Cabin crew member of Air India allegedly assaulted in her London hotel room

An Air India crew member was reportedly assaulted by an intruder inside her hotel room in London where she was staying, a statement by the airline said on Aug 18.

According to the statement, the incident occurred at the Radisson Red Hotel at Heathrow in London. A police investigation is underway.

The woman was sleeping when a homeless man barged into the hotel room, news agency PTI reported. When she woke up, the man allegedly physically assaulted her and hit her with a clothes hanger before dragging her to the floor.

As per reports, her colleagues came to her rescue after she screamed for help and tried to run out of the room.

The perpetrator was arrested while the crew member was taken to hospital following the incident.

"We are deeply anguished by an unlawful incident of intrusion at a hotel, operated by a major international chain, that affected one of our crew members," a spokesperson for Air India was quoted as saying.

It further said that immediate assistance and professional counselling are being provided to help her and her colleagues cope with the traumatic event.

"We are providing all possible support to our colleague and their broader team, including professional counselling. Air India is also working with the local police to pursue the matter to the fullest extent of the law, and with the hotel management to ensure such incidents are not repeated," the airline statement said.

There has been no comment from the airline on reports suggesting she was sexually assaulted.

Congress leader Manish Tewari has called the incident "very disturbing" while alleging that Air India "deliberately put the cabin crew at risk" by not addressing the safety issues.

"The news report about the sexual assault on an Air India Crew Member in London is very disturbing. What makes it even more galling is that the cabin crew had been repeatedly complaining about the lack of security in the hotel in London, inadequate lighting and the dark spaces in the London Hotel (sic)," he wrote on X.

Air India has requested to maintain the privacy of the crew members as the matter is currently under investigation by London police.

The airline confirmed that it is cooperating with local authorities to ensure that the unfortunate incident is thoroughly probed.