An Indian-American doctor who was accused of masturbating next to a 14-year-old girl on a plane has been found not guilty by an American court.
Dr Sudipta Mohanty, 33, was cleared of any wrongdoing after a three-day trial in Boston federal court, reported New York Post.
The doctor, a primary care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, was accused of performing the lewd act on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Boston in May 2022.
“My fiance was sitting next to me on that flight, and neither of us can understand why this happened to us,” he said in a written statement as reported by the American newspaper.
“I have dedicated my life to caring for others as a physician, and it has been heartbreaking to step away while I dealt with these false accusations,” the statement added.
The minor, who has not been named, accused him of masturbating, adding that the man had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and that his leg was bouncing up and down.
The girl moved to a nearby empty seat and claimed to have felt “disgusted”.
After the plane landed in Boston, she told her grandparents about her experience and they notified the police.
Had he been convicted, Dr. Sudipta Mohanty could have potentially faced a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, a fine amounting to $5,000, and a year of supervised release.
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