Indian national who molested Scoot stewardess on flight jailed, intends to appeal
SINGAPORE — A male passenger who molested a Scoot stewardess while on board a flight from India to Singapore was sentenced to four months’ jail on Friday (27 September).
Vijayan Mathan Gopal, a Singapore permanent resident, had claimed trial to three charges of molesting the then 22-year-old stewardess while on a flight on 2 November 2017.
In sentencing the Indian national, District Judge Salina Ishak noted that the offence took place on board an aircraft, a high-pressure environment, and against an air transportation worker who was doing her duty.
“(There was) no means of escape for the victim on board an aircraft, and (there was) a difficulty of gaining assistance from enforcement officers (while on the aircraft),” she added.
The judge also noted that there was no intrusion into the victim’s private parts.
Client to appeal: Defence
Vijayan’s lawyer Ramesh Selvaraj indicated that his client wishes to appeal his conviction.
Ramesh said that his client had lost his job as a safety inspector since being charged. He has been unable to see his family members, who are in India, as his passport has been impounded.
The lawyer asked for three-and-a-half months’ jail, stating that the offences had been mostly “fleeting touches”.
Touched stewardess’ face, thigh and buttock
After a six-day trial in August, Vijayan, 39, was convicted of holding the air stewardess’ right arm, touching her face, cupping her face with his hands, placing his hand on the victim’s right thigh, and touching her buttock with his hand.
The victim, now 24, was the crew member in charge of the Scoot flight from Cochin, India, to Singapore. She cannot be named to protect her identity.
According to the victim, Vijayan was the last passenger to board the flight. He reeked of alcohol and his pants were unzipped.
Shortly after the plane took off, Vijayan, who was in an aisle seat, got into a dispute with another air stewardess as he refused to pay for his order of food and wine before it was served.
Vijayan was angry and wanted to make a complaint about the victim’s co-worker. To placate him, the victim agreed to serve his food before payment. She also instructed her co-worker to apologise to Vijayan.
However, Vijayan refused his order when it was served. He later accepted it from an air steward.
Vijayan later pressed the call button continuously to speak to the victim, who was attending to another passenger who felt unwell.
When the victim attended to Vijayan, she knelt down and told Vijayan firmly not to press the call button again. She wrote down her and her co-worker’s names and staff numbers for Vijayan when he said he wanted to complain.
Vijayan then asked the victim where she lived before holding her right hand and stroking her face from forehead to chin. He told her, “You are so beautiful”, before cupping her face, according to the victim.
The victim said she felt "angry, uncomfortable and very disgusted". She leaned back and raised her voice saying “sir, sir, sir”, but Vijayan replied, “Do not throw your anger at me” and “I’m the boss of the flight”.
When the victim tried to stand, Vijayan held onto her right arm and forcefully placed his hand on her right thigh.
After the victim managed to stand up and turn around, she felt the man touch her buttocks. The exchange was witnessed by her co-worker and another passenger.
The victim reported the incident to the captain, and lodged a report with Scoot.
In his defence, Vijayan denied committing the acts and claimed that the incident was fabricated by the victim and her co-worker to suppress his complaint against the co-worker for poor service. He tendered a portion of the air sickness bag with the victim’s and her co-worker's particulars, and images of the passenger feedback form as evidence.
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