MUMBAI, Jan 31: An Italian woman passenger was arrested in Mumbai on Monday
morning for unruly behaviour onboard an Abu Dhabi-Mumbai Vistara flight. She
tried to forcibly occupy a seat in the business class while she had booked in
the economy class, and a ruckus followed.
She allegedly hit a crew and spat on another on board the Vistara airline flight
UK 256. The flyer, identified as Paola Perruccio, 45, who was inebriated, tried
to occupy a business class seat while she had booked in the economy class. She
created a ruckus when prevented from occupying the upper class.
The police complaint filed by the crew also states that Paola Perruccio moved
around in the aisle, tried to undress herself and abused the crew. The unruly
passenger had to be dressed and restrained by the crew to a seat at the end
of the aisle till the plane landed at 5 am and was handed over to the police.
She was arrested and later released on bail on Rs 25,000. Her passport has
been seized. “The flyer has been booked for an act endangering life or personal
safety and other bailable offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Aircraft
Rules 1937," the Sahar police said.
Paola Perruccio's medical examination showed she was inebriated during the
journey.
“Perruccio was in seat 11C in the economy class when she suddenly ran to the
business class and sat on seat No. 1. She punched my face when I requested her
not to sit in business class. When another cabin crew member ran to help and
told the flyer she could not misbehave on board, she spat on her," crew LS Khan
stated in his complaint to the police. He also said that she undressed and walked
in the aisle and abused the crew. Paola Perruccio had to be tied to a back seat
upon the pilot's orders, he added.
However, the Italian flyer told the court that she wanted to flag poor services
on the flight.
Perruccio’s attorney Prabhakar Tripathi told BBC that the allegations against
her were “false.” He claimed that Perruccio was “uncomfortable” in her economy
seat and requested to be moved to a vacant seat in business class.
