She claimed she woke up to find her shirt and trousers unbuttoned.
An Indian man has been accused of sexually assaulting a sleeping woman on a plane. The incident allegedly took place on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit.
On 3rd January 2018, 34-year-old Prabhu Ramamoorthy boarded his flight. He was sitting between his wife and a 22-year-old woman.
During the journey, the alleged victim fell asleep. However, she claimed she woke up to find her shirt and trousers unbuttoned.
She also told officers that Prabhu had placed his fingers inside her pants “and vigorously moving them”.
The 22-year-old added that he only stopped the alleged assault once she opened her eyes. She immediately alerted flight attendant staff and the man was taken into custody once the plane landed.
As a result, he has been charged with aggravated sexual assault.
Prabhu, who lives in the US on a temporary visa, first denied the charges made against him. Instead, he claimed he fell into a “deep sleep” during the flight and didn’t know where he had placed his hands.
However, when speaking to FBI agents, the Indian man changed his account. The 34-year-old said he might have unclasped the alleged victim’s bra “while playing with it” and placed his hands on her breasts over her top.
A court filing also revealed that Prabhu later admitted he “unzipped the woman’s pants part-way and put his finger in her pants” in a failed attempt to penetrate her.
Meanwhile, the man’s wife told investigators that the 22-year-old slept on her husband’s knees. She also added that she and her husband requested to flight attendant staff that they seat the woman somewhere else.
However, members of staff onboard claim only the alleged victim asked for a seat change. They also said she was crying and both her top and trousers were unbuttoned.
For the remainder of the flight, they assigned her to a seat at the back of the plane.
Prabhu appeared at a federal court in Michigan on 4th January 2018.
Reports have also added that the 34-year-old has requested the US Government to contact the Indian consulate for his case.
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