Karnataka HC refuses to quash FIR against airport ground staff accused of sexually harassing Korean businesswoman

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday refused to quash a First Information Report (FIR) registered against a 25-year-old ground staff member hired on a contract basis for security checks at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, on the allegation of sexually harassing a Korean woman under the guise of additional security verification.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order while dismissing a petition filed by accused Mohammed Affan Ahmed, a resident of Thomas Town in the city.

As per the complaint, the accused stopped the 32-year-old victim, a businesswoman, for additional verification, citing an issue with the check-in baggage and ticket, after she had undergone immigration clearance for an international journey.

It was alleged that the accused took her to a men’s washroom under the pretext of further inspection and subjected her to an intrusive physical search without her consent and touched her inappropriately despite her objection. The airport police had registered the FIR under section 75(1)(i) (sexual harassment) of Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita based on the complaint lodged by the victim on January 19, 2026.