Korean Woman Alleges Sexual Assault at Bengaluru Airport

GG News Bureau
Bengaluru ,22nd January :A ground staff employee at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport has been arrested following allegations of sexual assault made by a South Korean woman who was scheduled to fly back to her country earlier this week. The incident has triggered concern over passenger safety and staff conduct at one of India’s busiest airports.

According to the police, the incident took place on Monday, January 19, after the woman completed immigration formalities and was heading towards the terminal to board her flight. At this point, a male staff member approached her and asked to check her boarding pass. He allegedly claimed there was an issue with her check-in baggage, stating that it had triggered an alert during security screening.

The staffer was later identified as Mohammed Affan, who works with Air India SATS, a company that provides ground-handling and cargo services at the airport. The woman stated in her complaint that Affan told her returning to the regular screening counter would take time and warned that she could miss her flight if the issue was not resolved immediately.

Using this as a pretext, Affan allegedly insisted on conducting a separate pat-down check. He reportedly took her to a secluded area near the men’s washroom, away from the main screening zone. The woman told police that during the so-called pat-down search, the accused touched her inappropriately despite her repeated objections.

When she resisted, Affan allegedly hugged her, said “thank you,” and walked away. Disturbed and shaken, the woman immediately approached airport security personnel and reported the incident.

Airport security officials detained the accused and handed him over to the police. Investigators reviewed CCTV footage from the terminal area, which reportedly supported the woman’s allegations. Based on her complaint and the initial findings, airport police registered a case and arrested Affan.

A senior police officer said the accused appeared to have misused his position to intimidate and exploit the passenger. “We are conducting a detailed investigation and examining whether there have been any previous complaints against the accused,” the officer said, adding that further legal action will follow based on the evidence.

The incident has raised serious questions about monitoring mechanisms and the verification of staff roles within restricted airport zones. Airport authorities are expected to review internal procedures to prevent such incidents in the future.

Further investigation in the case is currently underway