Sexual harassment on flight? Passenger travelling on Delhi-Chennai plane arrested

A man from Rajasthan was arrested after a woman sitting in the seat in front of him on a Delhi-Chennai IndiGo flight accused him of sexual harassment, reported Hindustan Times citing sources on Thursday.

According to the report, the female passenger alleged that the forty-three-year-old man tried to inappropriately touch her when she was asleep in her seat. Later, the woman protested and even filed a complaint against the accused immediately after the flight landed at 4:30 pm.

A case was registered on woman's complaint under section 75 (sexual harassment) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Later, the man was arrested. So far there has been no official statement by the airline in the matter.

“The woman has registered a complaint that she was in a window seat and while she was asleep, the accused who was sitting behind her – also in the window seat – touched her inappropriately,” HT quoted an officer at the All Women’s Police Station attached to the airport in Meenambakkam as saying.

The suspect's name is Rajesh Sharma, who is from Rajasthan but has been living in Chennai for years. According to Chennai airport staff, the accused was seated on 3 A at the time of the alleged harassment. This is not the first time a female flight passenger has complained of misconduct by a fellow male passenger. Last year, a man travelling on an IndiGo flight was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman co-passenger.

According to the female passenger, the man attempted to sexually harass her by lifting the armrest and trying to grope her while the cabin lights were dimmed during a late-night flight bound for Guwahati. An FIR was registered against the man based on woman's allegations.

"A passenger travelling on IndiGo flight 6E 5319 between Mumbai-Guwahati was handed over to the Guwahati Police on arrival, after receiving a complaint from another passenger for alleged sexual harassment," the IndiGo Spokesperson said in an official statement in the matter last year.