“pipigate” fined a company 34,000 francs

Indian airline Air India has been fined $37,000 (about 34,000 francs) for its handling of an incident in which a US bank executive allegedly urinated on a passenger while drunk, Indian media reported on Friday.

The media nicknamed it after the man jailed for the affair allegedly urinated on a 72-year-old woman sitting in business class on a November 26 New York-New Delhi flight, denying the facts. The “PBGate” Affair.

India’s civil aviation regulator has fined Air India’s flight operations director 300,000 rupees (about 3,400 francs). The plane’s pilot, meanwhile, had his license suspended for three months for “dereliction of duty” to ensure safety and discipline on board.

After landing, the Indian banker was allowed to leave safely without any immediate clearance. The victim later complained about the situation, and after it was widely reported in the news media, police arrested the man a few weeks later.

American bank Wells Fargo fired him as vice president of its Indian subsidiary due to these “deeply disturbing” allegations. Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson faced heavy criticism and was forced to apologize.

A dishonest passenger is denied bail. At a hearing last week, the victim, an Indian classical dancer, “did it” himself, his lawyer said. He also explained that it was impossible for his client to urinate without urinating on another nearby passenger who “did not file a complaint,” according to Indian media.

It is the latest incident in India’s thriving aviation industry, following fights and altercations with airline staff in recent months. Another drunken passenger was accused of urinating on a woman’s blanket on a flight from Paris to India last month, but no action was taken after the man apologized.