Olly Esse, an Italian DJ, has alleged that she was manhandled by an Air India outsourcing staff at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on August 19, a charge denied by the national carrier.
M Mahesh, Airport police inspector said they received a complaint from her on April 19 and booked a case under sections for punishment for voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation of IPC and were investigating it.
In a video posted in the social media, Ms Esse said she was travelling on an Air India flight to Delhi, which was delayed by nine hours. She went to the Air India counter and asked for help, but the employee at the desk did not respond properly.
REASON why i do not prefer AIR INDIAAir India flight from RGIA - Hyderabad got delayed by 9 hours! As per now the departure is maby at 6pm, that's what they saying. Originally I had the departure at 9am but now I don't even know if I will reach home. As I ve heard about the delay I went to the gate, asked if anyone can help - no answer. I went to the help point as everyone else - someone had a baby in a hospital, other lady was crying cuz her mother passed away and she should be in Mumbai to take care of her funeral, others had work... I went and asked a lady (I know name and surname) at the counter of air India how what should I do and she didn't reply, attracted her attention once again asking her to collaborate and she replied rudely that this is not her job and I should go to do bookings by myself - as I took out the cell phone and asked her to say that again cuz I'm going to file the complain to air India for that kind of treatment she SLAPPED ME SO HARD I FELT BACK AND MY CELL PHONE FELL FROM MY HAND! I literally started to scream from pain! After that as soon as I took the name and surname, tried to go to the police station and file the case and u know what? The inspector was not even there and when I've asked for help of the security of the airport they literally started to laugh in my face.I've tried to ask for mercy and help and no one cared. Bravo AIR INDIA! I AM LEFT WITH NO FOOD AND WATER FOR 9 HOURS. NO ONE CARED ABOUT ME BEING LITERALLY ASSAULTED PHYSICALLY and the manager didn't even blinked or assisted me! It hurts to know and understand that Police station was treating my request of help with a smile on face and saying they can't do anything cuz the inspector is not there (what can they do, right?) The sadistic smile on the face of the manager of air India when she was looking at me and just all happy said that she won't do ANYTHING TO HELP ME just indicated me the level of your professional treatment.I was really doing my best here, trying to do everything in my power to make my own world and my part here in India. After this one I am heart broken. All the people who could help me out with anything they just left me alone and treated me with so much disrespect that I can't breathe
Posted by OLLY ESSE on Sunday, 19 August 2018
"The lady at the desk who was supposed to help me was rude. At the end of the story she slapped me. I want to complain to the police, but that was not possible as the guy (police) who should take the complaint was not there. I feel violated," she said in the video.
When contacted an AI spokesperson denied the charge and said the lady whom Esse met at the Air India counter was an outsourcing employee.
"The person (female employee) is an outsourcing employee. She did not slap her. That was a false allegation. Ms Esse was filming the employee with her mobile phone, to which she (the employee) objected and tried to stop her. In the melee, her phone slipped from her hand, but did not fall on the ground," the Air India official told.
The police official said they verifying the footage and that investigation was going on.
