Qatar Airways employee booked on extortion charges at Delhi airport
An employee of Qatar Airways working at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi has been booked on charges of extortion after he was allegedly caught taking Rs.35,000 cash (around QR1,900) from a Doha-bound flyer.
Officials said the incident took place late night on July 26 after CISF personnel detected the airline employee taking some cash from the passenger on CCTV.
The Qatar Airways employee was identified as Prashant Bhatia and was handed over to the IGI police after he reportedly could not give a satisfactory reply as to why he accepted cash from the flyer when his travel documents were in proper order.
"He has been booked under Section 384 (extortion) of IPC and investigation is on. Prima facie it looks like this was a ploy by Bhatia to extort money from low profile and desirous flyers going to Gulf countries and ensuring them a seat on the airline," said a senior police officer.
The passenger from whom the accused was taking money has given a complaint to the police. The cash of Rs. 35,000 paid by him was recovered from Prashant, he said.
A response from Qatar Airways in this regard was awaited.
Police said that they are questioning the accused as it was suspected that a network of airport staff were involved in extorting money from low-profile, needy passengers going to foreign countries for job opportunities.
Sources said that security agencies also questioned the supervising staff of Qatar Airways which said that they have no policy to take cash from any passenger.
Courtesy: deccanchronicle.com
This is common in the countries where the labourers / domestic workers come from. Airport staff know that these people have paid a lot to get their visas and so extort money from them at the airport. I have also heard stories of this taking place in Manila where immigration officers ask for money to let passengers through immigration. Not wanting any trouble many pay up. It happens more than you think.
Brit: Ha! Ha! A good one.
Haha Brit you're saying I exposed myself to them and I'm saying I was exposed to them; big difference :-)
Haha Brit you're saying I exposed myself to them and I'm saying I was exposed to them; big difference :-)
mohdata: It seems that you've only exposed yourself to the ones in pencil skirts and high heels - good for you :O)
Airport staff range from the unbelievably sweet and polite to the unbearably mean and dishonest... Thankfully I've mostly only been exposed to the first kind...
well Done!
Ha! Ha! The above comment "Perhaps there was a mistake" is a good joke. I guess the CCTV cameras made a mistake and the passenger also when he lodged a complaint with the authorities. Possibly the passenger may have paid just Rs.5000 and is claiming Rs.35000 of course "by mistake!"
Well done to the authorities.. From what friends tell me , too many travellers are harassed by such staff
Well done to the authorities. Perhaps thee was a mistake