Sleep mask as cover: Indian man convicted for groping woman on US flight despite resistance

An Indian national has been convicted in the United States for abusive sexual behaviour and assault committed onboard a commercial flight. The accused, Varun Arora (38), who is currently in the US without lawful status, faces a prison term of up to two years. Sentencing is scheduled for May.

According to court records, the incident occurred in August 2024 during the final approach of a flight from Rhode Island International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. A female passenger woke up to find Arora sexually groping her. Despite the woman repeatedly pushing his hand away, Arora continued the act while pretending to be asleep and wearing a sleep mask to conceal his actions.

Evidence presented during the trial showed that the assault continued during the aircraft’s descent, with Arora ignoring the victim’s attempts to stop him. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.