WEST PALM BEACH, FL – A civil lawsuit has been filed against a bartender from the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise cruise ship, following his criminal conviction for sexually assaulting a passenger. The plaintiff, referred to as “Jane Doe” or “SE” in legal documents, alleges that Hoobesh Kumar Dookhy, 24, also assaulted her and caused an unwanted pregnancy.
Dookhy had earlier pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of abusive sexual contact, following a lawsuit by a passenger identified as “HB.” Both incidents allegedly occurred in May 2023 aboard a ship operated by Classica Cruise Operator Ltd.
This new lawsuit, brought by Jane Doe’s lawyer Spencer Aronfeld, marks the second legal action against Classica’s Margaritaville at Sea cruise line over the same incident. The complaint alleges that Dookhy used a stolen key card to enter the women’s cabin and committed sexual assault.
According to the lawsuit, HB, who was heavily inebriated, returned to her cabin around 1 a.m. Dookhy allegedly had kept the key card used to charge drinks to her room and entered their cabin an hour later, assaulting both women.
The lawsuit also alleges that Dookhy took photos of the women, who were sleeping naked, during the assault. Jane Doe claims to have filmed Dookhy assaulting her friend as evidence after asking him to leave.
Subsequent to the assault, Jane Doe discovered she was pregnant. Despite being married, she and her husband had been medically advised against sexual activity around the time of the assault, leading her to believe Dookhy was the father. She opted to terminate the pregnancy, which led to medical complications.
Jane Doe is seeking $75,000 in damages from Margaritaville. This follows a ruling by U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg denying HB’s request to seek punitive damages from the cruise liner.
Dookhy, who confessed to drinking on the night of the incident, initially claimed that his sexual encounter with HB was consensual. He later accepted a plea deal to avoid a life sentence. His sentencing is set for January 11, and he could face up to two years in prison.
Dookhy is currently held at FDC Miami. Attempts to reach Dookhy’s lawyer, Peter Birch, or the cruise company for comment were unsuccessful.