Mumbai airport harassment case: Key witness says he is being harassed

The prime witness in the case claims he is being pressured by his colleagues and superiors to retract his police statement; has filed a written complaint with Sahar police

Less than a week after a 32-year-old female security officer who had accused her senior of sexually and mentally abusing her was reinstated to her previous department at the international airport, it has now been learnt that the key witness in the case is being harrowed by his colleagues and superiors to retract his police statement.

The witness has even filed a written complaint at the Sahar police station against the alleged harassment. In his complaint (copy available with mid-day) the witness claims he is being mentally tortured. The letter states: “As I am a witness in the case, I am being harassed mentally, and now it is affecting my family as well.

Also Read: Harassed Mumbai airport staffer gets job back, but accused still her boss

I have made several complaints to the higher officials, but all of them went unheard. Hence, I decided to lodge a police complaint.” When contacted, the witness said, “I have lodged a complaint with the cops and higher officials; they must act on it immediately. I fear for my job.”

Mumbai: Sexually harassed airport staffer lodges FIR against senior

Commenting on the issue, the victim said, “It is very disturbing to work under the person (Lalsingh Bhandari) against whom I have complained. Despite an FIR and official inquiry, no action has been taken against him till date. Moreover, the witness in the case is being harassed so that he retracts his statement. All his complaints to the top officials have fallen on deaf ears.”

The case
A 32-year-old security officer had filed an FIR against Lalsingh Bhandari (38), senior security manager of MIAL-GVK, at the Sahar police station on June 18. In her complaint, she accused Bhandari of subjecting her to mental and sexual harassment for over a year.

The woman even claimed that before filing an FIR against Bhandari, she was transferred to another department without prior notice or justification. However, she was reinstated to the earlier department on July 1 after a mid-day report about the incident on June 30.

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