Case against Andhra MP for 'slapping' Air India employee

A criminal case has been registered against an Andhra Pradesh MP for allegedly slapping a station manager of Air India at Tirupati airport, PTI reported.

According to reports, Lok Sabha MP from the YSR Congress Party P Mithun Reddy reached the airport around 20 minutes before the flight's departure time with some of his relatives to board a flight to Delhi via Hyderabad when counters for domestic flights close at least 45 minutes before departure time.

He is then alleged to have shouted at the manager before slapping him.

"Since the boarding counter had closed for the 2:30 pm flight when the MP and his entourage reached the airport, the VVIP asked the station manager to accommodate him and his relatives on board. Expressing his inability to do so as boarding had closed, the employee apologised to the MP. The politician flew into a rage and slapped the station manager," the Times of India quotes a source as saying.

The case was registered against the MP late on Thursday night under sections of the IPC relating to voluntarily causing hurt and assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty.

Mithun Reddy represents the Rajampet constituency in Kadapa district and he and his followers have bluntly denied the charges since. He told the media that "you are wasting time. Go and cover something else."