Indian National Sentenced for Sexual Assault on Bozeman-Dallas Flight

MISSOULA — An Indian national who sexually assaulted a fellow passenger on a flight departing Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport was sentenced to more than eight months in federal prison and will likely be deported following his release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla, 40, of New Jersey, pleaded guilty in July to one count of abusive sexual contact in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen sentenced Shukla on November 20 to time served—approximately eight months—followed by five years of supervised release^1.

The assault occurred on January 26 on an American Airlines flight from Bozeman to Dallas.

Assault Details

According to court documents, Shukla was seated next to a woman and her daughter during the flight. The woman, identified in court records as Jane Doe, had placed a coat on her lap because she was cold.

Shukla initially appeared to be sleeping but began rubbing the victim’s left leg near her hip pocket with his right hand. The victim initially thought Shukla was attempting to pick her pocket and left her seat with her daughter to use the restroom to diffuse the situation.

The unwanted touching continued throughout the flight. Shukla rubbed the victim’s inner and outer thigh repeatedly, prompting her to firmly tell him to “stop touching me.” Shukla apologized and attempted to offer her something from his bag, then tried to engage her daughter in conversation. The victim responded, “she’s fine. Don’t talk to my daughter.”

When turbulence forced flight crew members to remain seated, Shukla continued his assault. The frightened victim turned her back to him, at which point he began rubbing her lower back and buttocks.

A witness seated in the row behind Shukla and the victim confirmed that Shukla inappropriately touched the victim for a large portion of the flight.

Sentencing and Deportation

In addition to his prison sentence, Shukla was ordered to pay a $100 assessment. The court deferred a determination on restitution, and an amended judgment will be entered after that amount is decided.

Shukla’s supervised release will remain “inactive” while he is outside the United States. If he returns to the country, legally or illegally, he must report to the nearest U.S. Probation Office within 72 hours and will be subject to active supervision.

Special conditions of his supervised release include immediately reporting to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and following all their instructions until any deportation proceedings are completed. He must also participate in a psychosexual evaluation, which may include polygraph examinations.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Brian Lowney prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, ICE, and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Police.