Indian-origin Delta pilot arrested 10 minutes after landing in San Francisco

A Delta Airlines co-pilot was arrested moments after landing at San Francisco International Airport over the weekend, in connection with alleged child sexual assault charges.

The Indian-origin suspect, Rustom Bhagwagar, 34, was taken into custody by agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and deputies from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.

The arrest occurred just 10 minutes after Delta Flight 2809, a Boeing 757-300 from Minneapolis, touched down at SFO.

According to eyewitnesses, at least 10 federal and local officers boarded the aircraft immediately after it arrived at the gate, moved quickly through the cabin, and entered the cockpit.

There, Bhagwagar was handcuffed and escorted off the plane while passengers were still preparing to disembark.

One passenger told the San Francisco Chronicle: “The officers were pushing their way through the aisle with badges, guns, and different agency vests. They went straight into the cockpit and took him out in cuffs.”

Authoritiessaid Bhagwagar’s co-pilot was unaware of the impending arrest, a precaution taken to prevent any chance of tipping off the suspect.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Bhagwagar had been under investigation since April 2025, following a report involving suspected crimes against a child. A Ramey arrest warrant — issued before formal charges — was later secured.

According to a statement posted on the sheriff’s official Facebook page, Bhagwagar is facing five felony counts of oral copulation with a child under the age of 10. He is currently being held at the Martinez Detention Facility, with bail set at $5 million.

In a statement to the media, Delta Air Lines said: “Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful conduct and is fully cooperating with law enforcement. The individual in question has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.”