He Claimed He Was Sleeping, Then Things Got Disturbingly Creepy on a Flight From Montana

If you’ve ever been on a flight and felt uneasy sitting next to a stranger, this story will hit  close to home. A man from New Jersey, Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla, just pleaded guilty after seriously disturbing behavior on a plane flying out of Bozeman, Montana.

This wasn’t just uncomfortable. It was predatory. And scary.

Shukla admitted to abusive sexual contact during the flight from Bozeman to Dallas, an incident that took place on January 26, 2025, aboard an American Airlines plane. He now faces up to 2 years in prison, a possible $250,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release.

It Started With a Coat and Got Worse

According to court records, the flight started like any other. Shukla was seated next to a woman and her daughter. Jane Doe (as she’s referred to in court) had a coat on her lap to keep warm. Shukla placed his coat over his own lap, pretended to fall asleep, and then started rubbing Jane Doe’s left leg near her hip.

At first, she thought he might be trying to pick her pocket. But then it continued. She and her daughter went to the restroom to get away, trying to shake off the weird encounter.

“Stop Touching Me”

Sadly, it didn’t stop there. Shukla resumed rubbing her inner and outer thigh as the flight continued. Doe finally turned to him and told him, “stop touching me.” Shukla apologized and awkwardly tried to offer her something from his bag. He then turned his attention to her daughter, prompting Doe to shut it down quickly with, “she’s fine. Don’t talk to my daughter.”

She Turned Away, He Kept Going

When the plane hit turbulence and the flight crew had to remain seated, Doe tried to protect herself by turning her back to him. That’s when Shukla started rubbing her lower back and buttocks.

READ MORE: Four Letters No Montanan Wants to See on Their Boarding Pass

A witness sitting behind the row confirmed the entire thing, saying Shukla inappropriately touched Jane Doe for a large portion of the flight.

Justice Is Coming

Shukla’s guilty plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto, and U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen will handle sentencing on November 19, 2025. In the meantime, Shukla remains in custody.

A Reminder to Speak Up

What happened to Jane Doe is disturbing, but her courage, and the fact that a witness came forward, made all the difference. For anyone traveling, we don’t expect this kind of thing and this is a jarring reminder that safety and awareness are vital, even at 30,000 feet.

If something feels off, it probably is. Speak up, move seats, alert the flight crew, do whatever it takes. No one should feel unsafe in such a confined, inescapable space.

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Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Brian Lowney prosecuted the case, while the FBI, ICE, and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Police conducted the investigation.