New York– A man of Indian origin has been charged with sexual assault on a domestic flight in the United States, according to federal authorities.
Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla has been accused of “abusive sexual contact” during a flight from Montana to Texas, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Kurt Alme said in a statement released last week.
Shukla is scheduled to appear in a Montana court on April 17.
He was arrested in New Jersey, where he resides, and agreed to be transferred to Montana to face charges.
According to court documents reviewed by IANS, the 36-year-old was taken into custody after the alleged victim’s husband contacted law enforcement. The woman had texted her husband during the flight to report the incident.
Based on the tip, authorities met the flight upon arrival and detained Shukla at the airport.
In an affidavit filed in federal court in Montana, FBI Special Agent Chad McNiven stated that the alleged incident occurred on January 26 during a flight from Belgrade, Montana, to Dallas, Texas. Shukla is accused of inappropriately touching the woman on two separate occasions.
According to McNiven, the victim reported that Shukla initially touched her “thighs, buttocks, and lower back area,” stopping only after she objected. After she returned from a visit to the restroom, she alleged that he again touched her, this time rubbing her in the same areas and her genital area, using his coat in an attempt to conceal his actions.
McNiven also stated that another passenger corroborated the woman’s account of the incident.
The woman texted her husband about the assault, prompting him to contact both the FBI and airport police.
When confronted by authorities, Shukla initially claimed he did not speak English—despite having conversed in English with both the woman and her daughter during the flight, McNiven noted.
Following his arrest in New Jersey, Shukla appeared in federal court with the assistance of a Gujarati interpreter, according to court records. (Source: IANS)
