NEW DELHI , India ( CNN ) -- Indian authorities Tuesday filed a police complaint against Continental Airlines for frisking a former president of the country as he was to travel to New York in April . Former president APJ Abdul Kalam was exempt from body checks , officials said . Civil aviation officials in New Delhi accused Continental of gross violation of Indian security rules that prohibit pre-embarkation body checks on certain dignitaries like a former president . The police complaint followed a probe that had established that APJ Abdul Kalam was subject to frisking before he boarded a flight from New Delhi to New York on April 21 , the Indian civil aviation ministry said in a statement . The ministry also alleged the airline did not respond to its show-cause notice in connection with Kalam 's body checks . In its police complaint , Indian civil aviation authorities accused the airline staff of `` willful violation '' of their directions on exemptions from pre-embarkation frisking . Continental , however , insisted it followed standard American air-safety procedures . `` TSA ( Transportation Security Administration ) requirements impose a final security check in the aerobridge just before boarding the aircraft . `` This procedure is followed by all carriers flying to the U.S. from most of the countries in the world and there is no exemption to this rule , '' it said in a statement .
Indian government file complaint against Continental for checking former president . Former president , Abdul Kalam was exempt from body checks , officials said . Continental , however , insists it follows standard Indian air - safety procedures .