A 73-year-old man was given a nine-month jail term on Wednesday ( Apr 2 ) for sexually abusing four air stewardesses on a Singapore Airlines flight from San Francisco to Singapore.
Four matters of harassment were pleaded guilty by Balasubramanian Ramesh. For his punishment, three more matters of harassment were taken into account.  ,
According to court records, Balasubramanian targeted the three girls after each because he thought the women were “attractive” and verbally abused one of them four times.  ,
Due to a joke order, the victims, who were all on duty at the time, may be identified.  ,
The crimes occurred on November 18, 2024, over a period of roughly 14 days. The actual airfare was about 17 hours long.
At about 3.30am Singapore time, Balasubramanian, who was a passenger on the plane, used his hands to stroke the second victim’s buttocks half over her clothing as she was pushing the meal cart past his seat.  ,
She was shocked, but she immediately ran away and felt uneasy about his behavior.  ,
Five minutes later, the accused molested a second prey as she bent over to serve the passenger standing across the hall from him with food. She was able to wear her hips half with his left side.  ,
He sexually assaulted her three more times between three and six in the morning.  ,
The victim’s steps were “extremely enraged” and harassed, according to the court.
As she was using her in-flight entertainment system to assist the traveler seated following to him, Balasubramanian molested a fourth victim at 9.30am. He did it by putting his hand over the defendant’s proper upper thigh, covering her clothes.  ,
Nine hours after, the court was informed that she immediately backed away but continued to feel surprised and overwhelmed.  ,
A fifth victim was molested by him at about 5:30 p.m. when she was helping the passenger seated next to him adjust their seats for landing. He sat down beside her attire and placed his hand on her left lower thigh.
But, when she first made contact with someone, she immediately stepped back because her acquaintances had previously advised her to be careful around the accused.
When she confronted him afterwards, he denied touching her.  ,
The accused was next made aware of his inappropriate touching of several members of the cabin crew and that the incident may be investigated by the police, according to the atmosphere stewardess and her supervisor.
The victims ‘ superintendent reported to the SIA Control Center upon arrival in Singapore, and the case was sent to the Airport Police Division. Balasubramanian was detained the same day.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ashley Chin requested a statement of between 9.5 and 12.5 months in prison on Wednesday.  ,
In her obedience, Ms. Chin claimed that the accused molestered the first victim on four separate occasions while not even intentionally touching the buttocks and thighs of four SIA air stewardesses, but likewise consciously and brutally molested the second victim.  ,
She added that aggravating factors were the fact that the crimes had been committed on an airplane and by heat transport personnel.  ,
Balasubramanian, the defense attorney claimed in seeking a lighter sentence that the American national had made “positive achievements” to society and that he had also worked as a bank boss for a “reputable” bank in India.
District Judge Toh Han Li said the sentencing reflected the weight of the accused’s actions while flying with four subjects who were air transport employees.
He refuted the defense’s claim that his crimes occurred “in the spur of the moment,” pointing out that they occurred over a 14-hour time.