Passenger Accused of Sexually Assaulting Woman Sitting Next to Him on Flight

A disturbing mid-air incident has led to an arrest after a passenger allegedly assaulted a woman during an international flight—triggering a swift response from crew and authorities.

Sudhir Kumar Chahuan, 52, has been taken into custody after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman seated next to him on a Scoot Airlines flight traveling from Singapore to Perth, Australia.

According to the Australian Federal Police, the incident happened during the flight on Monday. The woman quickly alerted flight attendants after the alleged attack, and crew members immediately moved her to a different seat for her safety.

From that point on, airline staff closely monitored Chahuan for the remainder of the flight while authorities were notified ahead of landing.

When the plane touched down in Perth, officers were waiting.

Chahuan was removed from the aircraft and arrested on the spot. He is now facing serious charges, including sexual intercourse without consent and multiple counts of indecency without consent.

Officials say he is currently being held in custody and is scheduled to appear for a bail hearing on Friday.

Authorities are emphasizing that incidents like this will be taken seriously—especially in confined spaces like airplanes where passengers have little ability to escape.

“Every passenger has the right to feel safe when traveling, especially when confined in an aircraft close to other passengers,” an Australian Federal Police spokesperson said in a statement.

They also urged anyone who experiences unwanted contact during a flight to report it immediately to crew members or airport authorities.

So far, Scoot Airlines has not publicly commented on the incident.