Delhi Police registers FIR against Bobby Kataria for smoking on SpiceJet flight

Smoking on SpiceJet flight update: Delhi Police has registered an FIR against social media influencer Bobby Kataria after his old video of smoking on a Spicejet Dubai-Delhi flight went viral again, said ANI. The accused Balvinder Kataria alias Bobby Kataria claimed that he was smoking on a dummy plane and it was a part of a shoot in Dubai. The video that has been shared on various social media platforms was shot back in January 2022 by Bobby Kataria's aide and was shared on his Instagram account. As seen in the video, Kataria is lying down on the aircraft seat and lighting a cigarette and taking a couple of puffs.

Replying on the incident, SpiceJet said that the matter was investigated thoroughly in January 2022 when the video was brought to their notice and a complaint had been filed by the airline with the Udyog Vihar police station in Gurugram. He was also put on a no-flying list by the airline for 15 days in February 2022. 

Defending himself, Kataria said that the video in question is an old video shot in Dubai. "The video in which I was seen smoking is not a normal airplane, it was a dummy plane and that was a part of my shooting in Dubai. I want to ask everyone; how can a lighter make its way into an airplane? It would be detected by a scanner. A cigarette still one can carry, but not a lighter. It was shot in 2019 or 2020," said Kataria.

An investigation found that the accused Balvinder Kataria alias Bobby Kataria had travelled from Dubai to New Delhi via SpiceJet. "The incident took place in January this year. Kataria boarded the SpiceJet flight from Dubai. A police complaint was lodged. Also, as per Civil Aviation requirements, an enquiry was conducted by SpiceJet. He was banned from flying on Spicejet flights for 15 days thereafter," said Scindia.

Kataria landed in Delhi on January 23 and the video is not available on his Facebook and Instagram pages now. "Balvinder Kataria had travelled from Dubai to New Delhi on the SpiceJet flight. He landed in Delhi on January 23. The video is not available on his FB/Insta page. The action was taken by the aviation security earlier," The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security told ANI.