KOLKATA: A Japanese teenager travelling to Kolkata from Tokyo in a Thai Airways flight has alleged she was molested in the dead of night by an Indian passenger. The accused, 57-year-old Narain Singh, has been arrested.

It was around 1am on Friday when most passengers were fast asleep and the plane cruising over the Bay of Bengal that the 19-year-old girl said she felt the co-passenger’s hand brush against her. The first time she gave him the benefit of doubt even though she felt it wasn’t accidental. The next time she was certain that it was deliberate and decided to put her foot down.

The girl reported the matter to a flight attendant, who changed her seat and informed the captain. Minutes after the touchdown, the captain alerted the airline security, who in turn sought help from the CISF. The man was arrested and later handed over to Bidhannagar police.

“The airline staff approached the airport manager and complained that a girl had been molested by a co-passenger during the flight. The girl also made the complaint in writing. The manager then called police and handed over the accused,” airport director BP Sharma said.

Police were initially reluctant to act, citing the girl’s failure to lodge the complaint in person. Singh was finally arrested around noon after the airport manager and the airline staff lodged complaints. He is a frequent flier between Kolkata and Bangkok and lives in Salt Lake.

According to police, Singh pleaded innocence during interrogation and claimed he had fallen asleep and accidentally brushed against the girl while stretching after waking up. “This is a typical excuse made by perverts,” said an air-hostess.

Japanese consul general Mitsuo Kawaguchi said the incident had been brought to his notice. “We are trying to ascertain the facts,” he said.