80-Year-Old Woman Allegedly Strip-Searched At Airport After Hip Implant Set Off Metal Detectors

A wheelchair-bound 80-year-old woman was allegedly strip-searched at an Indian airport Thursday after her hip implant triggered metal detectors.

The woman was traveling to the capital city of New Delhi from the northeastern state of Assam when the incident took place. The elderly passenger, who was being accompanied by her granddaughter, was apparently asked to strip down during a security screening at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi airport in Guwahati, NDTV reported.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) female personnel, who was responsible for conducting the search, was reportedly suspended after the woman's family members raised a complaint.

A spokesperson for the Guwahati airport said the elderly passenger with limited mobility was asked to go through the mandatory security screening. However, since she had a metal plate attached to her hip bone, the woman was asked to undergo further checks, NDTV reported.

"The authorities politely explained to the passenger about the mandatory security protocol and the matter was sorted out. The octogenarian passenger was initially irritated but later she understood the matter and left for her destination in a happy mood," the outlet quoted the spokesperson as saying.

The woman's daughter, Dolly Kikon, took to her Twitter handle to voice her anguish over the matter. In the post, she tagged the handles of the paramilitary force in charge of the security at multiple airport locations, the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and other concerned authorities.

"@CISFHQrs My 80 year old disabled mom was made to strip at the CISF security check at Guwahati airport. The security personnel wanted “proof” of her titanium hip implant and forced her to undress," Kikon wrote in the post. "Is that how we treat seniors," she said.

In a follow-up post, Kikon provided more details about the search.

"The CISF 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 wrote on Twitter.

Reacting to the incident, a senior CISF officer told NDTV a probe was being conducted to find out whether the CISF personnel was at fault for not treating the senior citizen with respect.

After the incident caused a furor, the authorities of Guwahati International Airport (GIA) apologized for the inconvenience caused to the octogenarian, according to North East Today.

"Dear Maam, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to your mother. We take your feedback very seriously. Please direct message us your contact details for our team to speak with you immediately," GIA wrote in a tweet.