Indian Woman Detained For 8 Hours At US Airport, Alleges Strip Search By Male Officer

According to her, the search was triggered by a power bank in her handbag, which security officials at Anchorage Airport in Alaska found ‘suspicious.’ She further stated that she was denied access to the restroom throughout the eight-hour detention.

Indian Woman Detained for 8 Hours at US Airport, Alleges Strip Search By Male Officer

Indian entrepreneur Shruti Chaturvedi has alleged that she was detained for eight hours at a US airport and subjected to a physical search by a male officer after security deemed a power bank in her luggage ‘suspicious.’ In a post on X, she described the incident as her ‘worst’ experience at Anchorage Airport, Alaska. She claimed that she was stripped of her warm clothing, kept in a cold room, interrogated by both the police and the FBI, and denied access to a phone call— all over a power bank in her handbag.

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…

— Shruti Chaturvedi 🇮🇳 (@adhicutting) April 8, 2025

Chaturvedi, the founder of India Action Project and Chaaipani, further stated that she was not allowed to use the restroom and was forced to miss her flight. According to her post, her mobile phone and wallet were also confiscated. Expressing her frustration on social media, she wrote:

"Imagine being detained by police and the FBI for eight hours, asked absurd questions, physically searched by a male officer on camera, stripped of warm clothing, kept in a chilled room, denied access to a restroom or a phone call, and made to miss your flight—all because security found your power bank ‘suspicious.’"

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She added, "I don’t have to imagine, I just lived through the worst seven hours. And we all know why," tagging the Ministry of External Affairs in her post.

Who Is Shruti Chaturvedi?

Shruti Chaturvedi is an Ahmedabad-based entrepreneur and founder of two startups, ‘India Action Project’ and ‘Chaaipani,’ as per her Linkedin profile. She recently made headlines for stating that ‘Indians are powerless outside the country’ following her detention at a US airport.

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India Action Project focuses on connecting rural communities with mainstream businesses to boost rural commerce. Chaaipani, her first venture, is a platform that shares inspiring stories and fosters an action-driven community of over 1.5 lakh people.

An engineering dropout, Chaturvedi holds a degree in Psychology and a diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication from St Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad. Her career began in 2012 as an intern at The Times of India, followed by roles as a TV reporter for Sandesh and a human resources coordinator at AIESEC.

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Credits: Freepik