Police file FIR against airport officer in sexual harassment case

 Delhi Police on Saturday filed an FIR against an immigration assistant at Indira Gandhi International Airport, accused of sexually harassing and stalking a female passenger from Bangalore.

The FIR was filed after the 37-year-old woman sent a complaint through e-mail on Saturday to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) and the SHO of IGI Airport police station. The accused is already under the suspension. The alleged incident took place on March 18.
According to police, a case under sections 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-A (stalking) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code has been filed with IGI Airport police station.

“We filed the FIR against immigration assistant Vinod Kumar on receiving a complaint from the woman on Saturday. The accused is yet to be arrested,” a police officer said. The woman was asked to come to Delhi or to send a complaint for registration of the case, following which she sent the e-mail.

The Union Home Ministry has also placed Vinod under suspension and started departmental disciplinary proceedings.

The woman said she was subjected to a volley of offensive and inappropriate queries by Vinod after she landed at IGI Airport on March 18. Vinod, apart from asking her if she smoked or drank, wanted to know if she “had fun with other men” when her husband was not around.

He also allegedly followed her inside the terminal and kept asking vulgar questions. But when she took out her mobile phone and started talking to a friend, he instantly left.
The woman’s father-in-law had earlier complained with the Bureau of Immigration, which comes under the foreigners division of the Home Ministry. The woman was travelling from Bangalore to Hong Kong via Delhi.