South Korean woman says Air India staff member groped her during 'manual frisking' at Bengaluru airport, claims accused 'touched and hugged her'

A ground member staff of Air India SATS has been arrested after a 32-year-old businesswoman from South Korea accused him of sexual harassment at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Monday. The woman claimed that the airline staff touched her inappropriately, hugged her and thanked her in the name of "manual frisking", reported Times of India. The report suggests that the accused lacked the authority to conduct security checks and embraced the woman under the guise of 'manual frisking' in a scheduled area near the restrooms. The incident allegedly took place at Terminal 2 while the woman was preparing to board her flight back home. The woman arrived in India on a tourist visa in November.

'Touched, hugged and thanked'

Police said the incident occurred around 10.45 am when a man approached her after her Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) frisking and immigration checks were cleared. The man, according to the woman, identified himself as airport staff, checked her boarding pass and claimed there was a problem with her checked-in baggage. According to the TOI report, the man, identified as 25-year-old Mohammed Affann Ahmed, told the South Korean woman that re-checking her luggage would take time and asked her to accompany him for "manual frisking".

The man reportedly took the woman near the men's washroom, under the pretext of frisking, touched her chest several times and asked her to turn around, and then also allegedly touched her private parts. When she objected, he allegedly hugged her, thanked her, and asked her to leave, the TOI report said.


ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma stunned as woman grabs cricketer at Indore hotel in viral video, pleads 'please help me, we are running out of time'

Accused arrested after woman files complaint

After the woman filed a complaint, the airport officials detained Mohammed Affann Ahmed, a ground staff member of Air India SATS, and alerted the KIA police. The accused was not authorised to conduct frisking and was arrested and sent to Central Jail in Parappana Agrahara on Tuesday. In case of any suspicion, he was required to inform immigration officials or CISF personnel so that checks could be carried out by authorised female security staff.

"An incident of sexual harassment of a South Korean woman under the pretext of inspection has been reported at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. An airport staffer named Affaann Ahmed has been arrested for sexually harassing a foreign woman who had come to the airport to travel to Korea. During the ticket inspection, Affaann Ahmed said that a beeping sound was coming from the woman’s bag and asked her to be checked separately. He took the woman to the men’s toilet. There, he touched her inappropriately under the pretext of inspection... The woman complained to the airport security staff, who immediately detained the accused and handed him over to the airport police. The CCTV footage confirmed the same. The Kempegowda Airport Police have registered a case against the accused, and he has been arrested. Investigation is underway. A case has been registered against the accused under Section 75 of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita)," airport police was quoted as ANI by saying.

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh told ANI," As per the complaint given in Bengaluru airport police station, one person arrested on the allegations of outraging the modesty of a woman foreign national. The incident happened after the woman completed the airport security check. The man has said that he heard a beep sound coming from the woman's bag or her body. He misbehaved with her. He is currently under judicial custody. This is a criminal case. The woman has left the country."

Police said CCTV footage from the airport supports the woman’s statement. A case has been registered against Ahmed on charges of sexual harassment. AISATS spokesperson said, "An unpardonable incident was reported at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The employee involved was immediately terminated and handed over to the authorities for further legal action. We deeply regret the emotional distress caused by the incident and have extended all necessary support to the guest. A comprehensive inquiry is underway to strengthen safeguards and prevent any recurrence. AISATS is fully cooperating with the authorities and remains committed to the highest standards of ethics, safety, and compliance."

(With TOI inputs)