30. Despite a no-smoking sign being visibly displayed aboard the Saudi-Mumbai flight, the passenger committed the offence after the flight took off from Saudi.The passenger, identified as Nurry Bahuleyan (34) from Kerala’s Alappuzha locality, was spotted by cabin crew after they noticed smoke in the flight toilet when he stepped out. Bahuleyan was arrested after the flight landed at Mumbai International Airport on July 30.Bahuleyan was booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and under Aircraft Act 1937.“Despite ‘No Smoking’ signs (logos) have been displayed prominently for all passengers on flights. Also, before the flight takes off, announcements are made in English and Hindi regarding the strict prohibition of smoking in the senior cabin of this aircraft flyers commits the offence,” said a police officer of the Sahar police station.Bahuleyan was arrested on a complaint filed by Air India security assistant Vivek Pillai (30) at Mumbai International Airport. In the complaint, Pillai said: “After our Air India flight no. AI-4250 took off for a journey from Dammam, Saudi Arabia to Mumbai, at that time, the Captain of the said aircraft sent a message to our ATC squad that a passenger occupying seat no. 21F was found smoking in the aircraft’s washroom. When inquired by crew member Dipesh Bhagat, the passenger Bahuleyan admitted to smoking in the aircraft’s washroom.”Crew member Bhagat informed the pilot of the aircraft, following which the pilot instructed that the passenger be handed over to the airline’s security officers at Mumbai airport for further action after the aircraft landed. “As per the instructions given by the pilot, after the arrival of flight AI-4250 at Mumbai airport, the cabin crew handed over the said passenger to us for further action. With the help of other security personnel, Bahuleyan was handed over to us,” said the police.
