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She had been allegedly molested on a SpiceJet flight carrying the players from Goa to Kolkata. The players were arrested in Mumbai, got bail and reached Kolkata Wednesday.
The Mumbai Police said the airhostess turned wary after learning of the profile of the alleged molesters: one of them is Churchill Brothers captain Nigerian Okolie Odafa, one of India’s best paid footballers and top strikers.
“She was in two minds. After seeing the way television channels were playing up the allegation; she was feeling intimidated. It was only after four hours of assurances that we finally convinced her to lodge an FIR,” said a police officer.
Acting on the FIR, the Airport police arrested Odafa, Ogba Kalu (20) and goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya (20). After their release on bail, Addl CP (West) Amitabh Gupta said the police would try and file the chargesheet as early as possible.
“We have a strong case, thanks to her statement. There were also several witnesses on the flight and we will record their statements too,” Gupta said.
A crewmember said the players first passed lewd remarks as the airhostess passed them. “One of them grabbed her by the shoulder. She wriggled away and tried to ignore them, but when one of the players brushed against her, she complained to a senior crewmember,” he said. The crew, including the flight’s captain, then tried to intervene, the witness said. “An argument followed. Some passengers too offered their support to the crew.”
Churchill Brothers co-owner Joaquim Alemao insisted that Odafa’s hand had accidentally brushed against the airhostess. He threatened to sue the airline for defamation.
Senior police inspector Nitin Indurkar of the Airport police station said the players had tested negative for alcohol. “They were released on bail early today on the condition that they have to be present in court whenever summoned,” he said. “If we need them during the investigation process, we will issue a summons, or arrest them again if they fail to show up.”
SpiceJet wrote to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation about the incident, as per policy. “From an airline’s perspective, it is a safety issue for the aircraft, passengers and cabin crew,” said Arjun Singh, director of the airline.
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"From an airline%u2019s perspective, it is a safety issue for the aircraft, passengers and cabin crew" . What about the Haj piligrims who held the crew hostage for 4 hours!! This is nothing but the marxist agenda for fomenting a new class struggle. And the media has rabies ...
Maharashtra Police has rewritten new law under Political pressure.Molesting a lady by holding her posteriror isno offence or at the most a bailable offence.Police do what the Ministers do and get out>That is how Ramrao Adhik an ex Law Minister in an ebribed condition held an airhostess and made her sit in his lap he committed no offence and got out free.The CongressNCP is of the same opinion now>
To assume there was no molestation because of the four hour delay in lodging her complaint is stupidity or male chauvinism, which results from total ignorance. It is well documented that even women who are 'raped' never report the crimes because of the perception and most times a fact they will be further vilified. It is also embedded in the legal processes that people with money, political clout or are members of the elite, privileged group are given special treatment by the police and in the courts. Money counts, it can and does pay for freedon from criminal activities.
If the air hostess was dead sure, why did she require 4 hours of cajoling ( as the media puts it) to lodge an FIR? How can a lady claim molestation in an enclosed space and in full public view?
Cajoling, obviously... How many eve teasing victims come out in the open and lodge complaints? Even if they do, they are hardly taken seriously and in this case, media attention would be too much for her. Sometimes victims feel that this is enough rather than they being dragged to courts which only give justice after 19 years...
The reason is because this being India where the victim is at a receiving end rather than the accused especially when the former has a political or financial backing.I must say you are either very naive or extremely ignorant because you do have women in your family.In this case it's more of a stigma for the poor victim because she will have to live with it forever whereas the guys will move on in life with almost a chip on their shoulder. Had this been U.S or Europe these guys would have been behind bars by now. By the way some of these accused from Nigeria probably thinks he can go about as in his country where women are treated worse than even in India