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‘Not a pilot-passenger dispute, misrepresented’: Air India Express pilot on Delhi airport scuffle

The altercation was a “purely personal matter between two passengers” and had “no connection whatsoever” with his professional responsibilities, the pilot underlined in a statement issued by his lawyer on his behalf.

4 min readUpdated: Dec 22, 2025 02:04 PM IST

Dewan had posted on X that during the security check for his SpiceJet flight, he and his family, including his four-month-old baby, were guided to use the security check meant for staff and persons with reduced mobility. (File Photo)

A day after the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) ordered a formal investigation into the alleged assault of a passenger by an off-duty Air India Express pilot at Delhi airport’s Terminal 1, the pilot, Virender Sejwal, on Sunday claimed that the incident had been “misrepresented” on social media, “unfairly projecting it as a ‘pilot vs passenger’ dispute”.

The altercation was a “purely personal matter between two passengers” and had “no connection whatsoever” with his professional responsibilities, the pilot underlined in a statement issued by his lawyer on his behalf.

The passenger, Ankit Dewan, had earlier alleged on social media that during the security check for his SpiceJet flight on December 19, he and his family members, including a four-month-old baby, were guided to use the security check meant for staff and persons with reduced mobility. He said he had an argument with Sejwal, who was among airline staff members cutting the queue, after which the pilot assaulted him and left him injured.

Also read | Air India Express pilot allegedly assaults passenger at Delhi T1; Aviation Ministry asks airline to ground Captain immediately

Following the incident, the MoCA ordered a formal inquiry, directed Air India Express to ground the pilot with immediate effect and sought reports from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and the Central Industrial Security Force (CIS). Air India Express said it had removed Sejwal from official duties, pending investigation, and would take disciplinary action based on the findings.

However, in a statement, Sejwal on Sunday alleged that Dewan verbally abused him without provocation and continued using “abusive, degrading and threatening language” even after being asked to stop. The statement also claimed that “casteist remarks were made against Capt Sejwal, and absolutely unfathomable threats were made to female members of his family including a child”. As per the statement, the social media portrayal was “one-sided”.

“The situation escalated into a physical altercation in which Captain Sejwal was also hurt; he also sustained injuries during the scuffle. CISF personnel intervened promptly, repeatedly told Mr Dewan to calm down and stop abusing, yet he refused to relent and continued his misconduct in their presence,” it read.

The statement added, “The incident between the two passengers was resolved in the presence of CISF officials at the airport. Both parties ‘voluntarily signed a statement,’ confirming that they did not wish to pursue any legal action. Contrary to misleading claims, Mr. Ankit Dewan signed willingly—there was no coercion or pressure involved.”

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In a series of posts on X Dewan on Friday shared images showing injuries on his face and alleged that the CISF personnel failed to act promptly. He also alleged that he was forced to write a letter stating that he will not pursue this matter further. He claimed he had only two options – file a complaint and miss the flight, which would have wasted Rs 1.2 lakh that he and his family had spent on their holiday bookings; or continue with his journey along with his family.

In one of the posts, Dewan wrote, “@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?”

The CISF, however, rejected allegations of inaction, saying its personnel intervened immediately, separated the two individuals and arranged medical assistance. It also said Dewan was advised to file a formal complaint but declined to do so at the airport, recording this in writing.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police said it has not yet received a complaint yet.

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