80-Year-Old Wheelchair-Borne Woman ‘Strip-Searched’ At Guwahati Airport

An 80-year-old woman on wheelchair, who had undergone a hip implant, was allegedly 'strip-searched' during security checks at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, Assam.

Guwahati: An 80-year-old woman on wheelchair, who had undergone a hip implant, was allegedly ‘strip-searched’ during security checks at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, Assam. The woman constable, who had strip-searched the 80-year-old, was suspended by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) following the incident.

The woman was reportedly taking a flight from Guwahati to New Delhi with her granddaughter. The woman’s daughter, Dolly Kikon, in a tweet raised the issue that her wheelchair-borne mother was made to strip during security check at the Guwahati airport. In her tweet, Dolly Kikon tagged the handles of the force and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma among others.

“@CISFHQrs 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. @himantabiswa @guwahatiplus @GuwahatiAirport. Is that how we treat seniors,” Kikon posted.

In another Tweet, she said, “It is disgusting! My 80 year old disabled mother was forced to pull down her undergarment and get naked. Why? Why?”

@CISFHQrs
My 80 year old disabled mom was made to strip at the CISFsecurity check at Guwahati airport. The security personnel wanted "proof" of her titanium hip implant and forced her to undress. @himantabiswa @guwahatiplus @GuwahatiAirport
Is that how we treat seniors

— Dolly Kikon (@DollyKikon) March 24, 2022

Responding to this, the paramilitary force that guards the Guwahati airport and 64 other civil airports in the country issued an official Tweet saying, “Security and dignity of needy pax (passenger) 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,” it said.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials said the personnel concerned had asked the woman to pull down her lower body garments as the detector beeped, indicating metal on a person’s body.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also responded to the complainant over Twitter saying, he is also “looking into this”.

Looking into this.

— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) March 24, 2022

“As per preliminary inputs, the CISF personnel on duty followed the standard operating procedure laid down in such circumstances. As there was a metal piece indicator on, she asked the lady passenger to undergo physical checking and show her the hip implant area so that she can corroborate the passenger’s version of having undergone surgery,” a senior officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

However, a probe is being conducted to find if the personnel did not treat the passenger with respect or was there any other lapse, the officer said.

Officials said the CISF control room reviewed the CCTV footage of the airport and found that the passenger left the woman frisking booth in less than two minutes.

The woman’s daughter also claimed in her social media post that her niece who was accompanying the octogenarian had filled up a complaint form but the CISF personnel took it away, claiming that it was not allowed.

A spokesperson of the Guwahati airport told PTI that the passenger with reduced mobility was requested to go through the mandatory security screening but as she had a metal plate attached to her hip bone, the CISF team asked her to go for further checks.

“The authorities politely explained to the passenger about the mandatory security protocol and the matter was sorted out. The octogenarian passenger was initially irritated but later she understood the matter and left for her destination in a happy mood,” the spokesperson said.

(With inputs from PTI)