Upcoming singer and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa host Aditya Narayan landed in trouble on Monday, after he was caught on camera threatening IndiGo ground staff on being asked to pay excess baggage charges while travelling from Raipur to Mumbai.
Known otherwise for his charm and quick wit, Aditya — son of noted Bollywood singer Udit Narayan — lost his cool and allegedly abused IndiGo ground staff at the Raipur airport, when he was asked to 40 kilograms of excess baggage he was carrying, while he was on his way to Mumbai.
A video made by a co-passenger, which went viral in the electronic and social media, showed Aditya (30) shouting an IndiGo official and also threatening him that he would strip when he met next in Mumbai.
“...You are making it personal, buddy. I was not abusing you initially. I was making a video with my friends, I can say whatever I want..... I will get to meet you sometime in future in Mumbai. If I do not strip you then, my name is not Aditya Narayan,” an angry Aditya told the IndiGo official.
It was only after Aditya apologised to the IndiGo ground staff that he was allowed board the Mumbai-bound aircraft.
Aditya was travelling along with five others by IndiGo 6E-258 (Raipur-Mumbai), when the incident took place. “He was carrying excess baggage of 40 kgs. He was asked to pay Rs 13,000 for excess baggage that he was carrying. He refused to pay the full amount to the female check-in staff member. He said that he would not pay more than Rs 10,000 for the excess baggage and also used un-parliamentary language with the female staff member,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.
IndiGo allows passengers to carry check-in baggage weighing up to 15 kg free of cost. A maximum of seven kg per person is allowed as cabin baggage.The passengers have to pay Rs 300 per kg for excess baggage.
“While making a video, he (Aditya) pointed a finger at the Duty Manager and again used profanity. When politely asked to be civil and not use such language as there were other passengers and female staff members present, he started shouting even louder and used abusive words which we are refraining from mentioning here. He was informed that if he continues to misbehave he will not be allowed to travel,” the IndiGo airline said in a statement issued in the evening.
“later, passenger Narayan apologised to the ground staff and thereafter was given the boarding cards,” the statement added.
Monday’s is the second major incident of passenger misbehaviour involving IndiGo. In June this year, IndiGo had barred TDP MP Diwakar Reddy from flying with it after he allegedly indulged in a verbal duel with the ground staff and threw a printer kept at the airline’s counter. This had happened after he was denied boarding pass as he had reported late for his flight.
In another instance, all domestic carriers, including IndiGo, had banned Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad from flying after he hit an Air India staff “25 times” with a slipper.
Following these two incidents, the Government had last month come out with comprehensive rules for a no-fly list of unruly passengers.
Under the new rules, passengers can be banned from flying for three months to an indefinite period for an act of “disruptive behaviour”.
Since the rules provide for enforcement of ban only in the event of a passenger misbehaving inside a plane, either stationary or in flight, it remains to be seen if Aditya will straight away be put on no-fly list of unruly passengers or will the authorities ask the local police to investigate the incident in the light of the fact that it took place at the Raipur airport.