A flight instructor and three trainee pilots were arrested on Tuesday evening for allegedly molesting and threatening three girls at a popular eatery in Saki Naka junction. According to the police, the four have been charged with molestation and criminal intimidation.The arrested accused have been identified as Vilas Naik (61), a retired Indian Airlines pilot and a flight instructor with a private airline, trainee pilots Kedar Maniar (25), Snehal Bhatt (21) and Jay Mehta (21).“Naik and three others were drinking at the Pop Tates restaurant at Saki Naka junction since 4 pm on Tuesday. At the time of the incident at 6.30 pm, all of them were in an inebriated state,” said Senior Police Inspector Yashwant Vhatkar. A group of management students was seated a few tables away from their table. According to the statements given by the girls to the police, Mehta, one of the trainee pilots, approached the girls asking them to join their table.“However, when the girls refused, he insisted again and they got into an argument. One of the trainee pilots pushed the girls and tried to molest them. Naik then allegedly went up to the girls and warned them that if they did not join them over drinks, they would not be able to leave the place alive. The girls immediately called their parents and the restaurant staff informed the police,” said Vhatkar.However, Pop Tates manager Santosh Shetty said though there was an argument between two groups, there was no physical contact.
