A 52-year-old Indian businessman has been remanded in custody after being accused of sexually assaulting a fellow passenger during a flight from Singapore to Perth.
Sudhir Kumar Chauhan was taken into custody upon landing at Perth Airport on Monday and later charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault linked to the incident aboard Scoot Airlines flight TR16.
The Perth Magistrates Court heard Chauhan had been seated in the aisle, next to the alleged victim in the middle seat, with another unrelated passenger by the window. Prosecutors allege Chauhan believed the woman was asleep and used a blanket to conceal his actions while assaulting her for more than 10 minutes. The incident is said to have ended only after a flight attendant approached or the woman indicated she was awake.
Chauhan’s legal team sought bail, proposing he stay at an Airbnb property under strict conditions, including a curfew, surrendering his passport, and remaining within Western Australia. However, prosecutors opposed the application, arguing the shared nature of the accommodation posed an unacceptable risk given the circumstances of the alleged offending.
The magistrate rejected the bail bid, describing the proposed living arrangements as unsuitable and the charges as extremely serious. Chauhan was remanded in custody and is scheduled to reappear in court via videolink from Hakea Prison on July 10.
Image credit: Kateryna Hliznitsova
And National want to import this here via this dodgy deal with India?…no thanks………
He was charged with one count of sexual intercourse. How the hell did he manage that while jammed in by the seating arrangements of a low cost airline?
This all supposedly took place on a Singapore registered aircraft whilst possibly not even flying above Australian airspace.
Perhaps legal buffs can chime in as to whether this man should be facing charges in Singapore or Australia.
Australia as its the port of destination and yeah how did he manage it?
Send him back to Singapore, for a few swishes of the Ratan cane, and a nice stay in Changi fighting the cockroaches and his fellow inmates for his weetbix
Pull your head in and calm down. I believe this man is innocent until proven guilty. If you do not agree then you agree you are guilty before being proven innocent.
I find it impossible to believe a rape took place in such a crowded and close seated space without consent.
Placing your hand on someone’s leg and moving it up to her private parts without a word from the alleged victim is unlikely. Moreover, clitoris stimulated is pleasant right?
Yet this man is already serving time in prison and his life is forever destroyed.
I do not for a single moment believe a jury would agree on a guilty verdict. Yet this woman upon a not guilty verdict will not face equal justice.
It is more likely this women is capitalising on a consensual experience. I suspect an award against the airline is in the balance, if it hasn’t been offered already.
There is a significant number of women who will move in with a man just because of money. There are women who will go only fans only for money.
Boys, protect yourself from fraud. Set up trusts managed by professionals. Make sure prenup’s are annually confirmed as current.
Can’t wait to hear the women howl about this post.