The Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting an Air India staffer and transferred the case to the Crime Branch.
A case has been registered under Sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person) of the Indian Penal Code at IGI Airport police station, said Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police's chief spokesperson and special commissioner (operations).
"The incident took place on Thursday morning and we got two complaints; one from Air India and the other from the complainant in the evening. We are transferring the case to Crime Branch for a thorough and detailed probe in the matter," he added.
Police further said the crime branch will first verify the allegations of the complainant and then call the accused MP for questioning based on the allegations.
"If allegations are proved true, we shall arrest the MP as well," said a police official.
Gaikwad, the lok Sabha MP from Maharashtra's Osmanabad seat, slapped and hit 60-year-old duty manager identified as R Sukumar "25 times" with his sandal when the official persuaded him to disembark after the plane landed at the IGI airport from Pune.
The flight landed in Delhi at 9:35 am on Thursday and was supposed to leave at 10:55 am for the next flight.
The MP refused to alight, holding up the aircraft, which was to leave for Goa, for over 40 minutes.
Gaikwad, incidentally, was also among 11 MPs of Shiv Sena who allegedly forcefed a chapati to a Muslim catering supervisor at the new Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi after they were not served Maharashtrian food. The MPs had forced the supervisor to eat even though he was fasting for the month of Ramzan.
The two-time former MlA also has seven criminal cases registered against him, including on charges of rioting, wrongful restraint, assaulting a government servant, physical assault and criminal intimidation.
"The flight staff tried to convince him, but he told them to call the Civil Aviation Minister (to explain why he didn't get a business class seat). The matter was reported to the Senior Assistant General Manager who asked the complainant Sukumar to meet him. Sukumar had a discussion with the MP, who first asked him to speak in Hindi, not English, and then started abusing him. He asked him to call the CMD of AI to apologise. The MP got furious after he was told that he was an elected representative and should behave accordingly," said an Air India official.
Sukumar told the police that apart from beating him, the MP tried to push him off the plane, tore the button of his cardigan, broke his glasses and humiliated him in front of other crew members. "God save our country if this is the culture and behaviour of our MPs," he wrote in his complaint.
On Thursday, the Delhi Police said they were seeking legal opinion from the director of prosecution on the matter and the FIR was lodged on Friday after obtaining the same.
The Sena moved to dissociate itself from the MP's action and said that it has sought an explanation from him. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju condemned the incident saying that that such physical assault will not be "encouraged".