Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, a Boston doctor, who was accused of masturbating next to a 14-year-old girl on a plane, was cleared of any wrongdoing this week as he was found not guilty. The judge cleared him of all charges following a three-day trial in Boston federal court.
The doctor said the accusation led to a difficult time for him and his family and he was confused why these accusations were levelled 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,” Sudipta Mohanty said in a written statement.
The accusations stem from an incident that occurred in May 2022 aboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight. The unnamed minor accused Sudipta Mohanty of masturbating until ejaculation claiming she noticed the blanket he had up to his neck had fallen and his pants were unzipped, according to a report by the New York Post.
She claimed Sudipta Mohanty placed a blanket on top of him and was bouncing his leg before the blanket slipped down.
When Sudipta, who earlier worked for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, went to the plane’s lavatory, the girl moved to a nearby empty seat, claiming she felt “disgusted and very uncomfortable”, as per the documents pertaining to the case. She also informed her grandparents after arriving in Boston, who then notified the police.
Sudipta claimed that the dozen passengers around them and the flight attendants who were serving passengers never acted like there was something wrong going on during the time frame the girl accused him of self-pleasure.
The doctor went for a bench trial after being indicted in September. When someone opts for a bench trial, they hand their case down to a judge instead of a jury.
Sudipta faced up to 90 days in prison, a fine of $5,000, and one year of supervised release if he would have been convicted. The prosecutors were disappointed with the case’s outcome.
“Our office has no reservations about having proceeded with this case. 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,” US Attorney Joshua Levy was quoted as saying by the New York Post.
“Dr. Mohanty is a talented and dedicated medical doctor. He has absolutely no history of wrongdoing whatsoever. 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,” the doctor’s lawyer, Claudia Lagos, said in a statement.
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