‘Needlessly offended’: Customs replies after Kashmiri journalist alleges ‘harassment’ at airport

The Delhi Customs department has claimed that Kashmiri journalist and activist Sana Mir was “needlessly offended” when she was asked to get her bags scanned at the Indira Gandhi International airport, asserting that it was a routine affair done for international passengers.

The Customs department’s response came after Mir, in a now-deleted social media post on Monday (February 26), accused officials of harassing her by allegedly asking her to open her bags and asking how she paid for the stuff she brought back from London.

“Bag scanning of international passengers is done routinely. While other pax put their luggage inside the scanner without any fuss. Ms Yana Mir felt needlessly offended. Staff remained courteous throughout. Privileges are not above law. Footage tells the story,” the Delhi Customs department replied on X, sharing footage of the incident.

“Ms Yana Mir didn’t cooperate at all when requested to get her bags scanned. Her luggage was ultimately picked up by the airline staff and Customs officer for scanning as seen in the footage,” the department said in another post.

Mir, however, in her reply to the post stood by her allegations, accusing department officials of being “high-handed” and “arrogant” in their behaviour towards her.

“You can see CLEARLY IN THE FOOTAGE as soon as I was told to scan I went to the machine. High handed, arrogant, entitled, govt employees thought its below their dignity to help me put the heavy suitcase on the machine, or help me put it back in the trolley,” she posted on X.

In an earlier post on Monday, which started the controversy, Mir had shared a video of her bags being checked at the airport.

“How I was welcomed back to India: Madam scan your bag, open your bag, why you have Louis Vuitton shopping bags? Did you pay for them? Where are the bills???” she posted.

"What Londoners think of me: INDIAN MEDIA WARRIOR. What Delhi customs thinks of me: Brand Smuggler," she said in the post.

The Kashmir-based journalist recently hit the headlines after she accused Pakistan of denting India’s image on the global platform while asserting that she was completely safe in Kashmir.

“I am not a Malala,” she had said, drawing comparisons with Nobel laureate and Pakistani human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, who sought asylum in the UK, after being shot by the Taliban.