Denied entry to city, woman collapses at Kolkata airport

Express News Service Posted: Aug 15, 2008 at 0207 hrs
Kolkata, August 14 A 65-year-old woman, who was detained at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport for travelling without a valid visa, collapsed on Thursday.

Sona Vora had landed at the NSCBI Airport from Singapore by an Air India flight on Wednesday. Immigration officials detained her as she had a residential permit in India for 10 years but was travelling without a valid visa. She could not even produce a return ticket, therefore, was refused entry into India.

Abbas Bhai D Vora, her husband, is a resident of Kolkata and had come to receive her at the airport. After much convincing, the officials finally issued her a Temporary Landing Permit on Thursday.

Customs officials, however, did not allow her to leave the international terminus with her luggage as she had a refused entry stamp on her visa.

When immigration officials led her out through the apron gate, CISF personnel, too, did not allow her to leave with her luggage as the airport is on red alert and they were not informed about her case.

After around 40 minutes of harassment and trudging between gates, she fainted at the apron gate and was to be sent for a medical check-up.