A 73-year-old man Indian national working as a manager for a bank in India, was sentenced to nine months in jail after being found guilty of molesting four air stewardesses during a Singapore Airlines flight from San Francisco to Singapore. The accused, Balasubramanian Ramesh, pleaded guilty to four counts of molestation, with an additional three charges taken into consideration.
The offences occurred on November 18, 2024, during a flight that lasted approximately 17 hours. Over a 14-hour span, Balasubramanian inappropriately touched four different stewardesses, allegedly because he found them attractive.
According to court documents, the first incident occurred around 3:30 am Singapore time. As the first victim was pushing a meal cart past his seat, he stroked her buttocks twice over her clothing. Shocked, she quickly walked away, feeling uncomfortable.
Just five minutes later, the second victim became his next target. While she was bending over to serve food to a passenger seated across the aisle, he used his left hand to stroke her buttocks twice over her uniform. Between 3:20 am and 6 am, he went on to molest her three more times. This victim reported feeling deeply harassed and distressed by his repeated actions.
At 9:30 am, a third stewardess fell prey to his advances. She was helping the passenger seated next to him with the in-flight entertainment system when Balasubramanian placed his hand on her right upper thigh over her clothing. She immediately backed away but remained disturbed by the incident, even hours later.
His last victim was assaulted around 5:30 pm while assisting a passenger in adjusting their seat for landing. Balasubramanian placed his hand on her left upper thigh. However, this time, she had been warned by her colleagues to be cautious around him, so she quickly stepped back upon feeling his touch.
When confronted about his actions, Balasubramanian denied any wrongdoing. However, the victims had already reported his behavior to their supervisor, who then informed the SIA Control Centre upon landing. The case was referred to the Airport Police Division, leading to his immediate arrest.
During the trial, the prosecution sought a sentence between 9.5 and 12.5 months, emphasizing the severity of the crimes. The Deputy Public Prosecutor highlighted the repeated offences and the fact that the crimes were committed on board an aircraft against air transportation workers, making them particularly egregious.
The defence argued for a lighter sentence, citing Balasubramanian’s past contributions to society. His lawyer mentioned that he had been a bank manager in a well-respected institution in India.
However, the judge dismissed the defence’s argument that the acts were impulsive, noting that they occurred over 14 hours. The judge emphasized that such behavior was unacceptable, especially in a setting where passengers and crew should feel safe. Ultimately, Balasubramanian was sentenced to nine months in jail.
Comments
Post a Comment