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U.S. court convicts Indian national for in flight assault
The sentencing has been scheduled for May 7, 2026.
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Anushka Pathak - Mon, 02, Feb 2026
- 14:55 EST
- 19
Courier in international elder fraud scheme sentenced after jury conviction in U.S. / IANS
An Indian national was convicted by a federal jury in the United States on charges of abusive sexual contact and assault committed aboard a commercial aircraft, court records showed.
The jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found Varun Arora, 38, an Indian national residing in Irving, Texas, guilty on Jan. 29 following a trial.
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The conviction stemmed from an incident on August 29, 2024, aboard American Airlines Flight 1759, which was traveling from T.F. Green International Airport in Rhode Island to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. The offenses occurred while the aircraft was in flight, placing the case under federal jurisdiction.
According to court documents and trial evidence, Arora was seated in an aisle seat in row 20, next to a woman in the center seat who fell asleep during the flight. As the aircraft approached its destination, the woman awoke to find Arora touching her between her legs near her genital area. Arora was wearing a sleep mask and appeared to pretend to be asleep while maintaining the contact.
The woman immediately grabbed his hand and pushed it away, then moved as far from him as possible in the confined seating area. Despite this, Arora continued attempting to place his hand on her, prosecutors said.
Arora was charged with abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft in flight and simple assault aboard an aircraft in flight. After deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts.
Sentencing has been scheduled for May 7, 2026. Arora remains in custody pending the sentencing hearing.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Department of Justice said the conviction addressed criminal conduct within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, which includes aircraft in flight.
The Eastern District of Virginia, which covers Reagan National Airport, regularly handles federal cases involving crimes at transportation hubs and aboard interstate or international flights.
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