Indian-Origin Individual Faces Charges for In-Flight Sexual Assault in the US
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Synopsis
An Indian-origin man, Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla, faces serious charges of sexual assault aboard a flight from Montana to Texas. The incident has garnered significant attention, and Shukla is set to appear in court on April 17.
Key Takeaways
- Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla charged with in-flight sexual assault.
- Incident occurred on a flight from Montana to Texas.
- Shukla's court appearance is scheduled for April 17.
- Victim reported the assault via text to her husband.
- Another passenger corroborated the victim's account.
New York, April 8 (NationPress) An individual of Indian descent has been charged with sexual assault aboard a flight, as per US federal authorities.
Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla is alleged to have engaged in "abusive sexual contact" during a journey from Montana to Texas, as stated by Montana federal prosecutor Kurt Alme last week.
Shukla is scheduled to appear in court on April 17.
He was apprehended in New Jersey, his residence, and consented to be transferred to Montana for the legal proceedings.
Court records reviewed by IANS indicated that Shukla, 36, was taken into custody after the victim's husband alerted law enforcement when she sent him a text message regarding the incident.
Upon receiving this information, he was intercepted by airport police.
In an affidavit submitted to the Montana federal court, FBI Special Agent Chad McNiven reported that during the flight from Belgrade, Montana, to Dallas, Texas, on January 26, Shukla purportedly inappropriately touched the woman on two separate occasions.
McNiven stated that the victim recounted to the FBI that he first touched “her thighs, butt, and lower back area” and ceased when she objected.
However, upon her return from the restroom, he allegedly “rubbed” her in those regions and her vagina using his coat to conceal his actions, according to the police report.
Another passenger corroborated the alleged assault, McNiven noted.
He mentioned that the victim texted her husband about the incident, prompting him to contact the FBI and airport authorities.
When questioned by police, Shukla claimed not to understand English, despite having conversed with the woman and her daughter in English, as per McNiven.
However, when he appeared in federal court in New Jersey post-arrest, a Gujarati interpreter was utilized, as indicated in a court document.
