Girl claims she was fondled on airliner
Ten-year-old was flying Northwest alone to Detroit
By Norman Sinclair / The Detroit News
DETROIT – Concerns over children flying alone on commercial airlines grew more urgent this week after a 10-year-old girl reported that she was sexually fondled on a Northwest Airlines flight from Kansas City to Detroit.
The passenger who sat in the seat next to the girl on the Aug. 4 flight, Thuluva Ravichandra, 28, has been charged in federal court with knowingly engaging in sexual contact with a 10-year-old female.
Ravichandra, a native of Bombay, India, was ordered held without bond pending an investigation by the FBI and a possible felony indictment on the charge. A computer consultant in Kansas City, Ravichandra was returning home through Detroit Metropolitan Airport to Amsterdam and on to Bombay.
The girl told her mother and stepfather at Metro Airport about the alleged assault, according to an affidavit filed by FBI agent Terry Booth. She told them immediately upon her arrival that the man in the seat next to hers had fondled her. She said she was too scared on the plane to tell anyone what was happening.
The man continued to bother her even after she slapped his hand away, the girl told her parents.
The girl’s stepfather reported her claims to Northwest officials, who called the airport police. The 10-year-old pointed out Ravichandra as he waited at a gate to catch the next flight to Amsterdam, Booth said in the document.
In an interview with Booth and airport police, Ravichandra denied the allegations. He said he twice put his hand on the girl’s thigh to comfort her during take-off and during the flight when the airplane bounced in turbulent air.
If convicted of the charge, Ravichandra could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison or a $250,000 fine or both, U.S. Attorney Alan M. Gershel said.
In a written statement, Northwest said it is saddened by the incident and pledged to continue to work with the authorities on the investigation. “The transportation of unaccompanied minors is a responsibility that is carried out with utmost care and concern by Northwest Airlines,” the statement read.
In the last four weeks, four children traveling alone have been misplaced or caught the wrong connecting flights.
You can reach Norman Sinclair at (313) 222-2103 or [email protected].