A Boston doctor accused of masturbating next to a 14-year-old girl on a plane has been found not guilty.
A judge acquitted Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, of any wrongdoing on Wednesday after a three-day trial in Boston federal court.
Mohanty said the accusations have made it difficult for his family and he is confused as to why these accusations have been leveled against him.
“My fiance was sitting next to me on the flight, and neither of us understood why this happened to us,” he said in a written statement.
“I have dedicated my life to caring for others as a doctor, and it is heartbreaking to step away while I deal with these false accusations.”
The Cambridge doctor is accused of committing the lewd act on a Hawaiian Airlines flight in May 2022.
The unnamed minor accused him of masturbating to the point of ejaculation after he noticed the blanket he wore up to his neck had fallen and his pants were unzipped.
He said he had put a blanket over him and bounced his leg before the blanket slid down.
Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, was formally found not guilty Wednesday after a three-day trial in Boston federal court. The Cambridge doctor is accused of committing the lewd act on a Hawaiian Airlines flight in May 2022. .Beth Israel Lahey Health
When the former Deaconess Beth Israel Medical Center employee went to the restroom, the girl moved to an empty seat nearby and claimed to feel “disgusted and very uncomfortable,” charging documents said at the time.
After he arrived in Boston, he told his grandparents, with whom he was traveling, about his experience and they notified the police.
Mohanty, however, said that the dozens of passengers around them and the flight attendants who served the passengers never acted as if anything was wrong during the time the girl accused him of being selfish.
After being charged in September, the doctor opted for a bench trial, meaning he submitted his case to a judge, not a jury.
The unnamed minor accused him of masturbating to the point of ejaculation after he noticed the blanket he wore up to his neck had fallen and his pants were unzipped. Hawaiian Airlines/ MEGA
He faces up to 90 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, and one year of supervised release if he is convicted.
Prosecutors said they were disappointed with the outcome of the case, saying: “Our office has no qualms about proceeding with this case.
“Our office will continue to be firm in supporting victims, especially minors. It is important that victims know they can come forward, and that they will be heard and fully supported by our office,” said US Attorney Joshua Levy.
“Dr. Mohanty is a talented and dedicated medical doctor. He has absolutely no history of wrongdoing at all,” said the doctor’s lawyer, Claudia Lagos, in a statement.
“The last six months have been a strange nightmare for him, and he’s relieved it’s finally over so he can rebuild his life.”
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
