According to reports, Akash Tiwari and four of his friends were travelling on a flight from Thailand when they repeatedly laughed whenever a female flight attendant walked past their seats. During meal service, when the crew member approached them to take meal preferences, Tiwari stretched out his arm and brushed it against her leg. His friends reportedly laughed following the act.
The flight attendant immediately reported the incident to the chief stewardess and was reassigned to another aisle. However, while returning after collecting trays from passengers in the other section, Tiwari again made physical contact, touching her back with his left elbow. The victim informed her senior about the second incident.
When confronted by the flight attendant and her superior, Tiwari denied any wrongdoing. According to court documents, one of his friends laughed and remarked that he would have a beer and watch the "show".
Deputy Public Prosecutor Lynda told the court that the complainant was deeply upset and repeatedly warned Tiwari not to touch her. Despite the warnings, the prosecutor stated that Tiwari smirked and offered no apology.
"The victim was even more distressed and repeated to him not to touch her," the prosecutor said.
As the aircraft prepared to land, the chief stewardess informed her supervisor and the captain about the matter. However, the situation escalated further when Tiwari followed the flight attendant into the galley and stood extremely close to her. She instructed him to stay away, but he continued to follow her, forcing her to issue a warning.
According to the prosecutor, "Instead of moving away, the accused persisted with the same threatening behaviour by coming even closer and cornering the victim in the galley."
"The victim was even more distressed by now. She shouted at him to stay away and to stop following her," the prosecutor added.
The flight attendant broke down in tears and appeared visibly shaken by the incident. She sought assistance from her supervisor before Tiwari finally left her alone.
Following the aircraft's arrival at Singapore's Changi Airport, officers from the Airport Police Division arrested Tiwari. Police later confirmed that they had been alerted about the molestation incident on the same afternoon.
Although the incident occurred on February 9, Tiwari pleaded guilty to two charges of molestation and one count of harassment. On Monday, he was sentenced to six months of imprisonment.
The case has drawn attention to the serious consequences of misconduct against airline personnel and highlighted the swift response by airline authorities and Singapore law enforcement agencies in dealing with offences committed aboard commercial flights.
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