47-year-old professor arrested for sexually assaulting 24-year-old lady doctor on Delhi-Mumbai flight

A 47-year-old professor has been arrested by the Mumbai Police for allegedly sexually harassing a woman doctor on a Delhi-Mumbai flight, according to a report of news wire agency PTI.

As per the report, the incident took place on Wednesday.

The accused professor was seated next to the 24-year-old victim on the flight, which took off at 5.30 am from Delhi.


According to the lady doctor's allegation, the accused made unwanted physical contact with her before the plane was set to touch down at the Mumbai airport, a police official told PTI.

After two passengers got into a fight, the victim alerted the flight's crew, who then stepped in to mediate. They rushed to the Sahar police station once the plane touched down at the Mumbai airport.

According to the police official, a case of sexual harassment was filed against the professor based on the victim's accusation, and he was detained. He stated that an investigation was ongoing and that the accused was brought before a judge, which granted him bail.

Incidents involving unruly passengers and sexual harassment in flights have been increasing in recent times. For onstance, on 26 November, 2022, a man reportedly flashed his private part and urinated on a 70-year-old woman in an Air India flight from New York to New Delhi and another on 6 December, 2022 in which a man again urinated on the seat of his fellow woman passenger on an Air India flight from Paris to New Delhi.

In view of such cases, a Parliamentary Committee on Monday recommended a special airline wing to deal with cases related to onboard unruly passengers.

The Department related to the Standing Committee for Transport, Tourism and Culture in its recommendations said that a special airline wing should be formed for dealing with police and courts in cases of unruly passengers since at present, the pilot and crew members have to attend the court and visit police stations for prosecuting the unruly passenger.

Earlier this year, the Delhi Commission for Women had written in aviation regulator DGCA a detailed guideline in which it recommended that the airlines should prevent highly intoxicated travellers from boarding the aircraft, limit alcohol intake, instal CCTV cameras and sensitise staff about sexual harassment.