Agencies

Mumbai, August 19: Passengers at the Mumbai international airport got a good glimpse of starry tantrums on Friday when actress Ameesha Patel — booked on a Mumbai-Paris-Newark flight — flew into a rage and allegedly abused Air India (AI) staff after they refused her request to upgrade her companion Shejal Shah from economy to first class.

Ameesha also allegedly abused AI ground staff and fellow passengers who tried to pacify her.

A non-cognisable offence has been registered against her at the Sahar police station. Senior inspector CK Chavan said, "We'll question her the moment she returns."

But Ameesha had a different story. "The lady at the counter was very curt to Ameesha. Besides, a drunkard was hovering around and misbehaving with her. When she complained to the airline staff, the woman at the counter turned even more rude. Later, the airline staff realised their mistake and apologised to Ameesha," she claimed.

But witnesses said the actress dropped names of powerful contacts in the civil aviation ministry and abused AI staffers.

Such was her fury, they claimed, that CISF personnel were forced to rush in to control the situation.

The actress continued to hurl abuses at a woman staffer, who broke down. The woman said the actor asked her to shut up or else she "would give a tight slap on her face."