New Delhi: The assistant sub inspector (ASI) of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), who was slapped by a SpiceJet ground staff member early Thursday at Jaipur Airport, alleges that the female staff member attempted to enter the airport terminal through a vehicle gate. Due to the absence of female personnel at the gate, the ground staff member was asked to wait, as per protocol.
The ASI claims that the staff member then argued and insisted he perform the frisking himself. He informed her that he had already notified the control room and requested her to wait. However, she became agitated and slapped him.
ThePrint has seen a copy of the FIR filed by the Rajasthan Police on the complaint of CISF’s ASI at the Jaipur Airport police station under the sections 121 (1) (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 132 (assaulting public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to the FIR, the alleged offence took place between 4.40 am and 5 am.
Jaipur East DCP Kavendra Singh said an FIR under BNS section 75 (2) (sexual harassment) and 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman) has also been filed against CISF ASI Prasad on the complaint of SpiceJet ground staff. ThePrint has also seen a copy of this FIR filed on the complaint of the SpiceJet employee, who alleged that CISF ASI Prasad stopped her while she was entering the terminal and passed derogatory comments against her which she protested and enquired if no woman staff was present at the gate.
She further alleged that the CISF ASI asked her to cooperate in the sexual advance and when she tried to leave the gate he further asked questions such as price for sexual cooperation that triggered her into losing her “mental balance” and she slapped him to protect her dignity.
Meanwhile, SpiceJet released a statement Thursday evening alleging that its staff was subjected to “sexual harassment” by the CISF officer at the Jaipur airport.
A SpiceJet spokesperson told ThePrint that the airline staff was escorting a catering vehicle at the airport when she was subjected to “inappropriate and unacceptable language” by CISF officer who allegedly asked her to meet him after his duty hours.
“Today, an unfortunate incident occurred at Jaipur Airport involving a SpiceJet female security staff member and a male CISF personnel. While escorting a catering vehicle at the steel gate, our female security staff member, who had a valid airport entry pass issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), India’s civil aviation security regulator, was subjected to inappropriate and unacceptable language by the CISF personnel, including asking her to come and meet him after his duty hours at his home,” a SpiceJet spokesperson told ThePrint.
“SpiceJet is taking immediate legal action in this serious case of sexual harassment against its female employee and has approached the local police. We stand firmly by our employee and are committed to providing her with full support,” the SpiceJet spokesperson added.
“At 4.40 am, SPICE JET female employee…arrived in vehicle number RJ14 UG 6533, who wanted to go through the vehicle gate on the air side inside Jaipur Airport, but due to the absence of CISF female employee present at the vehicle gate, I asked the staff to wait…at about 5.00 am, the lady staff of CISF, Sub-Inspector Hansa and lady A. Poonam Kumari came to the gate and…started explaining the same things to the staff but she was not ready to agree…. She started arguing without reason and while arguing she suddenly slapped me. Immediately Sub Inspector Hansa and Constable Poonam took her inside the SHA while I was deployed at the vehicle gate (sic),” ASI Giriraj Prasad alleged.
CISF sources have denied SpiceJet’s allegations citing track record of the officer and abundance of women personnel at the Jaipur airport while also questioning the timing of the statement loaded with allegations.
The SpiceJet employee is in judicial custody.
This is an updated version of the report
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