An Indian-origin doctor in the US who had been accused of masturbating next to a 14-year-old girl on a plane was found not guilty on Wednesday. After a three-day trial in a Boston federal court, all charges against him were cleared by a judge.
The incident occurred in May 2022, aboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight. The unnamed teen had accused Dr. Sudipta Mohanty of masturbating until he ejaculated while sitting next to her. The teen claimed that she noticed his actions when his leg-bouncing caused the blanket that he had up to his neck to fall down, revealing his unzipped pants, according to the New York Post.
The case documents revealed that when Dr. Mohanty got up to use the lavatory, the girl moved to an empty seat, feeling disgusted and very uncomfortable. The teen told her grandparents about the incident when she got off the flight, who then informed the police.
Dr. Mohanty is an Indian-origin doctor currently practicing in Boston.
Dr. Mohanty has said that the accusation leveled against him by the minor was shocking and led to a difficult and confusing time for him and his family.
Dr. Mohanty, who had previously worked for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, opted for a bench trial after being indicted in September. Dr. Mohanty claimed that his fiancé had been sitting right next to him, and there had been a dozen passengers around them as well as flight attendants serving passengers. None of them had suspected or even noticed anything wrong going on during the time frame the girl accused him of masturbating.
Dr. Mohanty said in a written statement that his fiancé was sitting next to me on that flight, and neither of us could understand why this happened to us. He has dedicated his life to caring for others as a physician, and it has been heartbreaking to step away while he dealt with these false accusations.
Mohanty's attorney, Claudia Lagos, said in a statement that Dr. Mohanty is a talented and dedicated medical doctor and has no history of wrongdoing whatsoever.
Lagos added that the last six months have been a bizarre nightmare for him, and he is relieved that this is finally over so that he can rebuild his life.
Dr. Mohanty faced up to 90 days in prison, a $5000 fine, and one year of supervised release if he had been convicted.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Komal Bhoi)
