Reuters AlertNet Lite - India removes body scanner from airport

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

India removes body scanner from airport - report

16 Feb 2007 06:26:52 GMT
Source: Reuters

NEW DELHI, Feb 16 (Reuters) - India will not use X-ray body scanners it bought for security checks at airports due to concerns they violate passengers' privacy, a newspaper report said on Friday.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is in charge of security of India's airports, had last year decided to install state-of-the-art body scanners at 16 airports over fears a "human bomb" could attempt to hijack a plane.

These machines use advanced X-ray technology to draw a skeletal image of a human body and are considered to be a fool-proof measure as they can detect explosives or weapons even if they are hidden under the skin.

The first scanner was brought to Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport four months ago but was soon discarded, the Hindustan Times reported, quoting a senior CISF officer.

"We found the images were too revealing," the officer, who was not named, said. "Using the machine would have become very sensitive here considering the hue and cry it has raised in the UK and the U.S."

Besides, the scanners were also not as fool-proof as thought, he added, without elaborating.

The use of body scanners had come in for some criticism in the West as passengers have complained that it amounted to a strip-search and violated their privacy.

Security agencies say Indian airports and airlines are prime targets for attacks by separatist militants operating in Kashmir, hardline local Islamist groups aligned with them and rebels in the revolt-torn northeast.

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• India profile
· View map

MORE >>

NGO latest

• Houses successfully built for tsunami victims in India
SOS-Kinderdorf International

• The UMCOR Hotline
UMCOR - USA

• Future housing needs defined by high urban growth in AP
Habitat for Humanity

• Nearly a quarter of a million people urge Novartis to drop its court case in India
MSF International

• MSF issues 'Top Ten' most underreported humanitarian stories of 2006
MSF International

MORE >>

Latest news

• India removes body scanner from airport - report

• WITNESS-Rolling up my sleeves after the tsunami

• ADVISORY-Reuters Witness story from India

• MAURITANIA: Would-be migrants in limbo on land as at sea

• FACTBOX-Key facts about Russia's Sergei Ivanov

MORE >>

Last updated:Fri Feb 16 06:27:52 2007