A 52-year-old Indian man has been arrested and charged after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman sitting next to him on a flight to Australia, the Australian Federal Police said.
The man, identified by the West Australian newspaper as Sudhir Kumar Chahuan was on a Scoot Airlines flight from Singapore to Perth on Monday when the alleged incident happened. Police said, Chauhan, who is Indian, committed “non-consensual sexual acts” during the flight, according to The New York Post.
What happened on the flight
The woman informed the cabin crew about him, and they moved her to another seat. Airline staff then kept an eye on the man for the rest of the journey and informed authorities before landing. The flight took off from Singapore at around 3am and landed in Perth at about 8am, according to a Scoot Airlines spokesperson.
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Federal police boarded the plane after it landed and took the man to an interview room and arrested him. “The passenger involved was handed over to the relevant authorities upon arrival in Perth,” the airline said, according to The Independent.
Charges and what authorities said
Chahuan was taken to the Perth Magistrates Court where he was charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent which can lead to up to 12 years in prison. He also faces multiple counts of indecency without consent which carry a maximum sentence of seven years. He has been kept in custody and his next hearing is set for Friday.
The case is being investigated by the Australian Federal Police along with the Western Australia sex assault squad, as per The Independent.
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AFP Acting Superintendent Peter Brindal said there is zero tolerance for such behavior. “Every passenger has the right to feel safe when travelling, especially when confined in an aircraft close to other passengers,” he said in a statement.
“Anyone subjected to unwanted contact is encouraged to alert the authorities, be it airline staff, the AFP or airport security, as soon as it is safely possible to do so. No act of indecency on an aircraft or at an airport is appropriate, and any travelers who break the law will be dealt with swiftly,” he added.
