Indian-American doctor charged for masturbating in flight sitting beside minor girl

An Indian-American doctor residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts has been arrested for allegedly masturbating in front of a 14-year-old girl seated next to him onboard a flight from Hawaii to Boston in May last year.

In a release, the United States Attorney’s Office said, “Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.”

Mohanty was arrested Thursday and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.

If proven guilty, Mohanty will be sentenced to up to 90 days in prison followed by up to a year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000.

In a tweet, FBI Boston said, “Today’s arrest should make it crystal clear that the FBI takes crimes aboard aircraft seriously, everything from sexual misconduct as alleged in the case, to assault, interfering with the flight crew.”

As per the charging documents, Mohanty is internal medicine and primary care doctor practicing in Boston.

It is alleged that Mohanty, on May 27, 2022, was a passenger aboard a Hawaiian Airlines Flight en route from Honolulu to Boston with a female companion. He was allegedly seated next to a 14-year-old minor travelling with her grandparents, who were seated nearby.

The teenager alleged that about halfway through the flight, she noticed Mohanty's leg, which was covered with a blanket after which he pulled it up to his neck, was bouncing up and down.

She further said that within a few seconds, the blanket slipped on the floor, revealing that his pants were unzipped, exposing his genitals and he was "masturbating". The girl said she felt "disgusted and very uncomfortable" and moved herself to an empty seat in a different row for the remainder of the flight.

During the incident, Mohanty was seated next to a female companion who slept with her head resting on his shoulder. After the flight reached Boston, the girl informed her family about the incident, leading to the involvement of law enforcement.

When Mohanty was questioned, he responded, "I have no recollection of that."

“Everyone, especially children, has the absolute right to not be exposed to lewd conduct when they are traveling,” Acting US Attorney Joshua S Levy said.

“If you engage in the type of illicit behavior alleged here, you will be caught and held accountable wherever it happens," Levy said

Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division said: "What Dr. Mohanty is accused of doing in front of a fourteen-year-old girl is reprehensible.”