A pilot working with a private charter aviation company has been accused of raping a 26-year-old cabin crew member during an overnight stay at a Bengaluru hotel. The incident allegedly took place on November 18, though the survivour reported the matter only after she reached Hyderabad two days later. Police have now transferred the FIR to Bengaluru’s Halasuru Police Station, which has jurisdiction over the case.

According to the complaint filed at Begumpet Police Station, the survivour said the accused, identified as 60-year-old Rohit Saran, approached her near his hotel room under the pretext of stepping out for a smoke. She alleged that he then forcibly pulled her inside the room and raped her. At the time, the flight crew had checked into the five-star hotel for rest after arriving from Begumpet in Hyderabad and Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh.

Investigators said the chartered aircraft had departed from Hyderabad on a business trip with stops in Puttaparthi and Chennai before landing in Bengaluru, where the crew had an overnight halt scheduled. The three staff members two pilots and the cabin crew member were expected to return to Puttaparthi on November 19.

The survivour approached her employer immediately after reaching Begumpet on November 20 and then filed a complaint at the local police station. Officers registered a Zero FIR an FIR accepted irrespective of the location of the crime under Section 63 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police then forwarded the case to Bengaluru authorities for further action.

Bengaluru Police Take Over Pilot Assault Case

Confirming the transfer, a Begumpet official said, “A case under relevant sections of the BNS has been registered and transferred to Halasuru Police Station in Bengaluru for investigation.” Another officer reiterated the process, stating, “After returning to Hyderabad, the crew member reported the incident here and we registered a case and it was transferred to Halasuru police station in Bengaluru. They are investigating the case.”

Inspector P. Saidulu, citing the survivour’s statement, noted that the pilot “violated the crew member in the hotel room.” Bengaluru police have now taken over the inquiry and are examining evidence linked to the hotel stay.

The allegations come amid increasing scrutiny of sexual assault cases involving aviation personnel. In an unrelated case reported in July 2025, a foreign airline employee was arrested at Mumbai airport moments before boarding a Hong Kong flight after allegedly raping a 23-year-old air hostess at his Mira Road residence.

Separately, police in Gujarat are investigating a disturbing incident involving a Class 2 student. The child told her parents that an unidentified man assaulted her twice on her school campus, first on November 19 and again the following day, when he allegedly injected something into her arm and threatened to kill her if she spoke about it. Police are currently trying to trace the suspect.