‘REPREHENSIBLE’

Boston Doc Accused of Masturbating Next to Teen Girl on Flight

According to the charging documents, the 14-year-old saw that Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and was bouncing his leg up and down.

A Boston doctor was arrested and charged Thursday for allegedly exposing himself and masturbating while seated next to a 14-year-old girl onboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight in 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. The criminal complaint charges Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the U.S. According to the charging documents, the minor—who was traveling with her grandparents, seated nearby—saw that Mohanty had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and was bouncing his leg up and down. When the blanket fell to the floor, the teenager realized he was masturbating, the documents state, and moved away to an empty seat for the remainder of the flight. Upon landing, the young girl told her family, and law enforcement was notified. Mohanty has been released from custody following an appearance in Boston federal court. His charge holds a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, a maximum of one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5,000. An FBI special agent on the case called Mohanty’s actions “reprehensible.”