In a shocking incident, a senior Army officer grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at Srinagar airport on July 26 during the checking process before the SG-386 flight was to take off to Delhi. The assault was such that the SpiceJet employees were left with a spinal fracture and injuries to the jaw. The airline said the assault happened after the passenger was told to pay for the extra cabin baggage.
An FIR has been booked against the officer and the airline has banned him from travelling on its flights.
The officer, identified as a Lieutenant Colonel Ritesh Kumar Singh, currently posted at the High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg, reportedly lashed out at airline personnel when they informed him of additional charges for baggage exceeding cabin limits. Three of the employees sustained injuries and are recovering now after hospitalisation.
The incident happened at the boarding gate for flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26. SpiceJet on Sunday said a senior Army officer, who was to board a flight to Delhi, assaulted four airline ground staffers at the Srinagar airport on July 26, and one of them suffered a spinal fracture.
When informed of the excess weight and the associated fee, the officer reportedly refused to comply and attempted to forcibly enter the aerobridge without completing the mandatory boarding process, breaching aviation security protocols.
According to Spicejet, “The passenger, the Army officer, was carrying two pieces of cabin baggage weighing a total of 16 kg; more than double the permitted limit of seven kg. When politely informed of the excess baggage and asked to pay the applicable charges, the passenger refused and forcefully entered the aerobridge without completing the boarding process - a clear violation of aviation security protocols. He was escorted back to the gate by a CISF official.”
The statement added, “At the gate, the passenger turned aggressive and physically assaulted four members of the SpiceJet ground staff.”
“A SpiceJet employee suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks”, it said. Another employee collapsed unconscious on the floor, but the passenger continued kicking and hitting him.
A third staffer suffered bleeding from the nose and mouth after receiving a forceful kick in the jaw while bending down to assist the colleague who had fainted, the statement said. A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official, responsible for airport security, escorted the officer back to the boarding gate. It was at this point, SpiceJet alleges, that the situation escalated.
Responding to the incident, the Army said it has taken note of the matter and is awaiting the outcome. “The matter involving an alleged altercation between an Army personnel and airline staff at Srinagar airport on July 26 has come to the notice of the Indian Army. The Indian Army is committed to uphold highest standards of discipline and conduct, and takes all allegations seriously. Full cooperation is being extended to the authorities in investigating the case,” it said in a statement.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 115(2), 126(2), 351(2) and 131 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertain to voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, and assaulting or using criminal force. The complaint further states that the officer “verbally abused and criminally intimidated in an aggressive and threatening manner”. The FIR identifies the victims as Govindrajan Swami, Mudasir Ashraf Khan, Nadeem Sofi, and Emaad Bhat.
The video of the incident went viral on social media on Sunday, August 3. In the multiple viral videos, the passenger, a senior army officer, can be seen assaulting the SpiceJet staffers at the airport. The man is also seen throwing multiple kicks and punches at the employees, severely injuring them in the process.
It could not be immediately ascertained whether the passenger was detained at the airport after the incident. In another video circulating online, the man was seen taking a queue stand near the boarding gate of the airline and attacking an employee with it until he was dragged away by a CISF officer.
SpiceJet has also written to the civil aviation ministry, apprising them about the murderous assault on its staff and has requested appropriate action against the passenger. The airline also said that it has secured the CCTV footage of the incident from the airport authorities and handed it over to the police.
Strongly condemning any act of violence against its employees, SpiceJet said it will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion. Meanwhile, IndiGo, on Saturday, announced imposing a flying ban on the passenger who slapped a co-traveller onboard the Mumbai-Kolkata flight on Friday.
Meanwhile, the political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday condemned the assault on employees of a private airline by an Army officer at Srinagar International Airport last week, saying the officer must be held accountable.
“This is gundagardi!! This incident took place at Srinagar Airport, where an Army officer was seen brutally assaulting SpiceJet staff member(s), leaving him with serious injuries. It is highly condemnable & shameful. The officer must be held accountable,” National Conference spokesperson Sarah Hayat Shah said in a post on X.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti also demanded action against the officer. “How dare this Army officer launch a murderous assault on employees at Srinagar airport simply for refusing excess cabin luggage? His demonic rage left one of the victims with a spinal fracture. Please take immediate action to set an example,” she said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, IndiGo, on Saturday, announced imposing a flying ban on the passenger who slapped a co-traveller onboard the Mumbai-Kolkata flight on Friday.The incident occurred in the flight 6E138 and after landing, the perpetrator was handed over to the security authorities at the Kolkata airport. The perpetrator was also declared as unruly, a source had said on Friday.