Air India grounds pilots and crew over mid-air fight, molestation charge

NEW DELHI - India's national carrier Air India Sunday grounded two pilots and crew members involved in a mid-air scuffle, over a molestation charge by an air hostess against the two pilots, said the Indo-Asian News Service.

The incident took place at the IC 884 flight from Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates to Delhi Saturday night. The management of the air company has launched an inquiry, and further action will be decided based on the enquiry report, the report quoted an air company spokesperson as saying.

Delhi Police have also registered a case against the pilots, Commander Ranbeer Arora and Capt. Aditya Chopra who, according to a first information report (FIR) filed with the police, tried to molest an air hostess, and when she resisted, pushed her outside the cockpit, said the report.

The co-pilot and a flight purser, Amit Khanna, were later injured in the exchange of blows due to the molestation attempt, when the plane was flying over Pakistan, said the report.