The Hindu : New Delhi News : Held for fleecing passengers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 24, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Held for fleecing passengers

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 23. Two employees of a private firm and one STD phone booth operator have been held by the Crime and Intelligence Wing personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force for allegedly overcharging foreign passengers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here.

The two employees were working for M/s Secure Wrap and were apprehended by the CISF when they overcharged two Spanish passengers at around 11-55 p.m. on August 20. The duo -- identified as Naveen Kumar (Personal Identity Card No. B01040411D) and Sohal Lal (T/Pass No. A0341929) -- had without providing any receipt charged the two passengers Rs 200 each instead of the prescribed rate of Rs 100 for wrapping their luggage.

As the passengers complained about the conduct of the two employees in writing, they were nabbed and taken to the Airport Manager who fined Naveen Kumar a sum of Rs 100 and confiscated the identity cards and passes of both the accused.

Cracking down on yet another case of misconduct with passengers, the CISF personnel on duty at the airport also nabbed a STD booth operator, Shree Om (PIC No. B01038678D), while he was overcharging a Japanese passenger at the NITC Departure level at around 6-20 p.m. on August 21.

After the passenger, Mizuno Michik, had made a phone call worth Rs 62, the public call office operator allegedly demanded Rs 92 from her.

However, as the passenger complained, the operator was caught by Constable P.S. Chauhan.

The accused was then taken to the Airport Manager who fined him Rs 100 and refunded the excess amount to the harassed passenger.

A senior CISF official said though the amounts involved in the cases were small, it was essential that fleecing of passengers at the airport was checked since it spoils the image of the country at large and those working in the airport in particular.

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