Bengaluru, 22 Jan

A South Korean national was sexually harassed by a ground staff member at Kempegowda International Airport here during a purported security check, police said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Mohammed Affan Ahamed, 25,  a contractual employee of a private airliner, was arrested in connection with the incident that occurred on 19 January, police said.

The incident occurred at terminal 2 while the woman was completing her immigration formalities before boarding a flight to South Korea, police said.

According to police, the woman alleged that the staffer claimed a beeping sound was coming from her bag and, on the pretext of a routine check, persuaded her to move to a secluded spot near the men’s washroom.

On the pretext of conducting a manual frisk, he allegedly touched her inappropriately multiple times and hugged her, the complaint said.

When the woman strongly resisted, the accused fled the spot, a police official said.

Recalling the incident in an interview with a TV channel from South Korea, the woman said the staffer approached her professionally, citing protocol, and requested to check her bag.

"He said this is a protocol… sorry to bother you. After everything, he hugged me and said thank you, which made me realise something was wrong. I freaked out. My priority was to get away safely," she said.

The woman immediately reported the incident to airport security, following which the accused was detained and later arrested.

Police said further investigation is underway.