NEW DELHI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- India's national carrier Air India has initiated a high-level probe into the alleged molestation of an air hostess by a pilot on board a flight to Mumbai.
The alleged molestation of the female crew member by the male pilot took place last Friday on board a domestic flight from the western city of Ahmedabad to Mumbai, following a mid-air scuffle between the two Air India staffers.
"Since the matter is under investigation, we cannot make any comment," Air India has said in a statement.
A police case has also been registered against the pilot after the air hostess lodged a complaint at a police station in Mumbai, after informing top officials of Air India about the alleged incident on board the flight.
"The pilot has been booked under Section 354 of Indian Penal Code (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty). He has not been arrested but we have also started an investigation into the case," a police official said Monday.
Scrutiny of sexual violence against women is on the rise in India since the 2012 fatal and brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old medical student by six men on a moving bus in Delhi.
Four of them are now on death row, while the main accused allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his prison cell during the trial, and the sixth one was a juvenile who was released after serving three years in a remand facility.
The Indian government had last month cleared an executive order to bring in death penalty for rape of children below 12 years, and also raised the minimum jail term for rapists to 20 years if the victims are below 16 years but above 12 years.
The government has also pledged time-bound investigation and trial for child rape cases in the country.
