A-I staff assault case: Court discharges ex-MP Gaikwad

Former Lok Sabha MP Ravindra Vishwanath Gaikwad, who was accused of assaulting an Air India employee after not getting a business class seat on a flight in 2017, was discharged a Delhi court on Friday.
After landing in New Delhi on an Air India flight from Pune on March 23, 2017, Gaikwad refused to leave the plane and demanded an explanation about why he was seated in economy class despite having a business class ticket. A member of the ground staff, who tried to persuade Gaikwad to leave the plane, was assaulted with a slipper.
Special Judge Geetanjali Goel discharged Gaikwad under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the IPC. The court, however, said that section 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person, otherwise than on grave provocation) was prima facie made out against the accused, and since this was a non-cognizable offence, the chargesheet would be treated as a complaint. The matter will now be heard an additional chief metropolitan magrate.