Row over cell on flight turns ugly on ground

The Shamshabad airport police is probing an FIR filed by a Malaysian advocate who was allegedly beaten with a belt and thrashed by a co-passenger and his bodyguard on the Outer Ring Road very early on Sunday morning following a tiff on board their Kuala Lumpur-Hyderabad flight. The co-passenger, Mr Zain Ravdjee, son of realtor and businessman Zulfi Ravdjee, has filed a counter complaint alleging that it was he who was attacked.

Malaysian advocate Shankar Ram Pohumall said he had asked the co-passenger to switch off his mobile phone. Both were travelling first class on Malaysian Airways flight MH 0198.

Mr Pohumall, 42, had come to India to meet forensic experts at Truth Labs regarding a case in Malaysia on Indians who had landed up in a local jail. He said that when the flight was taxiing for take-off at Kuala Lumpur airport, a flight steward told a passenger in the front row in business class not to speak on his mobile phone and there was some exchange of words. “I told that passenger not to compromise the safety of all passengers. The passenger stopped talking and appeared to be angry with me. I warned him as it was a serious safety concern.”

On arriving in Hyderabad, Mr Pohumall drove off in a car at 12.45 am. His alleges that his car was stopped after the toll gate by two cars that had been following him. “A man in a safari dress came out from the car in front of ours and told me to come out. I was surprised and came out thinking that he is a man from the authorities.

“Almost immediately after coming out I noticed that the same male passenger who was on the flight came out from the car in front and said something to the man in the safari dress. This man then started punching me. I avoided it. He then took out his belt and struck me several times. Shocked at this, I shouted, ‘What are you doing… I am a lawyer and I will report you.‘ He replied, ‘I don’t care whether you are a judge or a lawyer,’” Mr Pohumall said, adding that he told his driver to call the police but the mobile was snatched and thrown away by another man who emerged from the car.

“I was then attacked by the male passenger who kicked me twice. He tried punching me in the face but got me in the left arm. The man who came from the car at the back told me to apologise but the male passenger shouted at me, ‘Kneel down and beg for apology’. I refused because he is not the law. As it is, the man in the safari dress started attacking again with his belt and this time I manage to snatch the belt,” Mr Pohumall said.

Mr Pohumall was admitted to Trident hospital with injuries.

A case was booked under IPC Sections 324 and 341 against Mr Zain Ravdjee and his bodyguards on Saturday.

The police is also probing a counter case filed by Mr Ravdjee, against Mr Pohumall. Mr Ravdjee alleged that Mr Pohumall had misbehaved with him and his wife. The counter case was booked under IPC Sections 341 and 506.

Shamshabad DCP K. Ramesh Naidu said, “We have received two complaints and two cases are booked. We are trying to talk to the other passengers on the flight. We will also record the statements of the cabin crew.” There were six passengers in first class, he said.

Mr Pohumall says the episode shocked him. “I thought what happens in India is only in the movies where spoilt brats abuse the power and authority given to their parents. This assault on me has got to be viewed very seriously by the Indian authorities. I have informed our embassy and other relevant authorities.”

Malaysian Airlines customer service officer Mr Bhupendar said the cabin crew did not report the episode. “Nothing has happened within the terminal. The hotel personnel where the passenger Shankar Ram Pohumall was to stay called us and informed about the incident.”

He said that the aircraft had departed by then. “The Shamshabad SI asked us for the passenger manifest. We have provided them the same. We are now working on taking statements of cabin crew and will verify the cameras on the flight,” the airline officer said.

Shamshabad sub-inspector Srikanth Goud said, “We got the passenger treated at Trident Hospital after he filed the complaint.”

Denying the allegations, Mr Zain Ravdjee said, “I and my wife were returning after a holiday in Singapore. We are newly married. I was sitting in the first row. This man was sitting in the third row. It takes 15 minutes after the doors are shut for the flight to take off. Soon after the doors were shut I was switching off my phone. The plane was not even moving. Then this man from behind started abusing in the name of my father. He shouted at me unnecessarily. The steward and co-passengers are witness to it. He told me, ‘You don’t know who I am. I will teach you a lesson.’ He was drunk and the cabin crew can confirm this. He was giving bad looks (sic) continuously throughout the flight while walking towards the toilet. My wife was terrified by his misbehaviour.”

After landing in Hyderabad, Mr Ravdjee said, “We got down and my wife left in another car. This man was following my car. I found his Innova trying to cross me. Suddenly he stopped the car in front of us and banged on my door and tried to pull me out. When he attacked, I defended myself and pushed him back. I don’t know how he received his injuries. I have no bodyguards accompanying me. Usually bodyguards accompany me but it was 1 am so there was no one there except my driver Mahendar. Then I went home and slept and next day went to Shamshabad police station and lodged a complaint.”

He added, “His allegations that I and my guards beat him up are false and baseless.”

Mr Pohumall insists that “his counter report is definitely false as the CCTV will show. If there is anything, why not raise it in the aircraft or at the airport when we landed? His allegations are false.”

Row over cell on flight turns ugly on ground