Shruti Chaturvedi alleges strip search, denial of restroom access after power bank flagged as ‘suspicious’
An Indian woman entrepreneur from Ahmedabad, Shruti Chaturvedi, took to social media to recount a distressing experience at Anchorage Airport in Alaska, where she was detained by US police and the FBI for eight hours over what she described as a minor security suspicion involving a power bank found in her luggage, reported gujaratsamachar.com.
Chaturvedi claims she was physically checked by a male officer, stripped of warm clothing, denied phone calls and restroom use during the ordeal
In her post on X (formerly Twitter), Chaturvedi described the harrowing situation, writing:
“Imagine being detained by Police and FBI for 8 hours, questioned the most ridiculous things, physically checked by a male officer on camera, stripped off warm wear, mobile phone, wallet, kept in a 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 power bank in handbag ‘suspicious’. I don’t have to imagine, already past the worst 7 hours. And we all know why.”
Chaturvedi’s account highlights growing concerns around passenger treatment during security checks, especially for international travellers. The entrepreneur, originally from Ahmedabad, did not disclose the exact resolution of her case but emphasized the emotional toll the experience took on her.
As global conversations on travel safety, profiling, and passenger rights evolve, incidents like these bring renewed focus to the challenges faced by foreign nationals in airport security situations abroad.
