Sudipta Mohanty, a 33-year-old Boston doctor, accused of masturbating next to a next to a 14-year-old girl on a Hawaiian Airlines flight in May 2022, was found not guilty.
The judge cleared him of all charges after a three-day trial in Boston Federal Court.
"During the trial, there was evidence that at least 15 different passenger witnesses in the seats surrounding Mohanty indicated that they never saw anything consistent with these accusations while on the flight. Similarly, the flight attendants tasked with serving the passengers did not notice anything unusual whatsoever through the entirety of the flight, his counsel Claudia Lagos said in a statement.
Mohanty stated that the accusation had been difficult for his family, and he had no idea as to why these allegations were launched against him.
"My fiancé was sitting next to me on that flight, and neither of us can understand why this happened to us. 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. I am so grateful that the Court came to the right result, and I look forward to continuing to serve my patients and the Boston community.” Mohanty said in the statement.
The minor, who was not identified, accused Mohanty of performing a lewd act, alleging that he masturbated until ejaculation.
The incident occurred after the girl noticed Mohanty's blanket had fallen, revealing his unzipped pants, on a flight from Honolulu to Boston.
Mohanty was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for "committing lewd acts" within the view of a 14-year-old girl seated next to him on the flight in May 27, 2022.
Mohanty denied any wrongdoing and stated that neither the passengers nor the flight attendants noticed anything unusual during the alleged timeframe.
After the girl moved to a nearby seat feeling "disgusted and very uncomfortable", she reported the incident to her grandparents, who were travelling with her.
Prosecutors pursued the case, resulting in Mohanty being indicted in September.
Facing potential penalties, including up to 90 days in prison, a $5,000 fine, and one year of supervised release if convicted, Mohanty opted for a bench trial.
He was cleared by the Boston Federal Court this week.
Despite prosecutors expressing disappointment with the outcome, Mohanty's lawyer, Claudia Lagos, highlighted that he is a "talented and dedicated medical doctor" with no history of wrongdoing. She described the past six months as a "bizarre nightmare" for Mohanty and expressed Mohanty's relief at the case's conclusion, allowing him to rebuild his life.
