A shocking case of sexual assault has come to light at Kempegowda International Airport, where a Korean woman tourist was abused by a ground staff member. The woman was assaulted by Mohammed Affan while she was about to board her flight home. The woman, Kim Sung Kyung, shared her traumatic experience in an interview with NDTV, describing how trust in airport security was used against her.
#NDTVExclusive | Korean tourist Kim Sung Kyung speaks to NDTV's @VedikaS, recounts molestation horror by ground staffer Mohammed Afan at the Bengaluru airport pic.twitter.com/gVyzI7jWwW
— NDTV (@ndtv) January 22, 2026
Kyung said Affan approached her just after her immigration check. As she was walking towards the terminal to catch her flight to Korea, he stopped her and claimed her luggage had made a “beep beep” sound. Speaking calmly and confidently, he asked her to come aside for a personal security check. Believing it was part of standard airport rules, she agreed.
Instead of taking her to a proper security area, the staff took her near the men’s washroom. There, he inappropriately touched her body during what he called a body check. Kyung said he squeezed her body and crossed all limits. Throughout the walk, he kept talking about security rules, which made everything sound official and normal.
After the so-called check, the man suddenly hugged her and said, “Thank you.” That moment made her realise something was very wrong. She said she felt scared and disturbed, and her first concern was to get away from him safely.
As her boarding time was close, Kyung approached a staff member of Singapore Airlines, who immediately told her such a personal check was not normal. With the airline staff’s help, she filed a complaint. Airport security quickly took Affan into custody, and police later confirmed that CCTV footage showed his actions clearly.
Affan was employed by Air India SATS, which has since terminated him, calling the incident unpardonable. The company said it is reviewing its safety systems to ensure such an incident never happens again.
