Swedish Flyer Arrested Over Molesting Indigo Cabin Crew

A Swedish man was arrested by Mumbai Police for allegedly molesting a 24-year-old cabin crew member during an Indigo Airlines flight from Bangkok to Mumbai.

A 62-year-old Swedish national, Klas Erik Harald Jonas Westberg, was detained by the Mumbai Police for allegedly molesting a 24-year-old cabin crew member on an Indigo Airlines flight from Bangkok to Mumbai. 

The incident took place during the 6E-1052 Indigo Flight, where Westberg allegedly misbehaved with the air hostess while serving meals. 

The passenger reportedly became disruptive after he was informed that there was no food on board, but he agreed to order a chicken entrée. When the air hostess came over to pay with the POS system, Westberg inappropriately grabbed her hand, leading to a scuffle. 

The woman claimed that Westberg sexually assaulted her in front of other passengers after she objected to his behavior. 

The accused was detained upon arrival at the Mumbai Airport and later presented in front of the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate Court, where bail was granted.

This was the fifth incident of molestation on board reported between 2017 and 2023, highlighting the rising concern of unruly passengers on flights in India. 

Eight disruptive flyers have been taken into custody in the previous three months, including Bhaskar Dev Konwar, a “senior attorney practicing at the Gauhati High Court,” who defecated near the bathroom and threw up in the aisle on an IndiGo aircraft from Guwahati to Delhi. 

On March 22, two passengers aboard an Indigo flight from Dubai to Mumbai, John George D’Souza and Dattatreya Anand Bapardekar, were arrested for being intoxicated and misbehaving with the crew. 

They became enraged after being advised by the flight crew of the prohibition on alcohol consumption and began staggering around the plane. 

In another incident, Shankar Mishra, a passenger on an Air India flight from New York to Delhi, was imprisoned by the authorities after he allegedly peed on an elderly woman passenger.

The rising number of incidents involving unruly passengers has become a cause for concern for airline companies, flight attendants, and passengers alike. 

The Indian government has taken measures to address the issue, including introducing stricter penalties for disruptive behavior on board. 

The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a circular directing airlines to take action against passengers who disrupt flights, which includes reporting such incidents to the police and putting the passenger on a no-fly list. 

The circular also includes guidelines for dealing with disruptive passengers, including de-boarding them, restraining them, and handing them over to law enforcement authorities upon landing.

The incidents of unruly passengers on board have also highlighted the need for greater awareness and training of airline staff to handle such situations. 

The airlines have taken various measures to address the issue, including conducting training sessions for cabin crew, increasing surveillance on board, and installing CCTV cameras on flights. 

However, there is a need for greater collaboration between airlines, airports, and law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of passengers and crew on board.

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