In a disturbing incident aboard a Vistara flight from Muscat to Mumbai, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi man allegedly flashed at an air hostess and attempted to masturbate on a nearly full flight. The accused, Mohammed Dulal, was arrested after the flight landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Thursday.
The incident occurred just 30 minutes before the scheduled landing of flight UK234 at 4:25 a.m. on Thursday. Dulal was originally en route to board a connecting flight to Dhaka, but, he was handed over to Sahar police following his arrest.
He also tried to flash at other cabin crew members and passengers when they tried to intervene, an official said.
A Vistara spokesperson reacted to the incident, and said that in view of “gross misconduct,” the passenger has been issued a warning letter and has been restrain.
“In accordance with the guidelines and our stringent standard operating procedures (SOPs), the security agencies on-ground were informed to take immediate action upon arrival,” he said.
“The customer has been taken into custody for further investigation by the security agency at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai. The incident has been reported to the local authorities as per the SOPs. Vistara stands firm with its zero-tolerance policy against unruly behaviour that endangers the safety, security, and dignity of its customers and staff,” the spokesperson added.
Notably, this unfortunate incident marked the twelfth case of unruly passenger behavior reported in Mumbai in the year 2023 alone.
Following his arrest, Dulal was produced before an Andheri Court, where his lawyer argued that his client suffered from a mental disorder and had difficulty understanding English and Hindi. The Lawyer also claimed that the accused was falsely implicated due to his mental disorder and limited language comprehension.
The court, however, remanded Dulal to police custody until Friday.
Dulal was arrested following a complaint filed by a 22-year-old flight attendant, who claimed the accused had made inappropriate advances towards her, including attempting to kiss her and exposing himself.
When the flight supervisor and other passengers intervened, he continued his unruly behavior, disregarding the captain’s warnings as well, the complaint said.
Further recounting her ordeal, the flight attendant said that she was collecting food trays from passengers when she noticed the accused flyer was signaling her.
“After collecting the food tray from the accused in the seat no 19-E, I pushed the trolley to go ahead… the accused jumped from his seat, and over a passenger, and stood in front of the trolley. I was left in shock when suddenly he hugged me and tried to kiss me,” the complaint read, according to a report by Time of India.
The victim called her male colleague to her aid, and with the help of other passengers, they managed to subdue Dulal.
However, he persisted in his indecent behavior and used offensive language when instructed to remain seated. The flight captain ultimately declared him an unruly passenger and issued a Red Warning Card, the victim said in her complaint.
The Bangladeshi consulate has been informed of the situation, and they will be making arrangements for Dulal’s bail and other case-related procedures on Friday.
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