South Korean businesswoman alleges molestation at Bengaluru airport; airline staffer arrested
Bengaluru: A 32-year-old South Korean businesswoman has accused an airline ground-handling staffer of sexually assaulting her at Kempegowda International Airport, allegedly under the pretext of “manual frisking,” police said.
The incident occurred around 10.45 am on Monday in the international departures area of Terminal 2 after the woman had completed immigration and security checks.
According to the complaint, the accused approached her claiming there was an issue with her checked-in baggage, identified himself as airport staff and asked to see her boarding pass.
He allegedly suggested an alternative, what he described as “manual frisking”, and asked her to accompany him.
Police said the woman was taken to an area near the men’s washroom. There, under the guise of inspection, the man allegedly touched her chest multiple times, asked her to turn around and then touched her private parts.
When the woman objected, he allegedly hugged her, thanked her and told her she could leave.
The accused has been identified as a ground-handling staff member. Police said he had no authority to conduct any physical checks on passengers.
After the incident, the woman alerted airport security, following which the accused was detained and handed over to the airport police. CCTV footage from the terminal is said to corroborate key aspects of her account.
Airport authorities clarified that frisking and physical checks are conducted only by authorised Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, and female passengers are frisked only by female staff.
AISATS spokesperson reportedly said, “An unpardonable incident was reported at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The employee involved was immediately terminated and handed over to the authorities for further legal action. We deeply regret the emotional distress caused by the incident and have extended all necessary support to the guest. A comprehensive inquiry is underway to strengthen safeguards and prevent any recurrence. AISATS is fully cooperating with the authorities and remains committed to the highest standards of ethics, safety, and compliance.”
Police said a case has been registered and further investigation is under way.
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
