A man who managed spend three months living and sleeping in the secure passenger area at Chicago O’Hare International Airport has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the judge presiding over the case.
Aditya Singh, 36, had been charged with felony criminal trespass in a restricted area of an airport following his arrest in January but a Cook County Judge found Singh not guilty without the defense even having to make their case to the court.
Singh arrived in Chicago on a flight from Los Angeles on October 19, 2020, and was meant to get a connecting flight to India. He had been living in the United States for six years where he had gained a masters degree in hospitality management and was due to fly home as his visa for expiring.
But he failed to get on his connecting flight and decided to remain in the airport instead. Singh told prosecutors that the pandemic had made him scared of flying and without anywhere else to go he started to rely on the generosity of strangers to buy food and drink.
After three months of avoiding detection, Singh was challenged by two United Airlines employees who became suspicious. Singh showed them an airport staff ID card that had been reported missing in late October 2020.
Despite having a staff ID card, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) dismissed allegations that Singh may have been able to access secure parts of the airport that members of the public are prohibited from entering.
Mary Steele, a friend of Singh’s, told the Chicago Tribune that he enjoyed speaking to people at the airport about Buddhism and Hinduism and that he hoped to emerge from his experience at the airport “stronger”.
Singh still faces charges relating in an alleged violation of electronic monitoring following his release on bail.
