Chennai Politicians Arrested for Harassing Air Hostess
In Chennai, a DMK councillor and an AIADMK functionary have been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing an air hostess. The incident, involving members of the state's two main political parties, has intensified local debates about public safety and the accountability of political figures.
The DMK councillor has been identified as Prabhakaran, who represents Ward 6 in the Tiruvallur Municipality. He and the AIADMK functionary, Thiyagu, were allegedly intoxicated when they misbehaved with the cabin crew member on a flight from Chennai to Delhi. The incident occurred while the air hostess was serving snacks to the passengers. Following a complaint from the victim, a case was registered at the All Women Police Station in Meenambakkam, which has jurisdiction over the Chennai airport area. Police took both politicians into custody at the Chennai airport when they returned. Authorities are now in the process of reviewing CCTV footage from the aircraft and collecting statements from other passengers and crew members who may have witnessed the event. The arrests have drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. Former BJP state president K Annamalai highlighted the incident on social media, adding Prabhakaran's name to a list of DMK members facing legal trouble and questioning the ruling party's commitment to upholding the state's pride. This case is the latest in a series of incidents where DMK and AIADMK party members have faced accusations of harassment and other crimes, fueling ongoing political debates about the conduct of elected officials in Tamil Nadu. Despite such high-profile cases, data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has previously indicated that Chennai has one of the lowest crime rates against women among major Indian cities. For instance, in 2020, Chennai's crime rate against women was 13.4 per 100,000 population, significantly lower than cities like Delhi (129.1) and Lucknow (190.7).
