SpiceJet passenger left with bloodied face after assault by Air India Express pilot at Delhi airport

A SpiceJet passenger has accused an Air India Express pilot of assaulting him following a dispute over allegedly cutting the boarding queue at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 1 in an incident that has triggered widespread attention on social media.

The passenger, Ankit Dewan, took to X, sharing a photograph showing blood on his face.

He claimed that the incident unfolded in front of his seven-year-old daughter, who, he said, has been deeply traumatised after witnessing the attack.

Tagging the Delhi Police on social media, Dewan questioned why he could not register a complaint after returning from his trip.

"Why can’t I file a complaint after coming back? Must I sacrifice my money too, to seek justice? Will the CCTV footage disappear in the next two days till I make it back to Delhi?" he asked.

The Delhi Police, however, claimed that no formal complaint had been received in connection with the incident.

"The matter has come to the knowledge of the police through a social media post. Whenever a written complaint is received by the victim in this regard, appropriate legal action will be taken," the police said.

Dewan also alleged that he was forced to write a letter stating that he would not pursue the matter further.

"... It was either write that letter, or miss my flight and throw the Rs1.2 lakh holiday bookings down the drain," he said.

Dewan stated that the incident occurred while he was travelling with his family.

According to Dewan, airport staff directed him, his wife, and their children, including a four-month-old infant in a stroller, to use a security check-in lane typically meant for staff members to ease their movement through the terminal.

However, he alleged that while they were in the queue, some staff members began moving ahead of him.

"The staff was cutting the queue ahead of me. On calling them out, Capt. Virender, who himself was doing the same thing, asked me if I was anpadh (uneducated), and couldn’t read the signs that said this entry was for staff," he said, adding that the exchange soon turned into a heated verbal argument.

"Not able to exercise restraint, the AIX (Air India Express) pilot proceeded to physically assault me, leaving me bloody. The blood in the photograph on his shirt is also mine," Dewan said in another post on X, where he identified the pilot involved.

Air India Express issued a statement condemning the incident and said it does not tolerate such conduct.

"The employee concerned has been removed from official duties with immediate effect, pending investigation.

Appropriate disciplinary action will be initiated based on the findings of the inquiry," the airline said.

The airline clarified that the individual was travelling as a passenger on another airline at the time of the incident and was not on official duty.

"Air India Express upholds the highest standards of conduct and professionalism, and remains committed to ensuring that its employees act responsibly at all times," it added in the statement.

Indo-Asian News Service