A 36-year-old Indian-origin man was charged for allegedly sexually assaulting a fellow passenger on a domestic flight in the United States, federal officials said on Tuesday.
Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla, who was on a flight from Montana to Texas, has been accused of "abusive sexual contact," Montana federal prosecutor Kurt Alme said in a statement on April 3.
"Shukla, of Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey, was charged in a one-count indictment with abusive sexual contact in special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. If convicted, Shukla faces two years of imprisonment, a USD 250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release," the statement said.
The FBI, ICE and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Police conducted the investigation, the statement said.
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The man who was charged with the alleged crime is scheduled to be arraigned on April 17, 2025
The indictment alleges that on January 26, 2025, on board an American Airlines flight from Bozeman to Dallas, Shukla engaged in sexual contact with another person without that other person’s permission, PTI reported.
The US Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
Accused touched victim's thighs, butts inappropriately
{{/usCountry}}The US Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
Accused touched victim's thighs, butts inappropriately
{{/usCountry}}In an affidavit filed in the Montana federal court, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent Chad McNiven said that during a January 26 flight from Belgrade, Montana, to Dallas, Texas, the accused allegedly touched the woman inappropriately on two occasions.
McNiven said that the alleged victim told the FBI that he first touched “her thighs, butt, and lower back area” and stopped when she protested, news agency IANS reported.
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The victim then went to the washroom but when she returned, the accused allegedly “rubbed” her in those areas and her vagina using his coat to try to hide his action, media reports said.
The alleged assault was corroborated by another passenger, the agent said, adding that the victim then texted her husband about the assault, and he called the FBI and the airport police.
(with PTI inputs)