A passenger’s allegation that staff at a duty-free shop scanned the passports of her entire family, including two young children, has prompted an investigation by Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport authorities.
Subheadline: The airport said it would examine whether passenger passports and personal information were handled without authorisation at Terminal 3.
New Delhi | September 11, 2026
A US-based Indian family has alleged that employees at a duty-free outlet in Terminal 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport scanned the passports of family members who were not involved in a purchase. The airport has said it is investigating the allegation and will take action if any unauthorised or inappropriate handling of passenger information is established.
Pooja Tomarr Sikarwar described the incident in a video shared on Instagram after the family arrived in Delhi from the United States. According to her account, one family member purchased a bottle of liquor from the first duty-free shop after immigration. Staff at the outlet then scanned the passports of the other family members, including Sikarwar’s nine-month-old baby and toddler.
Sikarwar said she believed that only the passport of the person making the purchase should have been scanned. When her husband questioned the employees about the additional scans, staff reportedly told the family that the passports were being checked for offers.
The couple subsequently raised questions about why the additional passport details were collected and whether the practice could expose passenger information to unauthorised use. The allegations have not been independently established, and the available account does not identify the duty-free operator or specify what information was retained after the scans.
Responding to the family’s Instagram post, an airport official said the authorities had taken “serious note” of the allegation. The official said any unauthorised or inappropriate handling or scanning of passengers’ passports and personal information would be a serious concern.
“If the allegations are found to be true, exemplary action will be taken against the persons responsible,” the official said in the response, while asking Sikarwar to share her contact number and details of her travel and visit to the duty-free outlet.
The airport also requested information about the family’s visit so that officials could establish the facts and understand the incident in detail. The response did not state whether the outlet’s internal procedures, staff access logs or data-handling practices had already been examined.
The inquiry will determine whether the passport scans were connected to a legitimate duty-free process, an offer-related verification, or an unauthorised collection of passenger information. Until the investigation is completed, the allegations remain unverified. The airport has not announced a public timeline for concluding the inquiry.
