Customs Official sacked for molesting Foreigners

New Delhi, 30/12: A Customs Official in Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has been dismissed by the Government over allegations of molesting two foreign nationals. The culprit Devendra Kumar Hooda, a custom superintendent was forced to retire after he was charged with sexual harassment and molestation.

The incident took place in May 2019. Hooda was sacked by the government under Fundamental Rights Rules (56) after he was found guilty of sexual harassment charges. He was also found guilty of lettong the woman walk away without being booked for entering India with two bags of contraband cigarettes.

An Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 had inquired the matter after Hooda was placed under suspension said The Department of Revenue.

The matter was finally adjudicated by the Review Committee that recommended that the official should be compulsorily retired for ‘gross misconduct’, ‘sexual harassment of grave nature’ besides casting “acute adverse impact on the image of the department and lowering the morals of the officers of the service”.

A senior revenue department official said that the action was taken to set an example for all customs officials that gender sensitivity codes need to be followed strictly.