NEWARK, NJ (TIP): An Indian American doctor has been arrested by police for allegedly groping a 16-year-old girl onboard a United Airlines New Jersey-bound flight.

According to police, the minor girl was sitting next to Dr Vijayakumar Krishnappa on July 23 when he inappropriately touched her while she was sleeping.

The girl woke up after she felt the doctor’s hand on her thigh, following which he suddenly removed it and the girl went back to sleep without raising alarm only to find the man groping her again when she woke up.

After the second incident, the girl reported the incident to the cabin crew and she was allowed to change her seat for the rest of her journey.

The minor girl belongs to Washington State and as soon as the flight landed at Newark Liberty International Airport, she called her parents to inform them about the harassment but by the time the doctor had left the airport.

The girl’s parents filed a complaint against airline authorities for letting the accused flee the airport despite the complaint of the minor girl. The incident caused yet another embarrassment for United Airlines, which has been in news for all the bad reasons in recent times.

ABC reported that the case was investigated by FBI and they tracked down Krishnappa using the flight details, a day after the incident.

According to the report, Krishnappa was arrested and charged with knowingly engaging in sexual contact with a minor female.

Krisnhappa is studying medicine in the US and according to court records he has been released on $50,000 bail bond and he is not allowed to have any contact with the minor while the criminal case is pending.

John Yauch, the doctor’s court-appointed lawyer, told Washington Post that his client “adamantly denies the charges and deserves to be considered an innocent man.”

“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.