Sky marshal held for sexual abuse on flight

Amid high drama, a sky marshal has been arrested for allegedly trying to sexually harass a woman passenger on a Srinagar-New Delhi Air Deccan flight which had, among others, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and his wife Shamima Azad on board.

Krishen Kumar was taken into custody on Friday after the passenger complained that the marshal had passed obscene comments and attempted to molest her moments before take-off at the high-security Srinagar airport.

The arrested sky marshal, according to sources, originally belongs to the elite National Security Guards. Sources said other passengers rose in support of the woman and tried to manhandle the sky marshal, and the chief minister ordered his arrest before disembarking from the flight to board another flight to New Delhi.

The pilot of the flight, scheduled to depart at 12.45 pm, later refused to fly the aircraft in the sky marshal's absence.

"We have arrested the sky marshal and a criminal case has been registered against him," said Ashiq Hussain Bukhari, senior superintendent of police, central Budgam district.

Armed marshals are posted on aircraft operating on the Srinagar-New Delhi route as a security measure.