A 35-year-old Indian national has been sentenced to six months in jail after molesting and harassing a Singapore Airlines (SIA) stewardess during a flight from Bangkok to Singapore.
The incident, which unfolded in front of other passengers, saw the man repeatedly touch the cabin crew member and later corner her alone in the aircraft galley despite her telling him to stay away.
He was also ordered by the court to pay S$1,270.95 in compensation.
Group Allegedly Behaved Rowdily Throughout The Flight
According to court documents, Akash Tiwari was travelling with four friends on a Singapore Airlines flight on Feb. 9.
Prosecutors said the group had been behaving rowdily, speaking loudly and frantically waving and laughing whenever female cabin crew members walked past their row.
Before the plane departed Bangkok, the victim approached the group to confirm their meal selections.
During the interaction, Akash allegedly stretched out his arm and brushed against the stewardess’ upper thigh while she was speaking to one of his friends.
The unexpected contact left her shocked, while Akash and his friends reportedly laughed about it.
The stewardess subsequently informed the chief flight stewardess, who reassigned her to work in another section of the cabin away from him.
Molested Her Again While She Was Working
The situation escalated after meal service.
While the stewardess was collecting trays and pushing a meal cart down the aisle, Akash suddenly leaned out from his seat and swerved towards her, making contact with her buttocks using his elbow.
The victim immediately told him not to touch her.
Instead of apologising, he allegedly smirked.
Court documents revealed that one of Akash’s friends then laughed and said he wanted to have a beer and watch the “show”.
Despite being confronted by both the stewardess and the chief flight stewardess, Akash insisted he had done nothing wrong.
Followed And Cornered Her Inside The Aircraft Galley
As the aircraft began preparing for landing, the victim retreated to the galley area while her supervisor and the flight captain were being informed of the incident.
However, Akash allegedly followed her there.
The stewardess found herself alone with him in the galley, where he stood extremely close to her.
Although she repeatedly told him to stay away and stop following her, he allegedly continued moving closer and cornered her.
Passengers nearby witnessed the confrontation.
He only left after the victim sought help from another crew member.
By then, she was reportedly in tears and visibly shaken, with both her hands trembling.
Arrested After Plane Landed In Singapore
The flight captain reported the matter to SIN Hub, an aviation and logistics coordination centre at Changi Airport.
Police officers arrested Akash after the plane landed in Singapore.
He later pleaded guilty to one charge of molestation and one charge of harassment.
The court sentenced him to six months’ jail and ordered him to compensate the victim S$1,270.95.
The case serves as a reminder that harassment and inappropriate behaviour towards cabin crew members are taken seriously, and offenders can face significant penalties under Singapore law.