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UK woman bullied into giving tips for wheelchair at Goa airport; Complaint filed
The complaint alleged that two unidentified staff at Goa’s Dabolim airport stopped the 62-year-old UK tourist in a random space in the airport and bullied her into giving ‘tips’
A 62-year-old British tourist was bullied into giving ‘tips’ to the tune of ₹4,000 to two staff at Goa’s Dabolim airport for ferrying her on a pre-booked wheelchair, alleged a complaint filed with the Goa police by her friend.
The incident happened when the woman entered the Dabolim airport on January 29 for travelling to London’s Gatwick Airport via a chartered TUI Airways flight, said the complaint filed via e-mail by her friend Mikhil Vasant.
It said the two unidentified attendants stopped her in a random space in the airport and bullied her into giving ‘tips.’
The complaint was also copied to the Disability Rights Association of Goa, who said they are demanding “strong action in the matter”. HT has seen a copy of the complaint.
An official of the Dabolim Airport, said they were looking into the allegations. No case has been registered by the Goa police yet based on the complaint.
HT could not contact the woman but her British friend Mikhil Vasant, who is in Goa now, said she has reached London. He also requested to withhold her name.
In the complaint, Mihik Vasant said, “The ‘special assistants’ stopped her and bullied her into giving ‘tips’. The two men that were supposed to be assisting her stopped her in a random space in the airport, where she was helplessly surrounded by both of the men towering over her, angrily telling her, ‘if you do not pay us, then we will just leave you here.”
The staff member refused to allow her to access internet independently and she was left without any money to purchase food and drink before her flight, the complaint alleged.
“(It) left her with a permanent strain of anxiety and trauma caused by the mental torture of these events and the blatant harassment and discrimination against her, with both individuals taking advantage of her disability,” Vasant said.
