Balasubramanian Ramesh, a 73-year-old man, received a nine-month prison sentence for molesting four air stewardesses on a Singapore Airlines flight.
The offenses, which occurred over a 14-hour span, included repeated touching of the victims, according to Channel News Asia.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS :
- Balasubramanian Ramesh, 73, was sentenced to nine months in jail for molesting four Singapore Airlines stewardesses.
- The incidents occurred during a 17-hour flight from San Francisco to Singapore on November 18, 2024.
- The accused committed multiple acts of molestation, including repeated offenses against one victim.
- The victims were performing their duties and are protected by a gag order.
A 73-year-old man was sentenced to nine months in jail on Wednesday (Apr 2) after pleading guilty to molesting four air stewardesses during a Singapore Airlines flight from San Francisco to Singapore.
Balasubramanian Ramesh faced four counts of molestation, with an additional three counts taken into consideration for his sentencing.
Court documents reveal that the incidents occurred on November 18, 2024, over a span of approximately 14 hours during the flight, which lasted around 17 hours.
Ramesh targeted the women, who were all on duty, because he found them “attractive.”
The first incident took place at approximately 3:30 am Singapore time when Ramesh used his hand to stroke the first victim’s buttocks twice over her clothing as she pushed a meal cart past his seat, the report added.
The victim was shocked and quickly walked away, feeling uncomfortable due to his actions.
Just five minutes later, Ramesh molested another stewardess as she bent over to serve food to a passenger seated across the aisle.
He stroked her buttocks twice over her clothing and, within the next few hours, molested her three more times between 3:20 am and 6:00 am.
The second victim expressed feeling “extremely annoyed” and harassed by his behavior.
At around 9:30 am, Ramesh molested a third victim while she was assisting a passenger with the in-flight entertainment system, placing his hand on her right upper thigh over her clothing.
She quickly backed away, still feeling shocked and overwhelmed hours later.
The fourth incident occurred at approximately 5:30 pm when Ramesh molested another stewardess who was helping a passenger adjust their seat for landing. He placed his hand on her left upper thigh over her clothing.
However, due to prior warnings from her colleagues, she stepped back immediately upon feeling physical contact.
When confronted, Ramesh denied touching her.
Following the flight’s arrival in Singapore, the victims’ supervisor reported the incidents at the SIA Control Centre, which led to Ramesh’s arrest by the Airport Police Division the same day.
During the sentencing hearing, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ashley Chin sought a sentence of between 9.5 and 12.5 months, emphasizing the severity of the seven acts of molestation committed on a single flight. She pointed out that Ramesh not only intentionally touched the buttocks and thighs of four SIA air stewardesses but also brazenly molested the first victim on four separate occasions.
The prosecutor highlighted that the offenses, committed on an aircraft and against air transportation workers, were particularly aggravating factors.
In defense of Ramesh, his lawyer argued for a lighter sentence, citing his “positive contributions” to society as a former bank manager for a reputable bank in India.
However, District Judge Toh Han Li emphasized the gravity of Ramesh’s conduct, noting that the offenses took place over a 14-hour period and rejecting the defense’s claim that the actions were committed in the “spur of the moment.”
The judge stated that the sentence reflected the seriousness of the crimes committed against the victims, who were all air transportation workers.
Image via google for illustration
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