All in the name of security

Scribes huddled and frisked inside IAF lock-up ahead of President's maiden Sukhoi voyage at Lohegaon base; upset at shoddy treatment

All in the name of security

Scribes huddled and frisked inside IAF lock-up ahead of President's maiden Sukhoi voyage at Lohegaon base; upset at shoddy treatment

Media personnel, who were specially invited by the Indian Air Force (IAF), to witness the President Pratibha Patil's historic flight in the frontline Sukhoi aircraft were in for a rude shock at the Lohegaon Air Force Station.

Security personnel huddled the assembled journalists inside a lock-up situated at the Base Security Squadron and frisked them. This lock-up is situated right opposite the interrogation cell of the IAF.

This crude frisking of journalists inside the lock-up, meant for criminals, left a bitter taste in the otherwise pleasant function where Patil became the world's first woman president to fly in a fighter plane.

Humiliated
Harish Joshi, bureau chief, Press Trust of India who underwent frisking inside the lock up, said, "I have been in the field of journalism for more than 25 years. Never have I ever been subjected to such humiliation. This was done in bad taste. I am not against being frisked, but there is a certain way to do things. Taking them inside a lock up and frisking is certainly not the way."

Imtiaz Jaleel, special correspondent of NDTV said, "The way the media was frisked was certainly humiliating. Someone should give the security personnel a lesson in decency and decorum to do their job. Did they think that we are criminals?"

A senior police official said, "We are just doing our duty. Our job is to frisk people who enter the area in the vicinity of the President. Since this place is near the gate we are doing it in this room."

Defence Public Relation Officer Captain Manohar Nambiar when contacted said "I will not be able to comment on this as these are sensitive security matters."