Man sexually assaulted teen as she slept on flight

A MALE passenger sexually assaulted a sleeping teenage girl on a flight to the UK — while his wife sat beside him.

The man was arrested after the Qatar Airways flight arrived at Manchester Airport. (File image) Picture: Juha Remes/Getty Images

A HOLIDAYMAKER is facing jail after sexually assaulting a teen girl during a seven-hour flight to Britain — as his wife sat beside him.

Suman Das, 46, was arrested at Manchester Airport after the 18-year-old victim claimed he touched her between her legs as she was dozing in her seat, The Sun reported.

Das, who holds an Indian passport, initially claimed he must have touched her by accident while fidgeting in his seat and offered to apologise — but he later said he could not have carried out an assault as he was asleep.

The victim said she woke up to feel a “rubbing sensation” and fled to the back of the plane in tears.

At the time of the assault Das’ wife Sonia was sat beside him unaware of her husband’s behaviour.

Das, who has been staying with friends in Bolton, Greater Manchester, since his arrest, was convicted of sexual assault after a trial at Manchester Magistrates Court. He had denied the charge.

The incident occurred in July five hours into the flight from Doha to Manchester on Qatar Airways.

Das and his wife were visiting the UK for a “holiday of a lifetime” as the girl returned to Britain after spending two months travelling in Thailand.

The victim told the hearing: “He knew exactly what he was doing and he wasn’t sleeping. He was looking at me, I saw he was looking at me.

“He must have been looking at me to see if I was awake. He did move very quickly once he saw that I was awake.”

The girl alerted a member of cabin crew and went crying to the back of the plane.

In a statement Das said later: “I may have touched accidentally — but I didn’t touch her intentionally”.

Prosecutor Holly Holden said: “In this case the victim has zero motivation to make a false claim. Her evidence has been consistent and credible throughout. This was an 18-year-old flying alone. She said that the defendant touched her between the legs over her clothing.

“One person sitting next to another may jostle someone with their elbow but to touch them between the legs without knowing is a deliberate action. He gave two versions of events and said he was very concerned that this could prevent him from getting a UK visa and would destroy his life.”

During the hearing Das’ wife of 23 years said she had “complete faith in her husband” and added: “I have had no concern. Until today I have faith in my husband and still today I have total faith in my husband.”

She also told the court that Das told her following the flight that if he saw the girl and her mother he wanted to talk to them to apologise.

Das’ lawyer Miss Ellie Akhgar said: “This man has no previous convictions, so why would he now decide to take the plunge into criminality and sexually assault a stranger on a plane, with his wife sat next to him?

“He is a family man and a visitor to this country and has been here for the last three months.

“Being awoken by the ‘sensation’ of sexual assault does not mean a sexual assault took place. The whole time she says nothing. This was a very very long flights and this man is being scrutinised for fidgeting.

“It is easy for a man of his age and his culture to apologise — he wanted to calm the waves in a turbulent sea of confusion. He apologised because he wants to fix what it is he has done wrong.

“This is a case of a very serious misunderstanding. Very serious misunderstandings can happen.”

Das was granted conditional bail pending sentence on October 27.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.