A Pakistani physician pleaded ‘not guilty’ earlier yesterday to allegations that he inappropriately touched a young girl in July while the two were seated together on an American Airlines flight.
The arraignment comes days after the girl’s parents filed a federal lawsuit in Des Moines, suing Chaudhry and American Airlines. Beatty said the airline should have done more to protect the girl, including putting her in a seat where she could be easily monitored.
The doctor is free on $100,000 bail. Among the conditions of his release is that he cannot fly, so he drove the 16 hours from Oklahoma to Chicago for Tuesday’s arraignment, as par american news media reports.
The girl had sent text messages to her mother explaining that a man had inappropriately touched her. “I want to get away,” one text said. A few seconds later, she added, “Mommy, I’m scared.” The mother fainted when she got her daughter’s texts, family attorney Brett Beatty has said.
However, Chaudhry told agents that he moved up to the girl’s row to give passengers in his section more room. According to the complaint, the 57-year-old said he may have inadvertently touched the girl’s arm when he asked her to close the window shade.
The girl’s parents had sued Chaudhry and American Airlines following the incident. The girl, aged between 12 to 16 years, was travelling alone on an American Airlines flight when Chaudhry allegedly inappropriately touched her.
Chaudhry was arrested after the July flight on charges, including engaging in sexual contact with a victim between the ages of 12 and 16.
The lawsuit alleges that Chaudhry moved to an empty seat beside the girl, who reported being woken up by the inappropriate touching. The girl alerted a flight attendant when Chaudhry left to use the restroom.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) met Chaudhry when the flight landed.