| Complaint filed by | |
| Complaint filed on | June 22nd, 2023 |
| Complaint filed against | Sri Lankan Airlines |
- Text of Complaint by Dionne Gopinath
I purchased a business class return flight ticket Airline Booking Reference:5ZUL6H a round trip from Brisbane to Mumbai,
Leaving flight – Brisbane on 17/12/2022 and arriving in Mumbai on 18/12/2022.
Returning flight – Leaving Mumbai on 17/01/2023 and arriving Brisbane on 18/01/2023.
I had a 30-day visa for my travel to India. I would be in India; Mumbai from the 18/12/2022 to the 17/01/2023 is 30 days mathematically.
The problem arose at departure from the Mumbai airport on 17/01/2023 at approximately 8pm. I was detained by Mumbai Immigration officials who said that my 30-day visa expired on 16/01/2023. Essentially I had overstayed by 20 hours.
Mumbai Immigration Officials then were asking me to pay a cash-only bribe of $100USD + 500INR each/ per person for my daughter and myself which would equate to a total of 18,000INR approximately. I did not have INR18,000 in cash.
I had a local bank account with ICICI Bank with over $200,000INR and begged Mumbai Immigration to accept a card payment. However, Mumbai Immigration official said that they will only accept cash.
I then requested the Sri Lankan Airlines staff to take me to the closest atm. Mumbai Immigration told the SriLankan Airline staff who had accompanied me to the Mumbai Immigration office to NOT take me to an ATM.
Mumbai Immigration informed me that the only ATM was outside the Mumbai International airport. The Sri Lankan Airlines staff were quite as they appeared to be submissive to the Mumbai Immigration Officials. As I had 30 minutes for boarding to commence at this point, I knew I was going to miss my flight and continued negotiating with Mumbai Immigration.
When there were 10 minutes remaining for the boarding gate to close, The Immigration official in charge (who was in a safari suit and red tilak on his forehead) asked me to pay in any way possible and begun walking towards the back room on my left of his desk. I could see from where I was seated that there were no windows in this room and continued sitting at the desk and pretended to not understand.
There is no question in my mind that this was a blatantly inappropriate invitation.
The fact that the Mumbai Immigration official did not let the SriLankan Airline staff take me to an ATM, is obvious that he had this inappropriate solution on his mind all along.
Eventually, I had to miss my flight leaving Mumbai to Brisbane as Mumbai Immigration refused to let me go.
I later booked an economy class Qantas flight 3HQ8Y3 to return from Mumbai to Brisbane on the 18/01/2023 which cost me $7,840AUD.
I believe that I am owed AUD $7,840 by Mumbai Immigration.
