Indian Entrepreneur Shruti Chaturvedi Alleges Strip Search By Male Officer In US Airport

Indian entrepreneur Shruti Chaturvedi has claimed that she was detained for eight hours at a US airport for carrying a power bank. She was stripped off warn wear as the male security found the said gadget "suspicious".

Shruti Chaturvedi's Post

In a social media post, she said, "Imagine being detained by Police and FBI for 8 hours, being questioned the most ridiculous things, physically checked by a male officer on camera, stripped off warm wear, mobile phone, wallet, kept in chilled room, not allowed to use a restroom, or make a single phone call, made to miss your flight - all because the airport security found your powerbank in handbag "suspicious".

"I don't have to imagine, already past the worst 7 hours. And we all know why." However, they have let them go after "8 hours of nonsense" as they found anything. In her latest post, she said, "They still kept the whole luggage bag and gave a frivolous duffle to keep luggage. Anyway - the point is - out of India Indians are pretty powerless. Especially when you aren't even allowed to make a phone call to anyone in india."

Netizens React

Many netizens have condemned the authorities. One user said, "I'm truly sorry to hear about this deeply distressing experience. No one should endure such treatment, especially under circumstances that feel unjust or discriminatory. Your safety and dignity matter. Please consider reaching out to @IndianEmbassyUS or the Indian Consulate for immediate assistance as they can advocate on your behalf. Documenting all details and filing a formal complaint with relevant authorities may also help address this. Take care, and know that your voice is important."

The second user stated, "So sorry to hear this inconvenience how ever powerbank they are not allowing in handbags and unfortunately you are Indian so they know how to grind us." A netizen claimed that nothing much has changed and took a dig at the BJP government for "marketing" about India's global image. "Valid nothing has changed except for the marketing we do here. We r third class citizens across the globe," the user added.

A shock user commented, "This is scary and way beyond someone's imagination. Hope you're alright." A netizen demanded the Centre to raise the issue by posting: "This is horrifying, but sadly not shocking. The fact that a powerbank can trigger hours of detention says more about performative security than actual safety. Hope MEA follows up."

Another user said, "Just asking, how else r we suppose to carry the power bank? It's not allowed in check-in luggage either."