Man charged in Australia with sexually assaulting woman on Scoot flight from Singapore to Perth
Calista Wong
The Straits Times
April 15, 2026
A man was charged in Australia on April 14 with sexually assaulting another passenger on board a Scoot flight bound for Perth from Singapore.
In a statement on its website, the Australian Federal Police said the 52-year-old man committed “non-consensual sexual acts” on a woman seated next to him during the April 13 flight.
She then sought help from airline staff, and was moved to another seat.
Airline staff monitored the man for the remainder of the flight and alerted the Australian Federal Police. He was escorted off the plane for questioning after it touched down at Perth Airport.
The man, identified as Sudhir Kumar Chauhuan by Australian daily The West Australian, was remanded in custody ahead of a further appearance on April 17, reported news site News.com.au.
He is charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of an act of indecency without consent.
The offence of sexual intercourse without consent carries a maximum penalty of 12 years behind bars, while indecency without consent carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.
In response to queries, a spokesperson for Scoot said on April 15 that the carrier — the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines — is aware of the incident, which occurred on board Flight TR16.
The flight took off from Singapore at about 3am and landed in Perth at about 8am.
“The passenger involved was handed over to the relevant authorities upon arrival in Perth,” the spokesperson said.
Australian Federal Police Acting Superintendent Peter Brindal said the force has zero tolerance for criminal behaviour on aircraft or within Australian airports.
“Every passenger has the right to feel safe when travelling, especially when confined in an aircraft close to other passengers,” he said.
He urged anyone subjected to unwanted contact to alert the authorities — airline staff, the police or airport security — as soon as it is safely possible to do so.
“No act of indecency on an aircraft or at an airport is appropriate, and any travellers who break the law will be dealt with swiftly.”
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