Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai (MS)
Dubai, Feb 14: According to a man, a native of Kerala, working in Dubai, his wife's passport was allegedly deliberately torn by the airport security staff at Mangaluru International Airport to prevent her from boarding the flight to Dubai, as per the report appeared in Gulf News, UAE’s leading daily.
On February 3, Rubeena Hashim (28) arrived at the Mangaluru international airport along with her two children Fathima, aged four and Noora, an eight-month-old baby from her native place of Kerala. She was to board the flight to Dubai to join her husband, Mohammad (33), who works as a public relations officer in a trading company at Al Tawar in Dubai.
Rubeena with Mohammed and children
Rubeena was shocked to see her passport torn from its seams at the check in counter. She had checked the same before leaving her home and the same was checked again by the security at the entrance gate of the Mangaluru international airport.
According to Mohammad, husband of Rubeena, her passport was intact when they left home and this could have happened only at the airport.
Recalling the chain of events, Mohammad said that Rubeena gave the passports and flight tickets of her and the children to the security officer at the entrance of the airport. She was guided by the same security person to fetch a stroller for her children. When Rubeena was back with the stroller, the passports and tickets were handed back to her by the security officer and Mohammad says that during the intervening period Rubeena's passport was tampered with.
When Rubeena got the check-in counter the ground staff told her that she could not travel as her passport is damaged.
Mohammad says, "If Rubeena's passport was damaged, she would not have been able to enter the airport itself as the same is checked by the security officer at the entrance,"
After repeated pleading with the authorities, the airport staff made her to sign a waiver stating that if any problem is encountered in Dubai because of the damaged passport, the Mangaluru airport authority will not be responsible for the same.
The ordeal of Rubeena did not end there. The airport staff further complicated the situation by saying that the undertaking letter written by Rubeena was not worded correctly. Fellow passengers, who were boarding the same flight, had to chip in and help Rubeena write the letter in the correct format as she had to manage two toddlers, who were throwing tantrums as the mother was unable to pay attention to them.
After all the inhumane approach of the airport staff at the Mangaluru international airport in dealing with Rubeena, she reached Dubai. The Dubai airport security staffs were very considerate and just asked her to get her passport replaced as soon as possible.
Mohammad, husband of Rubeena has raised a complaint about the whole episode with the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, who have promptly forwarded the said letter to the Mangaluru international airport authorities.
Mohammad says, "Authorities at my own country should have handled the situation in a much better manner considering the fact that my wife was travelling with two toddlers. Now I expect them to at least give an explanation to my complaint on their behaviour with my wife at the airport."
On inquiry about the complaint raised by Mohammad, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi says, "This appears to be a one off case. No such complaint has been previously received by this embassy. In this case the matter has been referred to the concerned authorities and the complainant is being kept in the loop.”