Bengaluru: A woman resident of the city on Saturday filed a complaint with Delhi police against an immigration officer who allegedly verbally sexually harassed her at Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital.
"I have filed a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Indira Gandhi International Airport, situated at Mehram Nagar, New Delhi, today," the woman told PTI here.
Meanwhile, AFFRO wrote a letter to her father-in-law regretting the incident. The father-in-law, a former head of a Karnataka commerce and industry body, had lodged an online complaint to the Commissioner, Bureau Of Immigration, Delhi, P K Bhardwaj.
"I am extremely distressed by the incident and by going through the contents of your e-mail, and express my sincere personal regret, as well as regret on behalf of the organisation for the unfortunate incident," he said.
The Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) Alok Kumar Verma had directed the victim's family to lodge an online complaint to the Commissioner of Bureau of Immigration. However, the immigration official had denied speaking to her by leaving his immigration counter and allegedly followed her on the travelator at the transfer area.
In her police complaint, the woman, who was going from Bengaluru to Hong Kong, has alleged that an immigration officer verbally sexually harassed her, not only duing the immigration process at the desk, but also by following her along the travelator.
"I would like to complain about an immigration officer who verbally sexually harassed me not only during the immigration process at the desk but also by following me along the travelator between domestic and international transfer. This happened on March 19 at 9.30 PM," she said.
The woman alleged that the immigration officer asked many unpleasant and private questions while clearing the decks at the immigration counter.
Taking cognisance of the incident, the Home Ministry has
already placed the immigration officer under suspension and ordered a departmental inquiry.
AFFRO said "The erring officer was immediately transferred from the IGI Airport. Subsequently, on receipt of your email, directions for initiation of disciplinary proceedings have been issued and the erring officer has been placed under suspension."
AFFRO also directed the victim and her husband to depose in the disciplinary proceedings.
