A doctor from Boston, who was facing allegations for masturbating until ejaculation next to a 14-year-old girl on a plane, has been declared innocent by a judge.
The verdict came in favour of Dr. Sudipta Mohanty after a three-day-long trial in a Boston federal court.
Sudipta expressed confusion about the reason behind the devastating allegation.
“My fiance was sitting next to me on that flight, and neither of us can understand why this happened to us,” he mentioned in a written assertion.
“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 alleged incident took place on a Hawaiian Airlines flight back in May 2022. The doctor was charged with acting indecently for mastrubating until ejaculation after the young girl noticed his unzipped pants when the blanket covering him fell off.
As per her statement, he had put the blanket on him and was moving his leg when the blanket slipped down. After Mohanty went to loo, she moved to another vacant seat feeling very uncomfortable and disgusted.
Once she reached Boston, the teenager shared her harrowing experience with her grandparents, with whom she was travelling. This led to them alerting the cops.
Mohanty stated that the passengers and flight attendants around him didn’t act as if anything was wrong during the time the girl accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
After being indicted in September, he chose a bench trial, meaning his case was decided by a judge, not a jury.
He could have faced up to 90 days in prison, a £5,000 fine, and one year of supervised release if found guilty. Prosecutors expressed their disappointment with the outcome, stating: “Our office has no reservations about having proceeded with this case.
US Attorney Joshua Levy added: “Our office will remain steadfast in supporting victims, particularly minor children. It is critical that victims know they can come forward, and they will be heard and be fully supported by our office.”
The doctor’s lawyer, Claudia Lagos, defended him saying: “Dr. Mohanty is a talented and dedicated medical doctor. He has absolutely no history of wrongdoing whatsoever.” She added: “The last six months have been a bizarre nightmare for him, and he is relieved this is finally over so that he can rebuild his life.”
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