Mangalore: Student's Deserted Bag at Airport Gives Anxious Moments
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jul 17: An unclaimed bag found near the flag post of the Mangalore international airport in the morning of Wednesday July 16, gave rise to apprehensions among the people and the officials there, for some time.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials, on whom the onus of the airport security rests, grew concerned after they found that the bag was lying there unclaimed for more than 15 minutes and prepared to initiate safety measures. After a few tense moments, the situation returned to normalcy after it transpired that the bag belonged to a student bound for Dubai.
A Goan student studying in Manipal had come to the airport to fly to Dubai. His bag, containing a guitar and books, weighed about 25 kgs. It is said that he kept his bag near the flagpost as he did not have enough money to pay for the excess baggage.
By the time he came back, the CISF officials, as a precautionary measure, had stacked sand bags around the deserted object, presuming it to be left there by miscreants. The taxi drivers and others too joined the CISF officials in blocking people moving about, from going near the bag.
By then, the student came out of the airport and explained that he was finding it difficult to pay for the baggage. The immigration officials had also objected to his travel, as he had no return ticket in his possession, even though he was going on a visiting visa. They turned him back on this ground. The CISF officials made him to pick up his bag himself. After the student took away his bag, the security personnel were faced with the ordeal of removing the sand bags and keeping them in their original place.