Air India passenger booked for smoking on flight refuses to pay bail amount, opts for jail

A man booked for alleged unruly behaviour and smoking on an Air India flight was sent to jail by a court in Mumbai after he refused to pay ₹25,000 for bail and instead cited online search to claim the fine payable under the IPC section was ₹250.

A court granted the accused, Ratnakar Dwivedi, a cash bail, but he refused to pay the amount and told the court on Monday (March 13) that he was ready to go to jail.

He was booked under section 336 (the act of endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code after he was allegedly caught smoking in the lavatory of Air India’s London-Mumbai flight and behaved in an unruly manner on March 10.

Also read: Man aboard London-Mumbai Air India flight smokes in loo, tries to open door; booked 

The accused told the court he had read online that the fine payable under section 336 of the IPC was ₹250, which he was willing to pay, but not the bail amount.

Following this, the Andheri metropolitan magistrate sent him to jail on Monday (March 13).

Air India had said a passenger was found smoking in the lavatory of the flight and behaved in an unruly and aggressive manner, despite repeated warnings.

According to the Mumbai Police, the accused also caused a disturbance on the aircraft and endangered the lives of all passengers, besides disobeying the pilot’s oral and written instructions to keep calm.

(With inputs from agencies)