New Delhi: Rustom Bhagwagar, co-pilot of a Delta Air Lines flight, was in for a shock.
Within 10 minutes of Delta flight 2809 landing at San Francisco International Airport from Minneapolis on Sunday, the 34-year-old Bhagwagar was taken into custody on charges of child sexual assault.
Passengers had not started deplaning when agents from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Investigations and Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department officials stormed into the cockpit and took the pilot into custody, USA Today reported.
Witnesses said at least 10 DHS agents boarded the plane soon after the aircraft parked at the gate and took the pilot into custody.
Bhagwagar was identified as a suspect in a case involving five counts of oral copulation with a child under the age of 10 in April.
A Facebook post by the Contra Costa Sheriff says that detectives have been conducting an investigation since April this year after receiving a report of sex crimes against a child. An arrest warrant was secured for the suspect, who happens to be Bhagwagar.
Bhagwagar’s co-pilot said he had no idea about the case, and was surprised by Bhagwagar’s his arrest.
Delta Air Lines said in a statement, obtained by CBS News, that the pilot in question has been suspended as the company has ‘zero tolerance for unlawful conduct’.
“Delta Air Lines is appalled by reports of the charges related to the arrest and the individual in question has been suspended pending an investigation. We will fully cooperate with law enforcement,” the airline said.
Bhagwagar is currently lodged at the Martinez Detention Facility, with a bail set at $5 million.