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| ETIHAD AIRBUS A380-861 A6-APE (MSN 191) |
An Etihad Airways passenger was accused of exposing himself and performing an inappropriate act during a flight from Abu Dhabi (AUH/OMAA) to Boston (BOS/KBOS) last Monday. He has since been charged with one count of lewd and appeared in federal court this week.
Flight attendants reportedly had to intervene twice during the flight to stop the unruly passenger, before law enforcement was involved. As a result, he faces a several thousand dollar fine and other penalties
According to the US Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, 39-year-old Krishna Kunapuli was arrested on Monday. Kunapuli, from India, was traveling on EY7 from Zayed International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport. Data from FlightAware shows that the flight, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, departed from AUH at 03:15 on Monday. Charging documents accuse Kunapuli of making unwanted sexual advances toward female passengers onboard the nearly 14-hour flight. According to resources, Kunapuli was seated in seat 38A by the window. Around four hours into the flight, he spotted an unidentified woman in seat 44G on the aisle, with no one seated next to her. Kunapuli wandered down the aisle, allegedly touched the woman, and took pictures of her without permission. A crew member then intervened, prompting Kunapuli to return to his seat.
Documents also allege that two male passengers seated near Kunapuli noticed him performing an inappropriate act under a blanket. However, it was also alleged that Kunapuli was seen with his genitalia fully exposed. One of the passengers reported his conduct to a flight attendant, who then intervened and notified law enforcement.