Guwahati Airport: 80-Year-Old Woman Strip Searched After Hip Implant Triggers Detectors

An 80-year-old disabled woman was allegedly forced to undress at the Central Industrial Security Forces security check, Guwahati International Airport. The daughter of the woman, Dolly Kikon, who is an anthropologist and author from Nagaland tweeted about the incident while tagging the authorities.

Kikon later wrote that she has met with the Guwahati Airport Authorities and CISF officials to follow up on the case. She also stated that the DIG CISF has reached out over the phone and has assured her that the matter will be taken up.

The incident occurred when the security personnel allegedly forced her elderly mother to removed her dress after her titanium hip implant triggered metal detectors. Kikon asked in her tweet while tagging the officials, "Is that how we treat seniors."

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Disabled Woman Strip Searched

In her Twitter thread, Kikon how the incident had left her elderly mother distressed, "The security personnel team at @GuwahatiAirport are harassing my niece who is taking care of my mother. They have taken away the complaint form she has written. They DID not allow her to take a screenshot saying it's not "allowed." My mom is distressed."

Kikon revealed that her mother was also forced to take off her undergarments, writing, "My 80-year-old disabled mother was forced to pull down her undergarments and get naked. Why? Why?"

Kikon added in a reply that her mother was unable to bend down to remove the undergarment due to her artificial hip and she was allegedly harassed for that too.

She tagged the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma, the CISF, Guwahati Airport and a couple of news media outlets.

The author's tweets have caused an outrage on Twitter against the authorities' insensitivity toward the disabled and senior citizens. Rituparna Chatterjee, who is the deputy Asia editor for The Independent wrote, "Can't believe how distressing this must have been for her and for you. I am so sorry Dolly. This needs to be called out."

Arman, who is a shooter and advocate for disability rights wrote, "Dolly, I just informed the CISF Guwahati airport Dy commandant. This is uncalled for. Despite clear guidelines and several meetings with several civil society organisations and organisations of people with disabilities."

(Feature Image Credit: YouTube)