Indian entrepreneur Shruti Chaturvedi has alleged that she was detained for eight hours at Anchorage Airport in Alaska, where she was stripped of her warm clothes, denied access to a phone call, and physically searched by a male Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officer—reportedly over a power bank found in her handbag.
Chaturvedi, the founder of Indian Action Project and Chaaipani, took to social media platform X to share her ordeal. She claimed the situation escalated after airport security deemed the power bank in her handbag “suspicious.”
In a now-viral post, she wrote: “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.’”
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
Describing her experience as the “worst” seven hours, she added, “I don’t have to imagine, already past the worst 7 hours. And we all know why,” while tagging the Ministry of External Affairs in her post.
According to her, she was taken to a cold room, denied the use of a restroom, and not permitted to contact anyone in India.
Kept Whole Luggage Bag After 8 Hours Of Nonsense And Not Finding Anything, Woman Claims
She further alleged that despite not finding anything incriminating, officials held her and a friend for several hours and confiscated her luggage, returning only a “frivolous duffle” bag.
In a follow-up post shared after leaving the United States, she wrote: “Hi! I am alright and posted this only after I was out of the 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 the luggage. Anyway – the point is – outside of India, Indians are pretty powerless. Especially when you aren’t even allowed to make a phone call to anyone in India.”
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…
— Shruti Chaturvedi 🇮🇳 (@adhicutting) April 8, 2025
Chaturvedi’s account has drawn strong reactions on social media, with several users expressing concern over the alleged mistreatment of Indian citizens abroad.
