Flight horror as man accused of raping woman next to him and using blank to hide 'attack'

A man accused of raping a woman on a flight to Australia sensationally asked to be released on bail to a shared Airbnb property, a court has heard. Sudhir Kumar Chauhan, 52, appeared before Perth Magistrates Court on Friday, charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault.

The alleged attack is said to have taken place on April 13 aboard Scoot Airlines flight TR16 from Singapore to Perth, as Chauhan travelled from Mumbai on a short business trip. Prosecutors told the court Chauhan was sitting in the aisle seat of a three-person row, with the alleged victim in the middle and another passenger by the window. All three were strangers. The court heard Chauhan allegedly used a blanket to conceal his actions, placing it over his hand and the woman’s lap as he believed she was asleep. However, the woman was awake during the alleged assault, which prosecutors said lasted more than 10 minutes.