Actor Zaira Wasim, via a live video on Instagram, alleged that a co-passenger had misbehaved with her on board a New Delhi-Mumbai Air Vistara flight. The actor alleged that a co-passenger, who was sitting behind her, was rubbing his foot against her neck and back.
The Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation have asked the airline to submit information about the incident.
Air Vistara has initiated an inquiry into the incident. “We have seen the reports regarding Zaira Wasim’s experience with another customer on board last night,” the airline said. “We will support Zaira in every way required. We have zero tolerance for such behaviour.”
The actor also shared a photo of the co-passenger’s foot stretched out on her armrest. “I ignored it the first time and blamed the turbulence for it,” Wasim wrote on Instagram. “Until I woke up to this pleasant sight of his beautiful foot rubbing my back and neck. Guess he could not sit like a civilised human being and placed his foot on my arm rest while he is fully ‘pheloaed’ on his seat.”
The Mumbai Police registered an FIR against an unknown person under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Indian Penal Code after recording Wasim’s statement.
The Delhi Commission for Women has issued a notice to Air Vistara, seeking details of the accused passenger, action taken by the airline and the standard operating procedure in case of such incidents.
An unidentified airline official told CNN News18 that the crew could not come to Wasim’s aid when she called for help because the flight was descending and everyone had their seat belts on. “After the flight landed, the crew asked her mother whether she wanted to file a complaint to which they said no and rushed out of the flight,” the official told the news channel.
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