Indian pilot accused of assaulting air hostess

DELHI: Indian authorities have filed charges against a 60-year-old pilot from a private airline after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 26-year-old air hostess during an overnight stay at a luxury hotel in Bengaluru.

The incident reportedly took place on November 18, following a chartered flight from Hyderabad and Puttaparthi. The flight crew had checked into the hotel before their scheduled return flight the next morning. According to the woman's complaint, the pilot, identified as Rohit Saran, invited her to step outside his room for a cigarette break. Once near the door, he allegedly forced her inside and assaulted her. She managed to escape shortly after the assault but remained deeply shaken and fearful.

The woman informed her company’s management after returning to Hyderabad on November 20 and then filed a preliminary police report. A formal case has been registered under India's updated criminal code on rape, and the investigation has been transferred to the Halasuru Police Station in Bengaluru, where authorities are continuing to collect evidence.