Indian doctor arrested for groping teen on United Airlines flight
Court records show he was arrested and charged with knowingly engaging in sexual contact with a minor female, the report said.
An Indian doctor has been arrested on charges of groping a minor girl on a New Jersey bound United Airlines flight.
The 16-year-old girl, who was travelling alone on July 23, was asleep on the flight, when a stranger's hand on her thigh awakened her, the Washington Post reported.
The man, identified as Vijakumar Krishnappa, sitting next to her quickly removed his hand, according to a federal court complaint, and the teenager went back to sleep. Then, she woke up again -- and this time, the man was groping her, the complaint says.
She reported the incident to the airline crew and was allowed to move seats.
Once the flight from Seattle landed at Newark Liberty International Airport, the girl, from Washington state, called her parents. While she did, the accused left the airport, said Johnny McCray, an attorney for the girl's family.
The girl's family has filed a complaint against United Airlines for neglecting to detain Krishnappa after the alleged assault, the report said.
The FBI was called to handle the investigation. It used the flight manifest to track down Krishnappa, a doctor from India. The girl identified him from a photo array, ABC reported.
Krishnappa was charged in the federal court in Newark, a day after the incident, according to court records filed by the FBI charging him with criminal sexual contact.
Court records show he was arrested and charged with knowingly engaging in sexual contact with a minor female, the report said.
He
has
been
released
on
bond,
placed
on
electronic
monitoring,
and
ordered
to
not
have
any
contact
with
minors
while
the
criminal
case
is
pending,
according
to
court
records.
The
doctor's
court-appointed
attorney,
John
Yauch,
told
the
Post
that
his
client
"adamantly
denies
the
charges
and
deserves
to
be
considered
an
innocent
man."
Krishnappa is studying medicine in the United States through a months-long fellowship that allows for doctors from foreign countries to learn from experts in the US, the daily said.
A spokesman from the Federal Aviation Administration told the daily that the airlines typically notify law enforcement about incidents before landing.
The safety and security of our customers is our top priority. We take these allegations seriously and continue to work closely with the proper authorities as part of their review," a spokesperson for United Airlines said in a statement.
OneIndia News