Two Air India staffers arrested for molesting 9-year-old girl

In another dent to the reputation of national carrier Air India, two of its employees were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly molesting a nine-year-old girl at the Kolkata airport.

The girl was passing through check-in with her mother and sister to board a Lufthansa flight to Boston via Frankfurt at 1.45am on Tuesday when Reza Ahmed, a middle-aged Air India employee, touched her inappropriately.

Ahmed’s colleague Binoy Sahani, who abetted the crime, was also arrested.

Air India has condemned the incident and suspended Ahmed and Sahani.

An airport source told DNA, “As the girl’s mother was passing through the check-in counter at the airport, she noticed Ahmed touching her daughter inappropriately near the X-ray machine.”

An airport official said the girl’s mother was shocked at the behaviour of the Air India employees. “She immediately filed a complaint with the airport police against Ahmed and Sahani, who presumably helped his colleague in the act. The woman then boarded the flight with her two daughters,” he said.

“We arrested Ahmed and Sahani immediately after a complaint was lodged,” an airport police official said.

“We have filed cases against the duo for outraging the modesty
of women as well as under the Children Act.”

It is learnt that the victim belongs to a Boston-based NRI family, who have a house in Kolkata.