'Before Judging...': Wife Of Pakistani Man, Who Threatened To Rape Air Hostess, Defends Him
Salman Iftikhar was jailed for 15 months for threatening to rape Virgin Atlantic flight attendant. His supermodel wife, Abeer Rizvi, defended him, citing his mental health issues.
Days after a Pakistan-origin man was jailed for issuing rape threats to a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant, his supermodel wife defended him on social media.
Abeer Rizvi blamed her husband Salman Iftikhar's mental health issues for his abusive behaviour towards the Virgin Atlantic flight attendant during an eight-hour flight in 2023, according to a report in New York Post.
Taking to Instagram, Rizvi wrote on Thursday, 'Mental health is not a joke. Behind every story, there's pain you don't see." 'Before judging, try understanding. Be kind. Be human," she further wrote.
Iftikhar, the founder and director of Staffing Match, a UK-based recruitment company, is married to both Rizvi and Erum Salman, according to the Daily Mail.
Rizvi resides in Pakistan, where she operates a salon and posts glitzy photos of herself on social media to her half-million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
What Happened On Flight?
A father of three and husband to two wives, Iftikhar was travelling in the first-class section on February 7, 2023 when he became enraged after being asked to stop taking ice from the onboard bar.
Iftikhar, who had been consuming champagne as he travelled with his wife Erum Salman and their three children, verbally abused and threatened a flight attendent saying she would be dragged out of her hotel room, gang raped and set on fire.
The entire incident was captured on camera by a co-passenger. The video showed Iftikhar accusing the flight attendant of being a racist. In the video, he was heard saying, 'You called me a Pa-i in front of everybody."
When cabin crew asked him to return to his seat, Iftikhar replied, 'Don't tell me what to do you racist f—ing b–ch. I know where you are from in Cardiff."
Iftikhar was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his outburst on Tuesday during a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court.
The 37-year-old was arrested a year later after the incident, on March 16, 2024 at his home in Iver in England's Buckinghamshire.
The victim, who was present in the court during the hearing, said: 'I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess, and loved my job… I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I've even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me."
About the Author
Manisha Roy
First Published:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
37 minutes ago
- News18
Gurugram: Married man caught masturbating to woman in public nabbed
Agency: Last Updated: August 12, 2025, 00:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Gurugram, Aug 11 (PTI) A 32-year-old assistant manager was arrested for allegedly masturbating to a woman waiting for a cab at Rajiv Chowk on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway, police on Monday said. According to police, Abhilash Kumar is an MTech and works with a private company with an annual package of Rs 14 lakh. The incident happened on August 2, when the woman, who turned out to be an Instagram influencer, was waiting for a cab at Rajiv Chowk after getting off a bus coming from Jaipur. The woman allegedly found the man masturbating while standing in public, made a video of the act, and shared it on social media. After a complaint, police filed a case under sections 75 (2) (sexual harassment), 78 (stalking) of the BNS at the Civil Lines Police Station. Footage from hundreds of CCTV cameras was scoured, and Kumar was arrested, police said. He will be produced in a city court tomorrow. Swipe Left For Next Video View all According to police, Kumar, a native of Haryana's Karnal presently living in Sector 11, Gurugram, was returning home from a parents-teachers meeting at his son's school, when he stopped at the busy intersection and committed the act. The woman earlier claimed that despite sharing the video on X and tagging police and women's welfare bodies, no action was taken. PTI COR VN VN (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments News agency-feeds Gurugram: Married man caught masturbating to woman in public nabbed Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Read More
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Cyber fraudsters exploit Sadakat Khan's name in digital arrest scams
Hyderabad: Cyber fraudsters, suspected to be operating from Cambodia, are allegedly using the name of their former associate Sadakat Khan to target victims from Telangana and other states in digital arrest frauds. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In 2025 alone, at least 10 victims from the state reported that the fraudsters, posing as CBI sleuths, extorted crores of rupees by threatening to arrest them in human trafficking cases linked to Khan. On Nov 6, 2024, immigration officials at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in Delhi had intercepted Sadakat Khan, a native of Sultanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, after he arrived from Dubai based on the look out circular (LOC) issued by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) sleuths. The LOC was issued following a case registered at TGCSB headquarters police station in Hyderabad after a complaint from a woman in Sircilla on April 20, 2024. The complainant alleged that her son, who had completed graduation, was lured by Sadakat Khan and others with a job offer in Cambodia. "Sadakat, through his local associates, had collected 1.4 lakh from the victim on Jan 11, 2024, by offering a computer operator job in Cambodia for $950 monthly salary," a TGCSB investigator. After reaching Cambodia in Jan 2024, the victim was made to work for 16-17 hours per day in a cyber crime factory where over 500 other Indians were also employed. When the victim called his mother and explained his ordeal, she approached TGCSB, and a case was registered. Based on her complaint, Telangana police, through the ministry of external affairs, contacted Cambodian officials, and the victim was rescued. During the interrogation of Sadakat, TGCSB sleuths discovered that he had been working from Dubai as a mediator between India-based job consultants and cyber crime operators in Cambodia. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A few months after his arrest, a new trend has emerged in digital arrest frauds. Fraudsters posing as police and CBI officials began calling victims, threatening to arrest them for alleged links with Sadakat Khan. While most of these cases were reported in Telangana, the use of Sadakat Khan's name in digital arrest cases was also noted in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Almost all the victims were senior citizens, and a victim from Hyderabad lost over 1.1 crore. "We suspect that Cambodia-based gangs, who used to work with Sadakat, have been using his name to dupe victims from Telangana. When offenders posing as cops take his name while executing a digital arrest scam, victims often check it online and see news articles about Sadakat's arrest. Sadakat is currently out on bail in the two human trafficking cases he was accused of," a TGCSB official said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
15 CAs under ICAI lens for facilitating bogus donations to RUPPs
Ahmedabad: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India's (ICAI) Board of Discipline has begun hearing cases against 15-odd Ahmedabad-based chartered accountants (CAs) accused of facilitating fake donations to Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to sources, the income tax (I-T) department in Ahmedabad lodged complaints against the CAs after an investigation revealed that donors allegedly routed money to RUPPs through cheques and later received cash back, minus a commission paid to the parties. During the I-T inquiry, several CAs reportedly admitted to helping facilitate such transactions, said sources. The ICAI's disciplinary hearings began in July in Ahmedabad, with most of the accused denying the allegations, contradictory to their reported admission before the I-T officials. The Board is currently examining evidence from both sides, and the next hearing is expected in Sep. A verdict could be delivered by the end of this financial year, said sources. "If found guilty, the CAs may face suspension from the ICAI's register of members for a certain period, monetary penalties, or both," a source said. The I-T department's probe into RUPPs found that thousands of taxpayers in Gujarat had claimed deductions under Section 80 GGC of the Income Tax Act for donations to political parties. However, searches revealed that many RUPPs returned the donated amounts in cash after deducting commissions, enabling 'donors' to claim tax benefits on amounts they never truly donated. The ICAI said it remains committed to upholding its Code of Ethics and has a defined disciplinary mechanism under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, to take action against members found guilty of professional misconduct.
