NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Anchorage, Alaska, April 8, 2025: Indian entrepreneur Shruti Chaturvedi has alleged that she and a companion were detained for nearly eight hours at Anchorage Airport in Alaska after security flagged a power bank in her handbag as “suspicious.”
Chaturvedi recounted the traumatic ordeal on social media, describing being subjected to prolonged interrogation by local police and FBI agents, physically searched by a male officer on camera, and denied access to a restroom. She also stated that she was made to remove her warm clothing and was kept in a cold room, all while being denied the right to make a phone call.
The entrepreneur, who is known for her work in India’s social and civic engagement space, claimed her phone and wallet were confiscated during the ordeal. She ultimately missed her connecting flight due to the extended detention.
Authorities eventually cleared her and her companion of any wrongdoing, but reportedly returned her belongings in a basic duffel bag, having kept her original luggage.
Chaturvedi took to social media to share the details of the experience, tagging India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and raising concerns about the treatment of Indian travelers abroad. “What happened was beyond nonsense,” she wrote, emphasizing the need for better protections and communication rights for foreign nationals undergoing such scrutiny.
There has been no official comment from U.S. authorities on the incident as of press time.
The incident has sparked online debate over the rights of international travelers, airport security protocols in the U.S., and the handling of passengers from minority communities.
Power banks, especially those with lithium-ion batteries, are routinely flagged during airport screenings due to fire risk. However, travelers and civil rights advocates are raising questions about whether the treatment meted out to Chaturvedi was proportionate or lawful.
The Ministry of External Affairs has also not yet issued a statement in response to the entrepreneur’s appeal.
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
Cover photo courtesy: Shruti Chaturvedi/X.
