India's central paramilitary force CISF has suspended airport security personnel after receiving a complaint that a disabled octogenarian woman was allegedly strip-searched at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati city.
The elderly lady, who had undergone a hip implant, was subject to the discomforting experience by the Central Industrial Security Force staff as part of a security check.
The incident was reported on Thursday as the woman was being accompanied by her granddaughter for travelling from Guwahati city in Assam to Delhi.
The victim told a local website eastmojo.com that she had to take off all her clothes, including her undergarments and diaper.
The CISF swung into action only after the woman's daughter, Dolly Kikon, took to Twitter to complain about the incident. Kikon is an acclaimed anthropologist from Nagaland state in northeast India.
80-Year-Old On Disabled Woman "Strip-Searched"
© Photo : Twitter
She retweeted about the treatment meted out to her mother, expressing her helplessness as she tagged the CISF, the Assam state chief and others.
Federal Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia responded to the complainant over Twitter, saying he is also "looking into this".
80-Year-Old On Disabled Woman "Strip-Searched"
© Photo : Twitter
The CISF, which is currently handling the security of the country's 64 airports, informed that: "The concerned security personnel has been suspended."
80-Year-Old On Disabled Woman "Strip-Searched"
© Photo : Twitter
A senior CISF officer told reporters, that in case of an implant, the passenger must show their implant area. Security personnel generally ask a few details to corroborate the passenger's version of having undergone surgery.