Passenger Caught Smoking On Air India Flight Refuses Bail, Sent To Jail; Know Why

Mumbai: A man, booked for alleged unruly behaviour and smoking aboard London-Mumbai AI130, was sent to Arthur Road jail here after he refused to cough up Rs 25,000 for bail.

Ratnakar Dwivedi 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 behaving in an unruly manner, despite repeated warnings, on March 10.

The 34-year-old US citizen told Andheri metropolitan magistrate on March 13 that he had read online that the fine payable under Section 336 of the IPC is Rs 250, which he was willing to pay, but not the bail amount.

According to a Times of India report, Dwivedi told the Sahar Police and his lawyer that he would rather spend time in jail than pay the bail amount demanded by the court.

He was also asked not to leave India without prior permission from the court.