Harassment case: Police seek magistrate’s help to record statements of victim

he investigation team probing the air hostess sexual harassment case has sought the assistance of the magistrate to record the statements of the victim again.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The investigation team probing the air hostess sexual harassment case has sought the assistance of the magistrate to record the statements of the victim again. The police team led by Shanghumugham Assistant Commissioner A R Shanihan decided to approach the magistrate after the victim gave contradictory statements. Earlier, the Valiyathura police had registered a case against a pilot of Air India Express on charges of sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of a woman based on a complaint lodged by a former flight crew member.

The complaint stated that the pilot, identified as Manoj Kumar,  had allegedly sexually harassed her on September 16 in the flight. The complaint stated that the accused had shown obscene gestures and threatened to sack her.  “A probe is on into the issue. The complainant had given contradictory statements which has put the police in a  fix,” Shanihan told Express. “We have decided to approach the magistrate to record her statements once again.

The magistrate will summon the complainant and we will proceed with the case after receiving the certified copy of the statement from the magistrate.  We had recorded the statements twice. But those statements lack clarity. We will take further action only after getting a clarity on the statements of the alleged victim,”  Shanihan said. 

The complainant is presently working as an employee at the airport. The police said she had left the job as a crew member owing to the alleged misbehaviour from the pilot. The complainant had been working as a flight crew member since 2005. Since then, she used to work with the pilot. Incidentally, another former crew member also gave a statement to the police that she had faced a similar experience from the pilot. 

The FIR was registered by the police on October 4. The police had booked Sections 354A,  342, 506 and 294(b) for sexual harassment, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and use of obscene gestures and languages, against the pilot. The police recorded the statements from the cabin crew members who were present on the day of the alleged incident. It is learned that the woman who is in contract job had lodged a complaint with the Internal Complaints Committee of Air India Express against the pilot.

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