Indian-origin doctor in US found not guilty of performing lewd act in front of teen on aircraft
New York, Feb 1: A 33-year-old Indian-origin doctor in the US who was accused of allegedly exposing himself and performing a lewd act next to a teenage girl onboard a flight has been acquitted, according to a media report.
Dr Sudipta Mohanty was found not guilty on Wednesday after a three-day trial in the Boston federal court, The New York Post newspaper reported.
Mohanty, an internal medicine and primary care doctor, was arrested in August last year and charged by criminal complaint with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the US.
Indicted in September, Mohanty opted for a bench trial, meaning he handed his case down to a judge, not a jury, the report said.
In May 2022, Mohanty, travelling with a female companion on a flight en route from Honolulu to Boston, was seated next to a 14-year-old minor travelling with her grandparents. Accusing him of masturbating until ejaculation, the minor had said that she noticed the blanket he had up to his neck had fallen and his pants were unzipped.
The minor informed family members about the incident after arriving in Boston, and subsequently, law enforcement was notified.
In a written statement, Mohanty said, "My fiance 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," the report cited the statement.
"Dr Mohanty is a talented and dedicated medical doctor. He has absolutely no history of wrongdoing whatsoever. On the contrary, he has devoted his life to helping those in need," a statement from his attorney said.
"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. He is profoundly thankful that the court heard his case so promptly and that it came to this just result," the statement said.
Prosecutors said they were disappointed with the case's outcome. "Our office has no reservations about having proceeded with this case," the report quoted them as saying.
Mohanty faced up to 90 days in prison, a fine of USD 5,000, and one year of supervised release if he had been convicted.
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PM Modi pays tributes to those killed in Jallianwala Bagh massacre
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New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid homage to those killed in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, and said their sacrifice stands as a powerful reminder of the indomitable spirit of the people of India.
Modi also said the saga of those killed in the massacre, their indomitable courage and self-respect against the barbarity of foreign rule will continue to inspire every generation of the nation.
"On this day, we pay our heartfelt homage to the brave martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh. Their sacrifice stands as a powerful reminder of the indomitable spirit of our people. The courage and determination they displayed continue to inspire generations to uphold the values of liberty, justice and dignity," Modi said in a post on X.
Hundreds of people protesting peacefully against the Rowlatt Act, which granted the
colonial administration repressive powers, were gunned down by British forces without any provocation on this day in 1919 at a garden in Amritsar.
While the official figure put the number of dead at 379, freedom movement leaders had claimed that several hundreds more died in the firing.
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