New Delhi: A lady constable of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been suspended for her ‘undignified’ act.
In an incident similar to the Sudhaa Chandran episode last year, the constable allegedly strip-searched a wheelchair-bound 80-year-old woman with a hip implant at the Guwahati airport on Thursday.
The octogenarian, flying to Delhi, was accompanied by her granddaughter.
“Security and dignity of needy pax go hand in hand. CISF has already started enquiry in connection with the unfortunate incident at Guwahati airport. The concerned personnel has been suspended. DIG CISF has spoken with the passenger,” CISF tweeted.
Actor and dancer Sudha had taken to social media to complain about how the CISF had forced her to take off her prosthetics at an airport, following which CISF issued an apology.
Following the recent incident at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, the woman’s daughter Dolly Kikon took to social media to express her displeasure.
“My 80-year-old disabled mom was made to strip at the CISF security check at Guwahati airport. The security personnel wanted ‘proof’ of her titanium hip implant and forced her to undress,” Kikon tweeted.
“It is disgusting! My 80 year old disabled mother was forced to pull down her undergarment and get naked. Why? Why?” she stated in another tweet.
She tagged CISF, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Guwahati Airport authorities, and wrote: “Is that how we treat seniors?”
According to CISF personnel, checking prosthetics and implants is part of protocol once the metal detectors give a signal.
“What we are probing is whether the CISF personnel concerned did her job respectfully and with sensitivity that the passenger deserved. We are probing if there was any harassment as alleged,” The Indian Express quoted a senior CISF official as saying.
Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had tweeted that he would look into it.
