SINGAPORE- Indian national Akash Tiwari has been sentenced to six months in jail after molesting a Singapore Airlines (SQ) cabin crew member during a flight to Singapore and later intimidating her onboard while other passengers witnessed the incident.
The 35-year-old passenger was also ordered to pay approximately S$1,270 in compensation to the victim. The sentence follows his guilty plea to charges of molestation and causing distress through threatening behavior during the flight in February 2026.
Singapore Airlines Incident Details Revealed
Court proceedings revealed that Tiwari was traveling with four friends and was part of a group that displayed disruptive behavior throughout the flight.
Cabin crew members reportedly observed the group repeatedly waving at female flight attendants and laughing whenever they walked through the aisle.
Before departure, a female flight attendant approached the group to confirm meal selections. During the interaction, Tiwari allegedly stretched out his arm and made inappropriate physical contact with the crew member’s upper thigh.
The incident immediately shocked the flight attendant. Instead of apologizing, Tiwari and several of his companions reportedly laughed, prompting the crew member to inform her supervisor about what had happened.
To minimize further interaction, airline staff reassigned her duties and instructed her to serve passengers in a different section of the aircraft.
Onboard Harassment Case Timeline
The situation escalated later during meal service collection. As the flight attendant pushed a service cart toward the front of the cabin, Tiwari deliberately leaned out from his seat and moved his body toward her.
According to court findings, he intentionally nudged his elbow against the victim’s buttock area. The flight attendant immediately confronted him and demanded that he stop touching her.
Rather than expressing remorse, Tiwari reportedly smirked. His response intensified the victim’s distress, while one of his friends allegedly mocked the situation and laughed at her reaction.
The crew member then reported the second incident to the chief flight stewardess, who accompanied her to confront the passenger. However, Tiwari continued insisting that he had done nothing wrong.
Changi Airport Arrest Details Explained
As the aircraft prepared for landing, the victim headed to the galley to formally report the matter. Prosecutors stated that Tiwari followed her into the confined workspace and stood extremely close despite being told to stay away.
The crew member repeatedly instructed him to stop following her. Instead, he moved closer and cornered her inside the narrow galley area, causing significant fear and distress, Channel News Asia reported.
Visibly shaken, she left the area and sought assistance from senior cabin crew. Witnesses in the aisle reportedly observed portions of the confrontation, while the victim was later seen crying and trembling.
Following the report, the flight captain alerted aviation authorities on the ground before arrival at Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN). Police officers arrested Tiwari after the aircraft landed.
The court ultimately imposed a six-month jail term and compensation payment, highlighting Singapore’s strict stance on passenger misconduct and offenses committed against airline crew members during commercial flights.
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