On-air sexual molestation cases have spiked. Aviation experts do some plane talking
On-air sexual molestation cases have spiked. Aviation experts do some plane talkingWith more airlines and a passenger boom, the industry is hitting the headlines regularly, often for the wrong reasons. Now, Goa football club, Churchill Bros might be looking at penalties of a different kind after its players have been accused of allegedly molesting a Spicejet air hostess and abusing cabin crew.
Common fantasy
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A senior captain with more than 25 years experience, speaking on condition of anonymity, counters that saying, "For a lot of men, an air-hostess is a sexual fantasy."
Old times safer
Meher Moos who was an Air-India air hostess from 1965 to early 1973 and then with the airline's management cadre till 2002, says, "It was another era 45 years ago. At that time, there were a lot of people flying for business. Also, maybe some incidents did take place, but they were not as brazen as they are now." Moos endorses the captain's view about air-hostesses being a male fantasy saying, "That is why you have books like, Tea, Coffee or Me."
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Churchill football players held for allegedly molesting SpiceJet air hostess PIC/Satyajit Desai |
Harassment calls
Another senior captain also on condition of anonymity says, "Passengers who are seated on the inside near the window often call the air-hostess and when she leans over, will try and look at her breasts. Sometimes, male passengers press the alarm bell inside the toilet, as if they are in trouble and cannot open it. When the air-hostess opens the door from outside, the man is inside with his pants down."
Cases withdrawn
Several times, women are told that the incident was trivial. Poonam Singh, older sister of air-hostess Komal Singh, who has accused two pilots for allegedly molesting her, (see box) says,u00a0 "We have proof and the management also knows that both the accused have molested her, but every time Komal goes to the enquiry committee, they ask her to withdraw the case, saying that women have big hearts and can forgive anyone."
Learn to tackle
Captain Minoo Wadia founder and former president of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIA), says, "There needs to be greater awareness and training on how to handle these situations. You know we also have plastic restrains to tie up passengers who behave badly."
Tighten laws
Captain A Ranganathan, aviation expert, says, "Lax lawsu00a0 allow the accused to escape easily. When I was with Singapore Airlines, a crew member complained to me about passenger misbehaviour. The matter was reported to the police and the accused was jailed for almost one month."
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>>Air India air hostess Komal Singh, 24. filed an FIR against two co-pilots Capt Ranbir Arora and Aditya Chopra for alleged molestation, on October 3, 2009.u00a0 After investigations, the pilots were given a clean chit. Komal Singh is awaiting the charge sheet report in the FIR to be filed in court.
>>A passenger, Harun Salaam 46, on board of Emirates flight EK 500 was arrested upon his arrival at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International for allegedly molesting an air hostess on June 4, 2009.
>>A 51-year-old drunk passenger Selvaraj Pillai allegedly molested an air hostess, Seema Chaturvedi of Jet airways on the Dubai-Mumbai flight 9W-541 on November 3, 2009. He was later sent to police custody.
>>On January 5, 2010, three Churchill Football club players allegedly molested a Spicejet air hostess on flight SG 804 from Goa to Kolkata via Mumbai. The airport police booked all three and they were released on bail within hours. |
