AUCKLAND- New Zealand’s lucrative market for foreign students is under the spotlight after a group of Indian students say they were assaulted, ripped off and forced to fly in unsafe conditions at a Palmerston North flight school. ONE News was first contacted a year and a half ago by a desperate group of Indian students who said they were being physically abused by their flight instructor, who also had control of their accommodation and their visas. The students at Wings Flight Training Academy say they were assaulted by their chief instructor Ravindra Pal Singh who would hit them while they were flying, causing them to lose control. “He hit me… and banged me on the aircraft window,” one of the students told ONE News. When approached, Singh denied the allegations, but on Friday, he was found guilty of assaulting two students. Threeothers also say they were assaulted. “I was bleeding like anything and my shirt was full of blood and I told him, ‘Sir, I cannot fly’. And he was like, ‘No, no, no, I want you to fly right now’,” said a student.Three of Singh’s students were certified medically unfit to fly due to
stress. One tried to commit suicide. “He has mentally tortured us so much, we don’t concentrate on flying studies, we are scared of him,” said student Arjun Ghai. The Civil Aviation Authoritygrounded three of Wings’ planes, finding loose nuts, missing screws and outdated maps. It also cancelled Singh’s pilot license, and Wings flight school has been liquidated. Most of the students have returned to India, but without their qualifications and without a refund of their fees. In the Palmerston North DistrictCourt , Judge Jennifer Binns said she believed the students’ version of events and Ravindra Pal Singh, 65, had put hisown “gloss” on what happened. He was found guilty on two charges of common
assault. Singh will be sentenced on the assault charges next year. AUCKLAND- New Zealand’s lucrativemarket for foreign students is underthe spotlight after a group of Indian studentssay they were assaulted, ripped offand forced to fly in unsafe conditions ata Palmerston North flight school.ONE News was first contacted ayear and a half ago by a desperate groupof Indian students who said they werebeing physically abused by their flightinstructor, who also had control of theiraccommodation and their visas.The students at Wings FlightTraining Academy say they were assaultedby their chief instructor Ravindra PalSingh who would hit them while theywere flying, causing them to lose control.”He hit me… and banged me on theaircraft window,” one of the studentstold ONE News.When approached, Singh denied theallegations, but on Friday, he was foundguilty of assaulting two students. Threeothers also say they were assaulted.”I was bleeding like anything and myshirt was full of blood and I told him,’Sir, I cannot fly’. And he was like, ‘No,no, no, I want you to fly right now’,” saida student.Three of Singh’s students werecertified medically unfit to fly due tostress. One tried to commit suicide.”He has mentally tortured us somuch, we don’t concentrate on flyingstudies, we are scared of him,” said studentArjun Ghai.The Civil Aviation Authoritygrounded three of Wings’ planes, findingloose nuts, missing screws and outdatedmaps. It also cancelled Singh’s pilotlicense, and Wings flight school has beenliquidated.Most of the students have returnedto India, but without their qualificationsand without a refund of their fees.In the Palmerston North DistrictCourt , Judge Jennifer Binns said shebelieved the students’ version of eventsand Ravindra Pal Singh, 65, had put hisown “gloss” on what happened. He wasfound guilty on two charges of commonassault.Singh will be sentenced on theassault charges next year.
