A 36-year-old Indian-origin man who was arrested at the airport for sexually harassing a female passenger aboard a plane has been charged with the crime. Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla is facing charges of “abusive sexual contact” and is scheduled to appear before a court on April 17. The incident took place on an American Airlines flight from Montana to Texas.
The airport police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Shukla at the airport following a complaint filed by the victim’s husband. He was arrested in New Jersey, where he resides, and will be transferred to Montana to face legal proceedings.
‘Charged with abusive sexual contact’
“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,” Montana federal prosecutor Kurt Alme said in a statement on April 3.
He added that if convicted, he could face up to two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a minimum of five years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Police.
‘Touched thighs, butt and lower back’
In an affidavit submitted to the Montana federal court, FBI Special Agent Chad McNiven stated that Shukla inappropriately touched the woman twice during the flight from Bozeman to Dallas on January 26.
The complaint says that Shukla first touched her “thighs, butt, and lower back”, stopping only after she protested.
The victim then used the washroom on the plane. When she returned, he repeated the act and this time, he also touched her vagina while attempting to conceal the act with his coat.
A fellow passenger reportedly witnessed the incident. Shukla, at the time of his arrest, claimed he did not speak English, although the complaint notes he had conversed in English with the woman and her daughter during the flight.
(With inputs from agencies)