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A man accused of sexual offenses during a flight to Australia made an unusual bail request to be housed in a shared Airbnb, according to recent court proceedings.
Sudhir Kumar Chauhan, 52, appeared before Perth Magistrates Court on Friday facing one charge of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault. The alleged incident took place on April 13 aboard Scoot Airlines flight TR16, traveling from Singapore to Perth, while Chauhan was visiting for work from Mumbai.
Prosecutors explained that Chauhan was seated in an aisle seat within a three-seat row, with the alleged victim in the center seat and an unrelated passenger by the window. None of the three knew each other prior to the flight.
It was alleged that Chauhan used a blanket to conceal his actions, draping it over his hand and the woman’s legs as he assumed she had fallen asleep. However, the woman remained awake during the incident, which authorities say lasted more than 10 minutes. The conduct reportedly stopped only when cabin crew passed by or the woman made it clear she was awake.
During the hearing, Chauhan’s lawyer revealed that a three-month Airbnb rental had been secured as part of his bail proposal. The property reportedly had eight bedrooms, communal spaces, and was available to other guests. The defense also proposed strict bail conditions, including a daily curfew from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., surrendering his passport, and remaining within Western Australia.
The magistrate rejected the bail request, deeming the shared Airbnb arrangements “highly unsuitable” and describing them as “too uncertain and too obscure.” Chauhan was remanded in custody at Hakea Prison, located south of Perth, and is due to appear again via video link on July 10.