An Indian-origin doctor has been arrested in the US for allegedly exposing himself on a flight and performing a lewd act next to a teenage girl last year. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, was arrested on Thursday and charged by complaint with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the US, as per the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.
Mohanty is an internal medicine and primary care doctor. He was released following an initial appearance in a federal court in Boston on certain conditions, a press release said.
What happened on the flight?
Last year in May, Mohanty was travelling with a female companion on a flight from Honolulu to Boston. He was seated next to a 14-year-old girl who was travelling with her grandparents. The teenager later found Mohanty masturbating halfway through the flight and moved to an emxpty seat in a different row for the rest of the flight. She informed her family members about the incident after getting down at Boston. After this the law enforcement was notified.
“Everyone, especially children, has the absolute right to not be exposed to lewd conduct when they are travelling,” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S Levy said.
Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Boston Division, Christopher DiMenna called Mohanty’s actions “reprehensible”. The sentence for the charge of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the US, is up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000.
(With PTI inputs)