Monday, October 20, 2014

Muslim Bizman Alleges Harassment by Customs

Chennai:  A 65-year-old Muslim businessman, who flew in from Bangkok on Saturday night, alleged that he was strip-searched and harassed by a customs official at the airport. Jamal S, who hails from Mannady, said he had declared the flat-screen TV that he had brought from Bangkok and was past the customs counter when he was accosted by an assistant commissioner. “He was very curt and asked me to accompany him for a strip search. All the people who flew with me looked at me as if I was a smuggler,” said the elderly man. Enraged by what he believed is a gross violation of human rights, Jamal placed a complaint with the Airport Police.

Jamal is no stranger to run-in with enforcement agencies like customs. He has written several complaints to the authorities and says that he has pursued legal action against them, when he has found them errant in the past. “That is the reason why they targeted me this time,” he alleged. He had returned on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight UL 123, which had brought him from Bangkok to Colombo and then to Chennai.
20/10/14 New Indian Express
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