Man arrested at Kolkata airport for molesting co-passenger on Hanoi flight

Kolkata, February 14 (IANS): A male passenger was arrested at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on Saturday for allegedly molesting a woman co-passenger onboard a Hanoi-Kolkata flight, police said.

According to the complaint, the man, who hails from Bihar, kept touching a female passenger inappropriately as she was seated next to him.

Police said the young woman boarded a private airline flight from Hanoi in Vietnam bound for Kolkata. When the plane was preparing to land in Kolkata, the Bihar resident allegedly started harassing the young woman sitting next to him. The young woman alleged that the accused touched her inappropriately.

Distressed by the incident, the young woman raised an alarm inside the aircraft. The cabin crew immediately intervened and moved the passenger to another seat to ensure her safety.

After the flight landed at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, the crew handed the accused passenger over to Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials. Later, the CISF officials handed the passenger over to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport police station.

The accused was identified as Md Abdur Rahman. A case has been registered against him, and he was formally arrested on charges related to molestation. Further investigation into the incident is underway.

"A case of abusing and molesting the woman has been filed against the arrested person. He will be produced before the Barrackpore court. Investigation is on," said a senior officer of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate.

However, the woman is traumatised by the incident inside the aircraft, raising concerns about passenger safety on board flights

Meanwhile, in a separate incident earlier in the day, a bomb scare triggered panic on a Shillong-bound IndiGo flight at the same airport. The flight, scheduled to depart at 9.15 a.m., was halted after a note reading “There is a bomb on the plane” was found inside the aircraft’s lavatory. All passengers were safely disembarked, and a thorough search of the aircraft was conducted.

Upon completion of all safety checks and clearance by security authorities, the aircraft was declared safe for operations. The flight subsequently departed for Shillong at 13.33 hrs, a statement by the Kolkata Airport Authority said.