Immigration officer who harassed City woman at IGI airport charge-sheeted

It has been a long fight for justice for Bengaluru-based Ramona Crasta, who was reportedly sexually harassed by an immigration officer, Vinod Kumar, at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, in March this year. The charge sheet was filed only last week.

Kumar allegedly stalked her in the terminal and repeatedly asked her sexist questions. The incident took place on March 18, 2015, and the FIR was registered on March 28 after Crasta e-mailed her complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport). Kumar was booked for sexual harassment, stalking and intended insult to the modesty of a woman under sections 354 (A) and 509 of the IPC. He was later suspended. The incident took place when Crasta was travelling from Bengaluru to Hong Kong via New Delhi.

In the five months that followed the FIR, Crasta said she tried in vain to get in touch with the investigating officer, Rajiv Gulati. The police had come down to take her statement soon after the incident came to light. But months rolled by with no progress in the case. Unable to reach the investigating officer, Crasta said she tried to get in touch with the woman officer who had accompanied him to take her statement. The woman officer, however, said she was not in charge of the case, Crasta told Deccan Herald.

Last week, after the incident was again covered by a section of the media, the police woke up to it. “Last week, the charge sheet was ready and there was a court hearing where Vinod Kumar was present. A copy of the charge sheet was given to him... The next hearing will be on December 1,” she added. She hoped she would get justice, as that would help in curbing such incidents in the future.