Korean woman ‘sexually harassed’ at Bengaluru airport; staff arrested
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Bengaluru: A South Korean national was allegedly sexually harassed by a ground staff member at Kempegowda International Airport during a purported security check, police said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Mohammed Affan Ahamed, 25, a contractual employee of a private airline, was arrested in connection with the incident, which occurred on January 19, police added.
The incident took place at Terminal 2 while the woman was completing immigration formalities before boarding a flight to South Korea. According to police, the woman alleged that the staffer claimed a beeping sound was coming from her bag and, on the pretext of a routine check, persuaded her to move to a secluded area near the men’s washroom.
During a manual frisk under the guise of protocol, he allegedly touched her inappropriately multiple times and hugged her, the complaint stated. When the woman resisted, the accused fled the scene, a police official said.
Recounting the incident in an interview with a South Korean TV channel, the woman said the staffer had approached her professionally, citing protocol, and requested to check her bag. “He said this is a protocol… sorry to bother you. After everything, he hugged me and said thank you, which made me realise something was wrong. I freaked out. My priority was to get away safely,” she said.
The woman immediately reported the incident to airport security, following which the accused was detained and later arrested. Police said further investigation into the case is underway.
With PTI inputs