BENGALURU: High drama unfolded at the Kempegowda International Airport on Friday morning after Customs officials seized two desktop computers from a woman as she was not carrying valid bills or documents.
Dr Kunhamu, who hails from Kerala, arrived at KIA around 2:45 am from Sharjah. During security checks, the Customs officials, who found her carrying two desktops, asked her to produce the bills, but when she failed to do so they seized her gadgets.
Later, the woman approached the Airport police and claimed that she was harassed by the Custom officials who seized her electronic gadgets.
She alleged in the complaint that the officials sized the gadgets because she is a woman. Though she cried for a while and demanded them to return the desktops, they refused to do so.
Meanwhile, her husband who came to pick her up at the airport, approached the police to file a case.
According to police, it was an embarrassing moment for the Customs officials.
However, they gave an acknowledgement for the seized gadgets and issued a memo asking the woman to produce relevant documents to the authorities concerned and get them released.
A senior Customs official said, “We did our duty and there was no harassment. She was asked to pay a particular amount, including tax, for the goods as per department rules. But she was not ready to pay. Instead, she emotionally blackmailed us by saying she is a woman and belonged to a minority community. We clarified about this to the police”.
A senior police officer said, “The woman orally complained about the incident. However, no FIR has been filed. We have asked her to give a written complaint about the alleged harassment.”