The South Korean tourist, who immediately reported the Bengaluru airport staff member who misbehaved with her in public, has reportedly broken her silence on the matter.
The young woman told a news channel that the incident happened on Monday, 19 January, when she was supposed to board her return flight to her homeland from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport. She arrived in Karnataka's capital city reportedly to catch up with a friend.
The bitter experience that she underwent should not be seen as a reflection of safety levels in India. She also told the news channel that she was concerned about the "power imbalance" at airports. The woman said that she agreed to another round of checks since she was concerned as to whether she was unknowingly causing a serious issue at the airport.
The South Korean tourist had complained that a ground staffer touched her inappropriately under the pretext of a pat-down search. The man was identified as Mohammed Affan, who reportedly approached the woman to inform her that her check-in luggage had made a "beep" sound. Mohammed Affan reportedly said that she could save the trouble of returning to the screening counter if she allowed him to search her separately. To save time and avoid missing her take-off, she agreed, and the man took her near the men's washroom where he touched her inappropriately despite her protests.
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The staffer allegedly hugged her and said "thank you" before walking away. She reported the incident to airport security personnel, who took the accused into custody and handed him over to the police. The CCTV cameras at the airport confirmed her complaint was legitimate, and a case was registered. Further investigation is underway.
