Margaritaville cruise ship.Photo:Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
In the complaint, the victim — who is only identified as Jane Doe — is suing the Classica Cruise Operator following a May 2023 incident involving cruise bartender Hoobesh Kumar Dookhy, who was also previously accused of sexual contact with her cabin mate — identified in court filings as H.B.
Dookhy pled guilty in October to abusive sexual contact after H.B.’s accusations resulted in charges, according to court records. Dookhy is currently being held at a federal detention center in Miami while he awaits sentencing, prison records show. He is not facing criminal charges in connection with Jane Doe’s claims at this time.
Jane Doe alleges that on May 5 aboard the Margaritaville at Sea cruise, she and H.B. were drinking at a bar and opted to pay through their cabin number, which gave the bar staff details of their room as well as its key, the complaint states. Dookhy was the bartender serving them, according to the complaint.
Later that night, as Jane Doe and H.B. slept in their cabin, Dookhy entered the cabin and Jane Doe alleges that he raped and impregnated her, she claims in the civil complaint. As part of the May criminal complaint, the FBI’s affidavit in support of the charges had previously alleged that Jane Doe confronted Dookhy when she awoke to him touching her inside her cabin.
She tried to get him to leave the room but Dookhy instead walked over to her friend’s bed and began caressing her chest, according to the new complaint. Jane Doe (referred to as SE in the May complaint) had told the FBI that she recorded his assault on camera, per the criminal complaint.
Dookhy initially denied the allegations and claimed his interaction with H.B. was consensual, according to the criminal complaint. After H.B. reported the incident to the cruise ship staff the next day, security searched Dookhy’s living quarters and found the women’s room key, according to the May complaint.
In the December complaint, Jane Doe said she was “forced” to abort the pregnancy, which led to “serious complications" and that she suffered, in addition to physical and mental trauma, humiliation, as well as an “aggravation and activation of preexisting conditions, and sustained disability and the inability to lead a normal life."
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Margaritaville At Sea said in a statement although they immediately cooperated with investigators following the May accusations, they were not aware of the alleged assault on Jane Doe until the lawsuit was filed.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and crew members is our top priority and all allegations of crime are taken very seriously,” the company said in a statement to PEOPLE, adding that the crew member was immediately terminated following the incident.
According to the new complaint, H.B. is separately suing Classica. It is unclear if Dookhy has retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
