Akash Tiwari, a 35-year-old Indian national, molested a Singapore Airlines stewardess on a flight from Thailand to Singapore on February 9, 2026. He pleaded guilty to one count each of molestation and harassment and was sentenced on June 22, 2026, to six months' jail and ordered to pay S$1,270.95 in compensation to the victim [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
During the flight, Tiwari and four friends behaved rowdily, waving and laughing when female crew members passed by. Before takeoff, Tiwari brushed his arm against the stewardess’s left upper thigh, causing her distress. Later, he used his left elbow to nudge her buttock while she collected trays, despite her telling him not to touch her. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lynda Lee said, "She was very upset and told the accused not to touch her. Instead of apologising, he smirked." The victim informed the chief stewardess and was moved to serve passengers farther from Tiwari [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
As the flight prepared to land, the victim left for the galley but Tiwari followed her, stood extremely close, and cornered her. The prosecutor added, "Instead of moving away, the accused persisted with the same threatening behaviour by coming even closer and cornered the victim in the galley. The victim was even more distressed by now. She shouted at him to stay away and to stop following her." The victim left the galley but noticed he was still following and repeated her warnings. The flight captain was informed, and authorities filed a police report upon arrival at Changi Airport [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Tiwari remained unapologetic when confronted and smirked. A friend, Jay Shankar, mocked the incident, saying he wanted to "have a beer and watch the 'show'" referring to the victim's reaction [3].
If Tiwari fails to pay the compensation, he will serve an additional five days in jail. His sentence and compensation order were handed down on June 22, 2026 [1, 2, 4, 5].
