the girl felt "disgusted and very uncomfortable"
A US Indian doctor was arrested for allegedly exposing himself and masturbating next to a 14-year-old girl on a flight.
Dr Sudipta Mohanty, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was on a 10-hour flight from Hawaii to Boston in May 2022.
The 33-year-old, who works at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, was charged with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts.
Mohanty was flying with a woman and seated next to the girl, who was travelling with her grandparents.
Most passengers were asleep when the girl noticed Mohanty’s leg “bouncing up and down” under a blanket approximately halfway through the Hawaiian Airlines flight.
According to the affidavit, Mohanty pulled the blanket away, exposing himself and continuing to masturbate until ejaculation.
The court heard that the girl felt “disgusted and very uncomfortable” and moved to another seat when the doctor went to the restroom to clean himself.
After landing in Boston, the girl told her family about the incident and the authorities were notified.
When questioned by two FBI agents at his home, Mohanty “appeared visibly nervous in that his hands and voice trembled”.
He denied the allegation, saying: “I have no recollection of that.”
Mohanty and the young woman he was travelling with had been “holding hands and cuddling with each other”.
The affidavit stated: “They were asking each other ‘basic level’ questions such as, ‘What is your favourite colour?’ which (the girl) found strange.”
The doctor appeared in federal court in Boston after being charged.
If convicted, he faces up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000.
Mohanty was released on bail, with conditions that include staying away from people under 18 and any places where they might gather.
A spokesperson for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre said that the hospital is aware of the allegations.
In a statement, the hospital said:
“This individual is on leave and not currently practising at BIDMC.”
“We are unable to comment further on personnel matters.”
Acting US Attorney Joshua Levy said in a statement:
“Everyone, especially children, has the absolute right to not be exposed to lewd conduct when they are travelling.
“If you engage in the type of illicit behaviour alleged here, you will be caught and held accountable wherever it happens.”
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