Indian Techie Prabhu Ramamoorthy Imprisoned for Assaulting Passenger in Airplane
The victim was seated near the window next to Ramamoorthy while his wife sat next to him in the aisle seat. The victim was fast asleep while Ramamoorthy assaulted her.
A U.S based Indian techie by the name of Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, gets nine years in jail this Thursday for sexually assaulting his fellow female co-passenger in the plane. The assault took place in an overnight Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit last January.
The victim was seated near the window next to Ramamoorthy while his wife sat next to him in the aisle seat. The victim was fast asleep while Ramamoorthy assaulted her. When the victim woke up she caught the culprit red-handed and she immediately sought help from the flight attendants. In the victim’s own words she was “petrified” and “frozen.” The perpetrator was arrested by the Wayne County Airport Authority once the plane touched grounds.
As per court papers, the Indian techie who originally hails from Tamil Nadu came to the United States on an H-1B VISA in 2015. His parents are farmers. As per reports, Ramamoorthy didn’t possess proper English speaking skills despite being an IT professional.
A federal court in Detroit said that the techie will be deported back to India after he serves his nine-year sentence. In fact, federal prosecutors desired an 11-year sentence for the perpetrator however the Judge came to a decision of nine years. Judge Terrence Berge hoped that the punishment imposed on Prabhu Ramamoorthy will instill fear in other perpetrators who commit similar crimes.
"Everyone has the right to be secure and safe when they travel on airplanes. We will not tolerate the behaviour of anyone, who takes advantage of victims who are in a vulnerable position. We appreciate the victim in this case for her courage to speak out," US Attorney Matthew Schneider said after the sentencing was announced. The sentence was proof that the safety and security of all aircraft passengers was a priority for the FBI, said Timothy R Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI.
According to the FBI, airplane assaults are increasingly on the rise. Statistics prove that from 2014 to 2017 airplane sexual assaults increased by 66 percent. The FBI report said that facts like “cramped confined spaces, alcohol and drugs, fewer flight attendants, dark cabins on night flights” are factors that "likely embolden offenders.”
