Story perspectives

Duty-Free Staff Scanned Children’s Passports, Couple Alleges

By Drooid · Sep 13, 2026, 4:24 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Pooja Tomarr Sikarwar and her husband allege IGI duty-free staff scanned all passports, including children.
They bought a liquor bottle, so only the buyer’s passport should have been needed.
Duty-free employees said they scanned extra passports to verify promotional offers.
Staff cited a chocolate promotion offering 10% off a second chocolate.
Airport officials used Instagram to request the couple’s contact and passport details, promising an investigation.

History

Historical Context

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, adopted 14 April 2016 and effective 25 May 2018, gave the Irish Data Protection Commission power to fine up to €20 million or 4 % of worldwide turnover for consent violations. The rule’s “Brussels effect” spread globally, leading India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation to order IGI Airport to stop passport scans tied to a chocolate promotion and adopt transparent data practices.

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Story summary

Pooja Tomarr Sikarwar and her husband allege IGI duty-free staff scanned all passports, including children.
They bought a liquor bottle, so only the buyer’s passport should have been needed.
Duty-free employees said they scanned extra passports to verify promotional offers.
Staff cited a chocolate promotion offering 10% off a second chocolate.
Airport officials used Instagram to request the couple’s contact and passport details, promising an investigation.

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