Bengaluru airport's flight of shame: How Air India SATS staffer misused ‘manual frisking’ to molest South Korean businesswoman

BENGALURU: A South Korean businesswoman has accused an airline ground-handling employee of sexually assaulting her at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, allegedly under the pretext of “manual frisking”. The 32-year-old woman was returning to South Korea on Monday when the incident occurred in the international departures area of Terminal 2, shortly after she had cleared immigration and security checks.

How the incident unfolded

According to the woman’s complaint, the incident took place around 10.45am. A man approached her after she had completed Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) frisking and immigration formalities, identified himself as airport staff and asked to see her boarding pass. He then claimed there was a problem with her checked-in baggage, saying a beeping sound had been detected and that resolving the issue would take time. He allegedly suggested an alternative — what he described as “manual frisking” — and asked her to accompany him. Police said the woman was taken to an area near the men’s washroom. There, under the guise of inspection, the man allegedly touched her chest multiple times, asked her to turn around and then touched her private parts.

When the woman objected, he allegedly hugged her, thanked her and told her she could leave.

What police say

The Kempegowda International Airport police said the accused has been identified as Mohammed Affaann Ahmed, 25, a ground-handling staff member with Air India SATS. Police said he had no authority to physically inspect passengers. According to investigators, the woman later reported the incident to airport security staff, who immediately detained the accused and alerted airport police.

CCTV footage from the terminal is said to corroborate key aspects of her account. A case has been registered against Ahmed under Section 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with sexual harassment. He was arrested and remanded to judicial custody, and has been lodged in Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara.

Airport response

Airport authorities said frisking and physical checks are conducted only by authorised CISF personnel and in the case of female passengers, by female staff. They said any airport employee who suspects an issue with a passenger or baggage is required to alert CISF or immigration officials and has no right to carry out physical checks. Police said the investigation is ongoing.