He had her believe that her bag had something suspicious. As part of the airport security norms, she had to be checked, he convinced her. The checking was done in private. And in a washroom.
In an incident that will be another blot to India’s reputation as a tourist-friendly nation, a Korean traveller has revealed that an employee at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru had sexually abused her under the pretext of checking her luggage.
The woman named Kim Sung Kyung reportedly consented to make her identity public.
The event is said to have occurred on January 19 when Afan Ahmed approached the woman, saying that even though she completed her immigration procedures, her bag had to be inspected.
According to the FIR, Ahmed allegedly told the tourist that there was a beeping sound in her check-in baggage.
To convince her that his intentions were genuine, he said that a detailed counter check would delay the flight. He suggested performing a personal check instead.
He allegedly took the woman near a washroom. There, he reportedly touched her chest and private parts, pressed her chest, and later hugged her from behind without her consent.
When she protested, he said, “OK, thank you,” and let her go.
Rattled, the woman instantly lodged a complaint with airport security.
Swiftly acting on the complaint, the authorities handed him over to the police.
The police have registered a case against the accused and investigations are on.
The episode however didn’t change the woman’s perception of the country. That said, she hoped for better airport security.
This incident makes the country confront an unsettling question. How safe is India for tourists?
Last year, a report emerged of an Israeli tourist assaulted near Tungabhadra River despite taking all the necessary precautions. Then, in 2024, a Brazilian-Spanish travel influencer camping with her husband in Jharkhand was gang-raped by seven men.
As social commentators note, while the economic losses from declining tourism can be calculated, the reputational harm is far harder to quantify. Every incident involving foreign women alters the narrative India projects to the world.
Also Read: Another Teacher Betrays Trust: Self-Defence Coach Sexually Abuses 16-Year-Old https://www.vibesofindia.com/another-teacher-betrays-trust-self-defence-coach-sexually-abuses-16-year-old/
