Udupi Murders: Father Of Slain Air Hostess Slams Air India Express Over Accused Praveen Chougule's Employment

The father of the slain air hostess from Udupi, Karnataka, slammed Air India Express for its alleged lack of empathy after the airlines cabin crew member Praveen Arun Chougule fatally stabbed 21-year-old Aynaz along with her family members. Chougule, a married man, was reportedly in a relationship with Aynaz; and after their relation turned sour, he killed her, and three of her relatives.

"They have not even called us or expressed their anguish over the incident. What kind of employee (Chougule) do they recruit? Had they done the background check of Praveen Chougule before recruiting him? What safety the passengers would have had in the flight as he was a senior crew member with the company," Aynaz's father Mohammed Noor told a TV channel, according to The New Indian Express.

Police probe reveals Chougule's employment

Chougule hails from Sangli district in Maharashtra, and according to Udupi police's investigation, he was previously employed as a police officer in with the Maharashtra police for three months. Following his short stint with the Maharashtra police department, he joined Air India as a cabin crew member, a position he held for several years in Mangaluru.

Chougule, who is a father of two, entered into a relationship with a Aynaz. However, after the fallout of their relationship, he reportedly sought to take vengeance. He took the drastic step of killing her, her 47-year-old mother Haseena, 23-year-old elder sister Afnan and 12-year-old brother Aseem by stabbing them.

Udupi district in-charge minister Laxmi Hebbalkar visited the victims' house to express her condolences, and family members expressed shock over not being aware of Chougule's employment with Aynaz as her colleague.