Margao, Jan 8 (IANS) Churchill Brothers Football Club chief patron Churchill Alemao wants separate compartments for women and men on board planes - now that his footballers are embroiled in a row over an alleged molestation of an airhostess on a Spice Jet flight.
Churchill Alemao earlier said the cramped interior of a Spice Jet flight could have been one of the reasons for the molestation controversy involving three of his club’s players Tuesday.

“I am writing to Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel to better go for a separate seating arrangement on board airlines like it happens on trains,” Alemao told reporters at a press conference at a South Goa resort Friday.

Earlier in the day, he held a meeting with his sponsors — the makers of Musli Power Xtra ayurvedic aphrodisiac — and officials of a sports marketing agency.

“Men and women should sit separately. What happened to my players can happen to the best sportspersons or politicians,” said Alemao, who is currently Goa’s public works department minister.

“Someone can pay money to the girl and she can shout…It can happen anywhere,” he added.

Churchill Brothers Football Club’s multi-crore endorsement deal pegged at Rs.18 crore for three years with Kerala-based Kunnath Pharmaceuticals — the makers of Musli Power Xtra aphrodisiac — has come under threat after the club’s three top players, including star striker Odafa Okalie from Nigeria, were Tuesday accused of molesting an airhostess aboard a Spice Jet plane at Mumbai.

Following the complaint, the entire 23-member team, which had boarded the aircraft en-route Kolkata to play an I-league game with West Bengal giants Mohun Bagan, was offloaded at Mumbai and criminal charges were filed against the three named.