Indian Influencer Shruti Chaturvedi Shares First Hand Account On Being Harassed, Detained At Alaska Airport for 8 Hours

New Delhi: Indian influencer, entrepreneur, and founder of Chaaipani, Shruti Chaturvedi, who was detained at Alaska Airport and held in a detention room for approximately eight hours, narrated her ordeal stating she was searched by a male officer, denied basic facilities, and not informed of the crime she was accused of committing.

Indian entrepreneur Shruti and her friend Shilpa were detained for several hours and placed in separate rooms, without being allowed to communicate with each other or inform their families about the situation. In an exclusive conversation with Republic Media Network, Shruti recounted that the incident occurred on April 6 at Alaska's Anchorage International Airport (ANC), where she had gone to drop her friend, Shilpa, at the airport.

According to Shruti, Shilpa's flight was scheduled a few hours earlier than hers. Shruti had planned to return to her room after dropping Shilpa, collect her luggage, and head back to the airport to board her own flight.

However, after dropping Shilpa, Shruti received a message from her friend saying her bag had been flagged by airport authorities due to a power bank. Shortly after, Shilpa informed her that the anti-bomb squad had been called, and she was being detained. This was the last message Shruti received before Shilpa's phone was found switched off.

Police detained Shruti when she went to inquire about her friend  

As Shruti was concerned about her friend, she approached the airport police to inquire about her whereabouts. But the police detained her as well when she confirmed being Shilpa's friend.

At that time, Shruti informed that she was wearing her nightdress with a jacket on, which the authorities asked her to remove. They took her phone, wallet, and other belongings as well. Shruti stated that she was denied the opportunity to contact her family or inform Shilpa about the situation because it was daytime in India.

They completely snapped communication, searched by male officer, says Shruti  

Both friends were held in separate rooms for eight hours, and for the first two hours, Shruti was not provided any information about the reason for their detention or the alleged crime. She was unaware of Shilpa's location, while another friend staying at their Airbnb had no idea of their situation as well. Communication was entirely cut off, and no details were shared about what was happening.

After about two and a half hours, an FBI officer entered Shruti's room and read her Miranda rights, similar to what is shown in web series. Before this, Shruti was searched by a male officer due to the unavailability of a female officer.

Indians are pretty powerless abroad, says Shruti Chaturvedi 

The incident came to light after Shruti Chaturvedi took to social media, sharing her harrowing experience.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, she wrote, “Hi! I am alright and posted this only after I was out of USA. They let me and my friend go after 8 hours of nonsense and not finding anything. 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.”

“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’” she said.

Shruti concluded by saying she don’t have to imagine, already past the worst 7 hours. And we all know why. Anchorage airport, Alaska, USA.