A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a flight has requested bail to stay at an Airbnb, but a magistrate deemed the accommodation unsuitable and refused his release.
Sudhir Kumar Chauhan, 52, appeared at Perth Magistrates Court after being charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault. The incident allegedly occurred on April 13 during a Scoot airlines flight TR16 from Singapore to Perth.
The court heard that Chauhan, an Indian national, was travelling on a business trip from Mumbai with a colleague. He was seated 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.
Prosecutors alleged that Chauhan believed the woman was asleep and used a blanket to conceal his hand while touching her inappropriately for over 10 minutes. The woman was awake throughout. The conduct only stopped when a cabin crew member walked past or when the woman made it clear she was awake. Prosecutors said the offending would have continued otherwise.
Chauhan's lawyer proposed bail conditions including surrendering his passport, not leaving the state, and a curfew from 8pm to 7am. He had secured an eight-bedroom Airbnb for three months, where other members of the public could rent rooms.
However, the prosecution opposed bail, arguing that the property posed a risk of further incidents given the nature of the alleged offending. The magistrate refused bail, stating that the proposed residence was "highly unsuitable" and "too uncertain and too obscure."
Chauhan was remanded into custody at Hakea Prison in Western Australia. He will next appear in court on July 10 via video link.
