KOLKATA: A 26-year-old resident of Darjeeling travelling with relatives has alleged that she was molested by a fellow passenger mid-flight and that both the airline crew on board and CISF personnel at Bagdogra dissuaded her from filing a complaint despite him admitting to touching her inappropriately. They argued that in the absence of any evidence, it would be her word against his and asked her to let him off with an apology.
An airline spokesperson said the cabin crew promptly intervened to address the situation.
The woman, who is preparing to appear in civil services examination, was travelling by SpiceJet flight SG 592 on Jan 31 and had originally been allotted an aisle seat behind the three seats occupied by her boyfriend, his mother and his ailing father. The mother, who was in the aisle seat in front of her, suggested that she move to the row alongside as only one of the three seats was occupied. The youth, a fifth-year student at a law school in Kolkata, who sat on the aisle side seat agreed to shift and give the seat to the woman.
However, he did not move to the empty window seat and instead sat in the middle seat, next to the one occupied by the woman.
As the flight made the take-off run around 9.30 am, the woman put on the earphones and began listening to music. Soon after take-off, she felt the youth poking into her left arm that was resting on the seat’s armrest.
“He had kept his right arm on armrest alongside mine. Since I was busy listening to music, I did not not notice till I felt my arm being poked. When I turned to the armrest, I saw he had rested his left palm below his right hand and his fingers were touching me every now and again. Initially, I thought he was accidentally touching me. But just then the crew began to serve food and he quickly removed his arms,” she recounted.
It was after the attendants had finished serving the meals, sometime midway into the flight, that she felt an arm touch her thigh and attempt to caress. She instantly let out a scream and an air-hostess came running to inquire what had happened.
“When I told her that the passenger had molested me, the youth said he was sorry if anything he did made me feel uncomfortable. I was so enraged that I slapped him. The air-hostess warned me that I should not have done it and asked me if I wanted to change my seat. I told her that it is the offender who should do so. He was then moved to another row but I insisted that action be taken against him. Shortly, a male flight attendant came and instead of assuring me, asked me why I was shouting. It is they who are trained to handle such situations, not I,” she told TOI.
After the flight landed, the airline staff and CISF personnel took them aside and advised her to let the youth off as he was a student and that filing a complaint would lead to a protracted legal battle.
“I felt extremely let down at the youth being allowed to go scot free after an apology,” she said.
“Upon arrival at Bagdogra, both were assisted and escorted by SpiceJet security staff to CISF officials in arrival area. The female passenger demanded action. The accused tendered an apology and the female passenger left the airport without filing any complaint, hindering further probe by SpiceJet,” said a spokesperson.
An airline spokesperson said the cabin crew promptly intervened to address the situation.
The woman, who is preparing to appear in civil services examination, was travelling by SpiceJet flight SG 592 on Jan 31 and had originally been allotted an aisle seat behind the three seats occupied by her boyfriend, his mother and his ailing father. The mother, who was in the aisle seat in front of her, suggested that she move to the row alongside as only one of the three seats was occupied. The youth, a fifth-year student at a law school in Kolkata, who sat on the aisle side seat agreed to shift and give the seat to the woman.
However, he did not move to the empty window seat and instead sat in the middle seat, next to the one occupied by the woman.
As the flight made the take-off run around 9.30 am, the woman put on the earphones and began listening to music. Soon after take-off, she felt the youth poking into her left arm that was resting on the seat’s armrest.
“He had kept his right arm on armrest alongside mine. Since I was busy listening to music, I did not not notice till I felt my arm being poked. When I turned to the armrest, I saw he had rested his left palm below his right hand and his fingers were touching me every now and again. Initially, I thought he was accidentally touching me. But just then the crew began to serve food and he quickly removed his arms,” she recounted.
It was after the attendants had finished serving the meals, sometime midway into the flight, that she felt an arm touch her thigh and attempt to caress. She instantly let out a scream and an air-hostess came running to inquire what had happened.
“When I told her that the passenger had molested me, the youth said he was sorry if anything he did made me feel uncomfortable. I was so enraged that I slapped him. The air-hostess warned me that I should not have done it and asked me if I wanted to change my seat. I told her that it is the offender who should do so. He was then moved to another row but I insisted that action be taken against him. Shortly, a male flight attendant came and instead of assuring me, asked me why I was shouting. It is they who are trained to handle such situations, not I,” she told TOI.
After the flight landed, the airline staff and CISF personnel took them aside and advised her to let the youth off as he was a student and that filing a complaint would lead to a protracted legal battle.
“I felt extremely let down at the youth being allowed to go scot free after an apology,” she said.
“Upon arrival at Bagdogra, both were assisted and escorted by SpiceJet security staff to CISF officials in arrival area. The female passenger demanded action. The accused tendered an apology and the female passenger left the airport without filing any complaint, hindering further probe by SpiceJet,” said a spokesperson.