A second complaint has been made against Cal State Long Beach student Avadhut Dipakrao Chaudhari, saying that he “unlawfully” touched an intimate part of the woman for “sexual arousal.”
According to Ranga Kandala, former president of the Indian Student Association Long Beach (ISALB), friends and family posted a $20,000 bail for Chaudhari. He had been booked for battery due to a reported incident in a university shuttle bus.
The Daily 49er reported on April 18 that Chaudhari allegedly touched a woman’s breast on a shuttle bus in Parking Lot 14B on April 14.
The woman called University Police immediately after she got off of the bus. Chaudhari was arrested and taken to jail. He was released on April 16.
However, when Chaudhari did not appear for his first court hearing on April 29, Judge Ralph R. Olsen issued a bench warrant for his arrest and a new bail at $26,000.
During his May 20 arraignment, a representative for Chaudhari appeared, and got the judge to repeal the warrant and other penalties issued. The next scheduled court hearing is July 1.
This reported assault was the second Chaudhari was charged with. The first alleged incident was reported to have occurred on Dec. 18, 2009, but the woman did not file her case until June 2 after the April 14 case was already filed.
According to the warrant complaint for the Dec. 18 incident, Chaudhari “did willfully and unlawfully touch an intimate part of another … against the will and for the specific purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification and sexual abuse.”
Chaudhari has been a member of ISALB ever since he moved to Long Beach to begin his master’s degree, according to Kandala.
Many negative comments have been made on the Daily 49er’s website regarding the April 14 incident. Kandala said that even if Chaudhari is found guilty, it will not create a negative impact on ISALB as a whole because “this is the first incident ever reported,” he said.
The anonymous comments made on the Daily 49er website implied that India’s cultural differences have played a large part in Chaudhari’s actions, but Kandala said that “any kind of abuse to a woman would not be acceptable in any part of the world. India, being a nation which respects women, is no exception to that.”
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.