A 73-year-old Indian national has been charged with molesting four women on a Singapore Airlines flight from the United States to Singapore. The alleged incident in which Balasubramanian Ramesh targeted the four women took over a 14-hour period. He faces a maximum jail term of 21 years and is scheduled to plead guilty on December 13.
The alleged incident took place from 3.15 am to 5.30 pm on November 18.
Ramesh appeared in a Singapore court on November 25 and faces seven charges of molestation.
According to court documents, he allegedly targeted one woman four times and the other three women once each.
Details about the victims, including whether they were passengers or crew members, have not been disclosed, as a gag has been imposed to protect their identities.
All the victims are said to have been molested at different times during the day.
The alleged incident began at 3.15 am, when Ramesh reportedly molested his first victim. Five minutes later, he is said to have targeted a second woman. Between 3.30 am and 6 am, he allegedly molested the second victim three more times.
At 9.30 am, Ramesh reportedly outraged the modesty of a third woman. The final incident allegedly occurred at 5.30 pm.
Under Singapore law, each molestation charge carries a potential penalty of up to three years in jail, a fine, or both.
Although caning is a possible punishment for molestation in Singapore, Ramesh is exempt from it due to his age, as offenders over 50 years old are not subject to caning.
