United States police arrest Kerala youth for groping sleeping minor in United Airlines flight

A 28-year-old doctor from Kerala has been arrested by the United States police for groping a minor girl sitting beside him in a United Airlines flight bound to New Jersey. While, the accused doctor has denied all allegations.  

U.S. media reported that the 16-year-old girl was travelling alone on July 23 and was asleep on the flight. When a stranger’s hand on her thigh awakened her.

Washington Post reported that the Indian man has been identified as Vijakumar Krishnappa, sitting next to her removed his hand as she woke up.

The newspaper quoting the federal court complaint wrote, the teenager went back to sleep but few minutes after woke up again and founf the man was groping her. 

The newspaper wrote that the girl complained the incident to the airline crew. 

According to the newspaper article the girl on landing at the Newark Liberty Airport called her parents and detailed the incident. On the mean time the accused left the airport. 

The girl’s family has also filed a complaint against the United Airlines for neglecting to detain the accused. 

The incident is being handled by FBI. The agency has charged Krishnappa with criminal sexual contact. 

According to US media reports Krishnappa was charged in the federal court of Newark.

According to media report Krishnappa has been released on bond and has been placed with electronic monitoring. The court has directed him not to contact with minors while the criminal case is pending. 

While, Krishnappa’s court-appointed attorney, John Yauch, told the media that his client “adamantly denies the charges and deserves to be considered an innocent man.”

The doctor's court-appointed attorney, John Yauch, told the Post that his client "adamantly denies the charges and deserves to be considered an innocent man."

Krishnappa is studying medicine in the United States.