Mangalore, Aug 21: The custom officials assaulted a passenger from Muscat who arrived by Air India Express in a locked room on August 20.
The victim is identified as Ismail (24), son of late Hassanabba, resident of Santosh Nagar in Munnur village and working as a sales person in Muscat from the past two years. He was stopped by customs officials at the Bajpe airport as they spotted that he was carrying gold without declaring the imported dutiable items.
According to Ismail, he was carrying a set of three gold bangles along with the purchase receipt for sister’s wedding. But the officials asked him to pay fine of Rs 10,000 and also confiscated his passport. When he refused to pay, they reduced the amount to Rs 5000 after an argument and again he refused to pay the amount, hence he was then taken to a closed room in the airport and one of the customs officials beat him up. Later around 10 pm they released him and returned the passengers belongings back.
The passenger Ismail admitted to SCS hospital and a complaint has been filed at the Kadri police station.
The custom official said that he is not aware of assault and in the passenger’s case; passenger was waiting and being ignorant with the officials for about two hours. As the officials spotted the jewellery on the luggage scan, they questioned the passenger who failed to oblige.
The source has also stated that the passengers inconvenience has been recorded on the camera. The passenger also required a translator in the local language and the airport officials with the help of the clerks tried to explain and investigated him about the gold.
By: sathish kapikad
