Flight Attendant Files Complaint Against Passenger For 'Unruly Behavior'

A female flight attendant filed a complaint of “unruly behavior” against a passenger after he sexually assaulted her. The incident happened on board an Indigo flight from Lucknow to the southern Indian city of Bangalore on Tuesday morning.

Upon landing at the Bangalore airport, the airline office alerted the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel who escorted the passenger, identified as Dr. Bharat Kumaran, to the terminal. He was then handed over to the airport police.

Speaking to local daily the New Indian Express, a source said, “The airline manager submitted a written request that the particular passenger be handed over to the airport police station and a case of unruly behavior be registered.”

Another source said, “The passenger misbehaved with the lady crew member by touching her inappropriately.”

Confirming the incident, the airport police said, “The woman did not want to want to make a big issue of it. Since unruly behavior is a non-cognizable offense, we did not book an FIR.”

In a similar incident last year, an elderly Vistara passenger was accused of sexually assaulting a cabin crew member on board a flight from Lucknow to New Delhi. The passenger, identified as 62-year-old Rajeev Vasant Dani, was arrested upon landing at the New Delhi airport.

“A member of our cabin crew operating flight number UK 997 from Lucknow to Delhi reported an incident of sexual harassment by a passenger. Vistara does not tolerate abusive or unruly behaviour by passengers that puts the safety of its staff and other customers at risk, or compromises their dignity. We have reported the matter to the police and other relevant authorities,” an airline spokesperson had said.