Fri, Feb 13, 2004
Man Allegedly Assaulted Sleeping Passenger
A Scottsdale, Arizona
man was charged Wednesday in federal court with sexually assaulting
a woman sleeping in the seat next to him aboard a Delta Air Lines
flight.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Kenneth W. Kaiser,
Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in
New England; Colonel Thomas J. Foley, Superintendent of the
Massachusetts State Police, announced Wednesday that Deepak
Jahagirdar, age 53, of Scottsdale, Arizona, was charged in a
two count indictment with sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact
aboard an aircraft.
According to the Indictment and an affidavit filed earlier in
the case, it is alleged that Jahagirdar was seated next to a 22
year old woman on a mid-day flight from Dallas/Fort Worth to Boston
on March 31, 2002. The young woman had fallen asleep during the
flight and awoke to find that Jahagirdar had unbuttoned her pants
and doing unappropriate things. In order to conceal the assault
from other passengers, Jahagirdar had placed a blanket over himself
and the woman, and had put his tray table in the down position.
Jahagirdar was arrested by Massachusetts State Police upon his
arrival at Logan Airport.
Jahagirdar was arrested on the federal charges on January 13,
2004 in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was released after a court
appearance in federal court in Arizona with the condition that he
not travel outside of Arizona and Massachusetts and that he is only
permitted to fly to Massachusetts for court appearances.
Additionally, when Jahagirdar flies, he must purchase the seats
next to him.
Jahagirdar's next court appearance is scheduled for March 4,
2004 at 12:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert B. Collings
in federal district court in Boston. If convicted, he faces a
maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the sexual abuse charge
and a maximum of 3 years in prison on the abusive sexual contact
charge. He also faces a maximum fine of $250,000 on each of the
charges.
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