High and dry after mid-air beer brawl

CHENNAI: Three passengers, who picked a fight with an air hostess after one of them demanded extra beer, were later held at the Chennai airport on Tuesday. Police said the passengers Dinakaran (23) of Chennai, Vanaravanababu (26) of Visakapatnam and Antony Merslin (30) of Thiruvarur, arrived at the Chennai airport from Singapore by an Air India flight. They had been held after Antony picked a fight with an air hostess. Antony had consumed three bottles of beer on board the flight and then demanded a fourth bottle. The air hostess reportedly refused as passengers were eligible for one bottle of the beverage. This angered Antony who reportedly verbally abused the air hostess and started a fight with Dinakaran and Vanaravanbabu supporting him.Police said Antony worked at a shipping company in Singapore with a monthly salary of almost `50,000. He had returned to visit his family, while Dinakaran, who worked as a labourer crushing stones was returning after four days in Singapore as he was unhappy with the job. Vanaravanababu had worked as a labourer for over four years and was returning home. Based on a complaint from the air hostess, the police later registered a case. “We also inquired with the complainant if the men had tried to misbehave with her but they had not,” said a police officer.