Govt orders probe after off-duty pilot assaults passenger at Delhi airport

Delhi Police, meanwhile, said that no formal complaint has been received yet on the matter, it will initiate legal action once the passenger, Ankit Dewan, files a written complaint.

According to sources, the row began at 12.07 pm on Friday. Describing the ordeal he and his family went through, Dewan posted on X that during the security check for his SpiceJet flight, he and his family, which included a four-month-old baby, were guided to use the security check meant for staff and persons with reduced mobility.

According to him, he had a verbal altercation with Sejwal, who was among airline staff members cutting the queue, after which the pilot assaulted him. At the time of the incident, Sejwal was not on official duty and was travelling as a passenger with IndiGo to Bengaluru.

“Me & my family were guided to use the security check that the staff uses (also the PRM check), because we had a 4 month old baby in a stroller. 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 (illiterate), and couldn’t read the signs that said this entry was for staff. A verbal scuffle broke out. Not able to exercise restraint, the AIX (Air India Express) pilot proceeded to physically assault me, leaving me bloody. The blood in the photograph (first comment) on his shirt is also mine,” Dewan posted, along with pictures of his bloodied face and those of Sejwal.

He alleged that Sejwal initially claimed that he was a pilot with government-owned regional airline Alliance Air, “probably wanting to escape without involving his employer”.

Dewan posted a video wherein Sejwal can be seen pacing around him, as he and his wife comforted their distressed seven-year-old daughter, surrounded by a few Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel.

In that post, Dewan alleged that the pilot was looking at him, “lying on the floor, covered in blood, and probably realising the gravity of the situation for the first time”.

He further said that he had to wait 45 minutes to receive first aid, and that CISF personnel at the security check did not take any preventive action even as Sejwal told one of them “main isko maar ke aata hu (I’ll come back after beating him up)”.

The CISF, which manages security at all airports, said its personnel intervened immediately and separated Sejwal and Dewan. “CCTV footage has been reviewed and confirms that CISF personnel intervened immediately. The other individual was promptly removed from the spot upon occurrence of physical assault. CISF officers reached without delay, and medical assistance was arranged promptly,” it said in a statement.

It also posted on X that Dewan was advised by CISF personnel to file a complaint but he declined to do so of his own volition and recorded the same in writing. “Any allegation of CISF inaction or delay is therefore unfounded,” the agency said.

On X, Dewan, however, alleged that he was forced to write a letter stating that he will not pursue this matter further, as the only options he had was either that or missing his flight, which would have wasted Rs 1.2 lakh that he and his family had spent on their holiday bookings.

“@DelhiPolice, 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 2 days till I make it back to Delhi?” Dewan asked.

Responding to Dewan’s post, the Delhi Police said: “No such matter has been reported to the police station either by @ankidewan or by the airlines. The matter has come to the knowledge of the police through this social media post. Whenever a written complaint is received by the victim, in this regard, appropriate legal action will be taken.”

Air India Express condemned Sejwal’s behavior. “We are aware of an incident at Delhi Airport involving one of our employees, who was travelling as a passenger on another airline, and had an altercation with another passenger. We unequivocally condemn such behaviour. 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,” a spokesperson said.