Wells Fargo sacks Shankar Mishra for urinating on passenger in Air India plane

U.S.-based financial services giant Wells Fargo has sacked its Indian employee Shankar Mishra for allegedly urinating on a fellow passenger aboard an Air India flight.

34-year-old Mishra was reportedly working as vice-president of the bank's India operations.

"Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards of professional and personal behavior and we find these allegations deeply disturbing," the banking major said in a statement.

"This individual has been terminated from Wells Fargo. We are cooperating with law enforcement and ask that any additional inquiries be directed to them," the statement read.

The Delhi Police issued a look out circular against Mishra on January 5. The accused has been on the run from authorities after the airline lodged a criminal complaint.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday slammed Tata-owned Air India for alleged "unprofessional" conduct of the full-service carrier in dealing with the female passenger, who was allegedly urinated upon by Mishra on a New York-Delhi flight on November 26, 2022.

"The conduct of the airline appears to be unprofessional, and has led to systemic failure," the aviation regulator said, while giving the airline two weeks time to submit its reply based on which further action will be taken.

DGCA has also issued show-cause notices to Air India's accountable manager, director (in-flight services), pilots, and cabin crew members of the flight on "why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations".

Air India has imposed a 30-day flying ban on the accused passenger and set up an internal committee to probe whether there were lapses on part of the crew in handling the situation.

Meanwhile, another episode of an inebriated male passenger peeing on the blanket of a woman has come to light. Air India has not issued any official clarification on the matter so far. The incident happened on Air India's Paris-Delhi flight 142 on December 6, around 10 days after the November 26 episode, but no action was taken against the accused after he gave a written apology, a news agency reported. The male passenger was reportedly detained for interrogation at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport after a complaint was lodged with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) by the airline crew. He was, however, released after he apologised to the woman and she refused to file an FIR.