Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A case of baggage tampering and theft has been reported at Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar airport, as reported on Tuesday.
According to information, the incident came to light when a businessman found his suitcase lock broken and valuables missing after arriving in Indore from Mumbai.
The complainant, named as Himanshu Gupta, a furniture trader and resident of Shrinath Residency, said he travelled from Mumbai to Indore on May 2 by an Air India flight (AI2591).
He had checked in two bags at around 4 am for the 7:25 am flight and landed in Indore at around 9 am.
After collecting his luggage from baggage belt number 2 at the airport, he noticed that the lock of his larger suitcase was broken and the chain was open.
On checking the bag, he found that a Rado wristwatch, a perfume bottle and two leather belts were missing. According to him, the bag was completely secure at the time of check-in.
Gupta immediately informed airline staff and security personnel at the airport, but alleged that he did not receive any satisfactory response. He claimed that no formal complaint was registered at the spot and no written document was provided to him.
Later, after he raised the issue through email and on social media, the airline asked him to submit a ‘pilferage report’. However, he said such a report was not prepared at the airport when he initially reported the incident, raising questions over the process and accountability.
Aerodrome police station has registered an FIR in the matter and started an investigation. Police have also sought information from airline staff regarding the incident.
Gupta has demanded a thorough probe, stating that the issue is not just about theft but also about passenger safety, transparency and failure of basic service standards.
