Indian man in Sydney court for groping teenage schoolgirls on Bangkok-Sydney flight

Sydney, July 1(ANI): A 65-year-old Indian man's case, where he has been charged of groping two teenage schoolgirls on a flight from Bangkok to Sydney, was heard in the Sydney District Court.

The court heard that Sudhamoy Bandyopadhyay waited until the two girls were asleep before groping them on a Thai Airways flight in January.

The girls were part of a student group returning from a trip to Italy.

Seated behind a 16-year-old girl, Bandyopadhyay allegedly leant forward and listened to her breathing until he knew she was asleep before reaching around and groping her right breast, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Another girl, seated next to the 16-year-old girl, claims that she woke up when she felt a "stroking motion" against her left breast, which she alleges was the back of Bandyopadhyay's hand.

The students had reported the incidents to a teacher after which Bandyopadhyay was charged with two counts of indecent assault under the Crimes Aviation Act.

Meanwhile, Bandyopadhyay has pleaded not guilty, and told the jury that he had been uncomfortable on the flight and was leaning forward to alleviate pain from an abdominal tumour. (ANI)