Shankar Mishra arrest: How the Air India pee-gate accused was tracked, held by Delhi Police

Mumbai-based man Shankar Mishra, who urinated on an elderly woman in an inebriated state on an Air India flight between New York and Delhi in November, was on the run past few days, the Delhi Police said on Saturday. He was arrested in Bengaluru late on Friday night after a team of police officers were tracking his movements for the last few days. He has been brought to Delhi and further investigation into the case is in progress. 

The police said Mishra was trying to evade his arrest. They were tracking his mobile phone, social media accounts, bank transactions to arrest him as he had refused to join the investigations in the case. They also deployed two special teams in Mumbai and Bangalore to track his whereabouts.  

A news report in PTI quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police (Airport) Ravi Kumar Singh saying that, "Accused Shankar Mishra in IGIA case has been arrested from Bengaluru by a Delhi Police team. He has been brought to Delhi and further investigation into the case is in progress." The accused was staying at his sister's home in Sanjay Nagar, Bengaluru. The city police assisted the Delhi Police team in arresting him. 

The police said Mishra was on the run after the 71-year-old woman filed a complaint with Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekharan telling him about the incident and accusing the Air India cabin crew of showing extreme insensitivity. 

The police said Mishra was ashamed as the case had gone viral on social media. Mishra, who had switched off his mobile phone, was using his social media accounts to communicate with his friends, the police said. This gave the police an opportunity to locate him.  The Delhi Police on January 4 had lodged a case under Indian Penal Code sections 294 (obscene act in public place), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) as well as under Aircraft Rules.