Indian descent man sentenced for sexually abusing boy on plane
Darpan News Desk IANS, 31 Jan, 2022 12:23 PM
New York, Jan 31 (IANS) A man of Indian descent has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy, who took pictures of the assault on a plane, according to the Justice Department and media reports.
Judge Nancy E. Brasel handed down the sentence to Neeraj Chopra, 41, in a federal court in Minneapolis, acting prosecutor Charles J. Kovats said on Friday.
He was found guilty in July of the incident in April 2019 but sentenced only this month.
According to prosecutors, Chopra had used a blanket to cover his lap and and the right leg of the teen and "began inappropriately touching the victim" while on the flight from Boston to Minneapolis.
"Chopra ignored the victim's multiple requests to stop and continued to inappropriately touch the victim," prosecutors said.
The legal media outlet, Law & Crime, citing court papers reported that the victim was a boy who had asked Chopra to stop the abuse and when it continued took pictures of the assault, which were produced in court as evidence.
The victim's older brother, who was seated in a row in front of him, reported seeing his brother cry and alerted their father who switched seats with the victim, the publication said.
Chopra was met by law enforcement when the plane reached Minneapolis.
The publication reported that Chopra had "admitted to touching the boy inappropriately, but said it was because he was asleep and having a bad dream 'about a family member being killed'".
On the seventh anniversary of the Oak Creek gurdwara mass shooting, over half a dozen lawmakers pledged to continue to advocate for stricter gun control laws and comprehensive background checks.
After Pakistani crew halted the Samjhauta Express at the Wagah border on Thursday, citing security concerns, Indian crew and guard escorted the train to Attari on the Indian side, a railway spokesperson said.
On Tuesday, pro-India banners appeared in different parts of the Pakistani capital, including in the high-security Red Zone, hailing India’s move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Jammat-ud Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed was declared guilty of “terror financing” by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in a Pakistani court on Wednesday.
Pakistan’s decision to suspend bilateral trade ties with India would hit the neighbouring country more as they import essential items, according to experts.
